How to Prepare Your Facility for a Machinery Move

Getting your facility ready for machinery moving is no small feat—it requires a considerable amount of planning and collaboration. Many businesses experience this problem, even if it’s only once, and even small mistakes can result in high downtime and low efficiency. The solution? Proper preparation. This can help you protect your equipment and save time, whether you’re moving your machines within the same facility or to a different location.

Are you looking to upgrade your layout or expand to a new location? SolidHook is here for you to ensure a stress-free move!

Our machinery movers at SolidHook have handled moves across the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario for facilities of any and all sizes. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key steps to get your facility ready—with safety, efficiency, and confidence.

Site Survey—Start with the Groundwork

Every successful machinery moving endeavour starts with a walk-through. A site survey helps you understand both the challenges and opportunities of your current and future layout.

• Assess Both Locations: Take the time to survey not just the building where the equipment is located, but also the new destination. Look at entry and exit points, overhead clearances, floor conditions, and loading dock access.

• Plan Your Path: Determine the most efficient route from the equipment’s current position to the moving vehicle. This includes checking door widths, hallways, and turns that may restrict movement.

• Spot the Hazards Early: Low ceilings, hanging cables, stairs, fragile surfaces, and other potential risks should be noted early on. Identifying these now prevents delays later.

• Get the Measurements Right: Measure everything—equipment, doorways, hall heights. Do not rely on estimates.

The more thorough your survey, the fewer surprises you will face on move day.

Planning and Pre-Move Assessment

Once you understand the physical space, the next step is building your machinery moving strategy. This is where logistics and resources come into play.

• Inventory Your Equipment: List out each machine being moved, along with specs like weight, dimensions, center of gravity, and any unique handling instructions.

• Set Realistic Timelines: Identify your downtime tolerance and plan around it. If your facility needs to stay partially operational during the move, work in phases.

• Disassembly Requirements: Figure out which machines need to be broken down into parts for safe transport.

• Legal Permits: If your task involves overweight loads or the use of public roads, make sure that you have the right permits. Oversized load escorts, road closures, or bridge height restrictions can all impact timing.

• Assign Responsibilities: Make sure every stage of the move has a point person, whether that is internal staff or your hired machinery movers.

A well-defined plan is the difference between a routine equipment move and a logistics nightmare.

Machinery Prep

After the logistics are planned, it is now time to start focusing on your machines. If you prepare each machine correctly, it will reach its destination in perfect condition.

• Drain All Fluids: Oil, fuel, coolant, or anything that can leak or usually adds weight to the machine should be drained, following the instructions of the manufacturer.

• Disassemble As Necessary: If the equipment is too large or delicate to move as a whole unit, our machinery movers at SolidHook will need to disassemble each unit in an organized way. We will mark the wires and cables, take photographs, and place the smaller components in properly labeled containers.

• Secure Loose Parts: Remove or secure any covers, trays, and accessories that could get lost or damaged during transit.

• Protect Fragile Parts: Be careful of any electronic parts, like sensors and hydraulics, that could get damaged.

• Pre-Clean Machines: Dirt or grime can be a nuisance when lifting, rigging, or undergoing inspections. Clean machinery is easier to rig and lift.

The more detail you go into while prepping for machinery moving, the fewer surprises you’ll face during transport and relocation.

Prepping the Facility

A properly maintained facility assists the machinery movers in prioritizing efficiency and security.

• Clear the Path: Remove any clutter or debris from the route that the machinery takes while being removed, transported, and reinstalled in the new location. Our heavy equipment transportation specialists at SolidHook can even temporarily relocate storage racks, shelves, and other furniture.

• Keep the Floors Safe: Use plywood sheets or mats to protect concrete floors and tiles. Reinforce areas where heavy equipment will pass or be installed.

• Mark Obstructions and Danger Zones: Use tape or signs to highlight obstacles or areas where the move crew needs to take extra care.

• Check New Site Utilities: Power lines, water, compressed air, network access—whatever your machinery needs, confirm it’s already in place and functioning at the new location.

• Space for Reassembly: Make sure there’s enough room at the destination, not just for the machinery, but for any equipment or crew needed to reassemble and test it.

Professional Support, Rigging, and Transport

Heavy machinery moves are not DIY projects. Partnering with experienced professionals gives you the tools, manpower, and expertise needed to handle machinery moving.

• Hire Professionals: At SolidHook, our experienced team of machinery movers, electricians, plumbers, and millwrights can help you with any kind of industrial relocation.

• Use the Right Equipment: Aside from our machinery moving services, SolidHook also offers rental options, like forklifts and scissor lifts, so that you’re equipped for projects of all sizes and scopes.

• Inspect Rigging and Load Securing: Only industrial-grade chains, straps, and slings should be used. Every machine should be locked down to prevent shifting during transit.

• Custom Crating or Padding: For sensitive instruments or research equipment, custom-built crates with shock absorption may be required.

• Transport Coordination: Professional transport companies should handle the actual haul. Make sure they have the right vehicles, route planning, insurance, and knowledge of local laws.

Poor handling in this phase is the number one reason for damage during machinery moves. Skilled professionals make sure everything stays intact and compliant from door to door.

Reassembly, Testing, and Commissioning

Once the equipment has been successfully relocated, your job is not over yet. It’s time to bring everything back online.

• Unload with Precision: Use the same care to unload as you did to pack. Position equipment according to your new floor layout, and maintain floor protection.

• Reassemble Using Documentation: Reference your photos, labels, and diagrams to ensure every piece goes back in place correctly. Avoid guesswork.

• Reconnect Systems: Restore power, air, water, or network lines safely and according to specs. Use a licensed professional if needed.

• Trial Run: Take your equipment for a test drive by performing operational checks. This is done to make sure that the machinery is calibrated accurately and functioning as it’s supposed to.

• Conduct Safety Checks: Before the start of production after reinstallation in the new location, make sure that all safety precautions, emergency stops, and sensors are fully functional.

• Train Your Team: If layout or procedures have changed, take time to brief staff on the new configurations.

A machinery move is not complete until everything is running as smoothly—or better—than before.

Why Choose SolidHook for Machinery Moving at Your Facility

When it comes to moving heavy or fragile equipment, there is no room for mistakes. Machinery movers at SolidHook prioritize precision, planning, and professionalism—helping facilities across Southern Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area transport their equipment without disruption.

Experience with Challenging Moves

We’ve moved everything from oversized production lines to delicate lab setups. Whether it is on a factory floor, inside a university lab, or deep within a hospital’s mechanical room, we know how to navigate tight spaces, load-heavy machines, and sensitive timelines.

Minimized Disruption to Operations

We plan every job around your schedule to reduce downtime. From phased equipment moves to weekend execution, our team ensures your operations continue with minimal interruption. You focus on running your facility—we will handle the logistics.

Specialized Equipment and Rigging Expertise

Our crews are trained to operate advanced rigging systems, lift equipment, and tilt-and-load trucks. We match the right tools to your unique environment—whether that means moving machines across finished flooring or lifting units into restricted spaces with zero room for error.

End-to-End Project Coordination

We do not just move machines—we manage entire projects. Our team handles site surveys, safety assessments, disassembly, loading, transportation, offloading, and reassembly. If it is part of the move, we have got it covered.

Local Knowledge, Regional Reach

Operating out of Southern Ontario and the GTA, we know the terrain, the traffic, and the local compliance landscape. Whether your facility is in a dense urban area or a remote industrial park, we bring experience that fits the environment.

Conclusion

Moving heavy equipment does not have to be daunting, time-consuming, or stressful. With the right team of expert machinery movers, even the most complex moves can be done with confidence.

Here at SolidHook, we have the answer to all of your industrial-grade problems. As pioneers in the machinery moving industry, we bring together a team of reliable and professional machinery movers in the GTA and Southern Ontario that ensure that your move goes as smoothly as possible.

So what are you waiting for? Reach out to SolidHook today—and let’s move your facility forward, safely and efficiently.