HOW TO HIRE · REMOVALS & STORAGE

How to hire an office clearance firm in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

An office clearance firm must be registered; your business needs a transfer note per load and secure data destruction.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an office clearance firm in five steps

  1. Check the carrier numberOn the public register.
  2. Plan transfer notesOne for each load, kept by your business.
  3. Protect the dataShred papers, wipe or destroy drives, with certificates.
  4. List furniture and electricalsReuse, resale or recycling routes.
  5. Book accessLifts, loading bays and building hours.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Waste carrier registration

Carrying waste for others is lawful only with registration: Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland, DAERA in Northern Ireland. Ask the office clearance firm for the number; in England an upper-tier one starts CBDU.

Look the number up before booking, and note it with the date. environment.data.gov.uk →

Business waste transfer notes

Gov.uk says every load that leaves a business's premises needs its own waste transfer note, and the business must check its carrier is registered.

Ask the office clearance firm to complete a transfer note for each load. gov.uk →

Personal data in files and devices

Gov.uk says a business that stores personal information must keep it secure; files and computers leaving an office can carry customers' and staff data, and misuse can bring a heavy fine from the ICO.

Agree secure shredding of papers and wiping or destruction of drives, with certificates. gov.uk →

Where the waste is going

Scotland's 2026 duty of care code of practice (Environmental Protection Act 1990) says to ask where the waste will go and to treat unrealistically cheap prices with suspicion; an office clearance firm should name the site.

Ask which licensed site the load will go to. gov.scot →

VAT

Office clearance is standard-rated, so a registered office clearance firm adds 20% to the clearance price, data destruction and electricals recycling. Registration becomes compulsory once an office clearance firm has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the office clearance firm for the VAT number with the waste transfer notes and for clearance, data destruction and VAT listed apart. gov.uk →

“What is your waste carrier number?”

A good answer: One you can check that matches the office clearance firm.

“Will you fill in a transfer note for every load?”

A good answer: Yes, without being asked.

“How do you destroy office files and drives?”

A good answer: A method named, with a certificate of destruction.

“What happens to office furniture and IT?”

A good answer: Reuse, resale or WEEE recycling.

“Is the office clearance price fixed?”

A good answer: Yes, after a survey.

“Can you work out of hours?”

A good answer: Options and price.

“Are you insured for the building?”

A good answer: Public liability named.

Getting the quote right

  • Fixed price
  • Who actually attends the clearance: the office clearance firm's employed crew, or a subcontracted carrier or shredding contractor
  • Waste transfer notes per load
  • Data destruction method and certificates
  • Electricals recycling route
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the clearance and the data destruction

Walk away if

  • No carrier number
  • No transfer notes offered
  • Drives taken with no wiping plan
  • Cash only
LOW
£200
TYPICAL
£450
HIGH
£1,500

What an office clearance firm costs: £200–£1,500 per job

Office clearance is priced by the job after a survey; volume, data destruction, electricals and access set the price. Office Clearance price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Office clearance firms near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyContents, data and access listed.
  2. Data firstFiles shredded, drives wiped or destroyed.
  3. ClearFurniture and IT removed.
  4. PaperworkTransfer note for each load.
  5. Hand backOffice left empty and swept.

Waste transfer note
The record a business completes for each load of waste.
Certificate of destruction
Proof that files or drives were destroyed.
Business waste
Waste from any commercial activity.
WEEE
Waste electrical and electronic equipment.
ICO
The Information Commissioner's Office, the data protection regulator.
Waste carrier number
Registration to carry waste.

AFTER

When the job is done

File the transfer notesYour business's record for every load.
Keep destruction certificatesEvidence that personal data was destroyed.
Check the buildingCommon areas undamaged.
Review the jobSay how the office clearance firm did — on Locufy only a booked job can be reviewed, and a problem goes through the make-it-right step first.

STEP 1Put it to the office clearance firm in writingDescribe the fault in the clearance, add photos and give a date to reply. Reasonable care and skill is part of every service contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
STEP 2Let Locufy follow it upBelow four stars, you choose whether the office clearance firm sees the problem before your review does; we follow it through, then the review goes live.
STEP 3Fly-tipping or an unregistered carrierIf waste the office clearance firm took turns up dumped, report it to the council and the regulator — the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or DAERA — with your receipt and their number. For advice, or to have Trading Standards told, ring Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims as the last stepWhere the office clearance firm still will not pay, the limits are £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an office clearance firm: questions people ask

Yes. Carrying other people's waste as a business needs registration in every nation — Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or DAERA. Ask for the number and check it.

Gov.uk says a business must check its waste carrier is registered and must not allow it to dispose of the waste illegally, so keep the carrier number and every transfer note.

Usually £200–£1,500 a job, with £450 typical. The office clearance price guide sets out the reasons; your town in the search box above shows local office clearance firms.

Yes — gov.uk says every load of business waste leaving the premises needs one.

Your business; gov.uk says personal information must be kept secure, so agree wiping or destruction.

Often; ask about resale and reuse routes.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in removals & storage

How to hire: Office RemovalsHow to hire: Document StorageHow to hire: WEEE / Electronics DisposalHow to hire: Furniture DisposalHow to hire: Junk & Rubbish RemovalHow to hire: Skip HireHow to hire: House ClearanceHow to hire: Container StorageAll 701 hiring guides →

Office clearance firms near you

Office clearance firms in LondonOffice clearance firms in ManchesterOffice clearance firms in BirminghamOffice clearance firms in GlasgowOffice clearance firms in BelfastAll office clearance firms on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  2. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  3. Natural Resources Wales — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer
  4. SEPA — waste carriers and brokers
  5. DAERA — registration of carriers and brokers
  6. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 — duty of care
  7. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34ZA — householder fixed penalties (England)
  8. gov.scot — Duty of Care code of practice for managing controlled waste (2026): householders
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  10. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. gov.uk — dispose of business or commercial waste
  13. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  14. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  15. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register