UC Berkeley & Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Relocation
Asset-based carrier since 2010. Laboratory and biotech relocation across Berkeley, Emeryville and the surrounding research corridor.
LBNL runs on DOE protocols. JGI, JBEI, EBI, and the Molecular Foundry each have their own equipment patterns. UC Berkeley EH&S runs the campus side. Our crews stage from Hayward. Confirm travel, gate access and crew availability for the planned move window.
Moving + Storage under one roof, one company, one point of contact Plus free use of moving blankets, wardrobe boxes, and floor protection on every move.
Berkeley laboratory moves are backed by the $10,000,000 Combined Protection Tower across multiple policies. Verify on FMCSA
UC Berkeley & LBNL Lab Moving: Quick Facts
- Service Area: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley campus, Emeryville biotech corridor (Hollis-Shellmound), and the broader Berkeley research footprint
- Specialization: JGI sequencing, JBEI bioreactors, EBI bioprocessing, Molecular Foundry, Stanley Hall, Li Ka Shing Center, Energy Biosciences Building, Valley Life Sciences, Hildebrand, Tan Hall, QB3
- Equipment Handling: Mass specs, NMR, ultracentrifuges, NGS sequencers, bioreactors, -80 sample banks
- Compliance: DOE-site clearance awareness, campus EH&S coordination, JGI/JBEI institutional protocol respect, COI issued to whichever procurement or facilities office your building routes it through
- Credentials: USDOT #2551548 | CA License CAL-T190721 | $10M combined insurance across multiple policies | A+ BBB
- Phone: (888) 914-8787
How much does a Berkeley laboratory move cost?
Ontrack Moving® quotes Berkeley laboratory moves after reviewing the equipment, packing needs, access at both sites, crew time, distance and move sequence. Ask your equipment and cabinet vendors for separate estimates for any preparation, decontamination, testing or recalibration they need to perform. The written moving estimate identifies the agreed services and how changes, waiting time and additional materials affect charges.
How do you move a -80C ULT freezer in Berkeley?
Ontrack Moving® plans the physical freezer move around the exact model's manufacturer instructions and your laboratory's approved sample plan. Those instructions determine unloading, preparation, transport orientation and restart conditions; a short drive does not establish permission to move a loaded freezer. Your lab arranges sample storage, any required monitoring and release back to use. Confirm the responsible people and the pickup and delivery arrangements before moving day.
How do you move a biosafety cabinet (BSC) in Berkeley?
Ontrack Moving® handles the physical move of a biosafety cabinet after your laboratory's EH&S or biosafety lead and qualified cabinet vendor determine the preparation, any required decontamination and release for handling. Plan the route, equipment dimensions and packing before pickup. The responsible lab team and cabinet vendor determine destination installation, testing and certification before the cabinet returns to use.
Why Berkeley research labs choose Ontrack
Berkeley Research Corridor Carrier. Hayward Base. Asset-Based Since 2010.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory operates under DOE oversight on the hill above the UC Berkeley campus. JGI runs the Joint Genome Institute sequencing operation. JBEI runs the Joint BioEnergy Institute bioprocessing operation. EBI runs the Energy Biosciences Institute. The Molecular Foundry runs electron microscopy and nanofabrication. Large accelerator and beamline instruments sit on the same hill. Each operates under its own access pattern.
UC Berkeley campus labs at Stanley Hall, the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, the Energy Biosciences Building, Valley Life Sciences, Hildebrand Hall, and Tan Hall run through UC Berkeley EH&S. The California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) is a Berkeley / UCSF / UCSC partnership that adds a coordination layer for cross-campus moves. The Emeryville biotech corridor along Hollis-Shellmound (Bayer, Amyris, and the Onyx-legacy footprint) lies south of campus.
Our crews handle the physical relocation of laboratory instruments. Share the equipment list and manufacturer handling instructions during the survey so the packing, access route and vendor handoffs can be agreed before the move. Your lab and its equipment vendors manage specialist preparation and return-to-use checks. We do not subcontract. Our trucks. Our crews. Our USDOT.
Berkeley Lab Moving Capabilities
- Hayward-based crews serving the Berkeley research corridor
- DOE-site protocol awareness, coordinated team support
- JGI sequencer coordination (Illumina, PacBio, Oxford Nanopore)
- JBEI bioreactor and fermenter handling (Sartorius, Eppendorf)
- Stanley Hall mass spec and NMR transport
- Ultracentrifuge handling (Beckman Coulter Optima)
- Freezer moving scheduled around the lab-approved sample plan
- Move scheduling around campus EH&S release and access
- USDOT #2551548 federal authorization
- CA License CAL-T190721 | DOT Inspection Record Exceeding the National Average
Berkeley research footprints
Research Footprints Around Berkeley
LBNL Main Hill
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory main hill operations under DOE oversight. Conventional lab moves, bench-level instrumentation, office contents, and non-DOE-restricted equipment. At a national laboratory the facility project manager leads and a conventional mover works to that structure.
Get a Lab Move QuoteJGI Joint Genome Institute
Sequencing platforms (Illumina NovaSeq, PacBio Revio, Oxford Nanopore PromethION), automated liquid handlers (Hamilton, Tecan), and bench instrumentation. Coordination with JGI on calibration windows, sample logistics, and OEM service scheduling.
Get a Lab Move QuoteJBEI & EBI Bioprocessing
Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) and Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) bioreactors (Sartorius BIOSTAT, Eppendorf BioFlo, New Brunswick), fermenters, and analytical chemistry instrumentation. Coordination with the bioprocess team on shutdown, cleaning, and OEM-specified reactor handling.
Get a Lab Move QuoteUC Berkeley Campus Labs
Stanley Hall, Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, Energy Biosciences Building, Valley Life Sciences, Hildebrand Hall, Tan Hall. Campus EH&S coordination, chemical inventory submission, and whatever inspection and clearance steps the safety office schedules.
Get a Lab Move QuoteMolecular Foundry & QB3
Molecular Foundry electron microscopy and nanofabrication tools. QB3 (Berkeley / UCSF / UCSC partnership) cross-campus coordination. Review packing and specialist preparation requirements with the lab and equipment provider before agreeing the moving scope.
Get a Lab Move QuoteEmeryville Biotech Corridor
Emeryville biotech tenants along the Hollis-Shellmound corridor, from established pharma campuses to clinical-stage R&D operations. South of UC Berkeley. Building-specific dock access, loading zone permits, and after-hours building access scheduling.
Emeryville lab movers: our San Francisco to Emeryville robotics move
Get an Emeryville QuoteBerkeley lab equipment we relocate
Equipment for UC Berkeley & LBNL Moves
Six categories most common in Berkeley research corridor moves. For the full 14-category equipment catalog, see Ontrack's Bay Area lab moving hub.
NGS Sequencers (JGI)
Bioreactors & Fermenters (JBEI)
Mass Spec & NMR (Stanley Hall)
Ultracentrifuges & Bench
-80 Sample Banks & Cold Storage
Biosafety & Containment
Equipment protection
How We Handle Your Berkeley Lab Equipment
Instrument Protection
Confirm the exact instrument models, handling instructions and access route during the survey. Agree the packing and transport requirements before booking. Your lab and its equipment vendors handle specialist shutdown, shipping hardware, utility work and return-to-use checks; Ontrack handles the agreed physical relocation. Agree any required condition photographs and handoff records, and their providers, in the move scope.
Cold-Storage Planning
Plan cold-storage equipment and its contents separately. The exact equipment model's manufacturer instructions govern preparation, transport and restart, while your lab's approved sample plan sets storage conditions, monitoring and acceptance checks. Agree who supplies each specialist service and how the equipment pickup and delivery fit that plan. Ontrack handles the agreed physical equipment move; hazardous materials travel under the lab's approved specialist arrangements.
LBNL + Berkeley EH&S Documentation
Before the move, identify the equipment in scope and agree which condition records, instrument IDs, photographs or handoff records the project needs, who produces them and who receives them. Your lab retains responsibility for calibration status, sample records and regulatory approval. Put those responsibilities and the delivery arrangements in the agreed move scope.
Illustrative planning scenario
Planning a Phased Berkeley Lab Move
Use this sequence to plan a phased laboratory relocation. It describes planning decisions, not a past customer or a promised result.
Start with the scope: List the equipment, contents and destination rooms. Identify what can move together and what must wait for a specialist or a safety release.
Set responsibilities: Your lab and equipment vendors determine instrument preparation and return-to-use checks. Ontrack plans the physical move of the cleared equipment in the agreed scope.
Build the schedule: Confirm access, destination readiness, cabinet-vendor work and the lab-approved sample plan before assigning dates to each phase.
Check each handoff: Agree who releases equipment, who receives it and which records the project needs. The lab determines when research can resume after its checks.
Plan the budget: Packing, access, crew time and the number of phases affect the moving estimate. Obtain separate prices for specialist vendor work. Related guidance: Bay Area lab move cost guide.
This is planning guidance, not a record of an engagement. Confirm the scope and sequence for your project during the survey.
Common questions
UC Berkeley & LBNL Laboratory Moving FAQs
Eight Berkeley and LBNL-specific questions. For the full 18-FAQ Bay Area reference, see the laboratory moving hub.
LBNL is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy. National laboratory sites apply their own clearance rules to specific equipment categories, so confirm what applies with the facility before anything is scheduled. Our role is the agreed physical move of cleared benches, office contents, freezers and laboratory instruments. At a national laboratory the facility project manager and its logistics group lead, and a conventional mover works to that structure. Beamline hardware, sealed-source radiation work and any equipment carrying DOE security overlays move under the specialty rigging contractors the facility specifies. Ontrack Moving® brings the conventional moving capability and works to the facility chain of decision making.
Ontrack Moving® quotes lab moves in and around these facilities once the institute's own procurement and clearance process approves an outside mover. The Joint Genome Institute (JGI) is heavy on Illumina, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore sequencers and their associated automated liquid handling lines. The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) runs bioreactors, fermenters, and analytical chemistry instrumentation. The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) overlaps with JBEI on bioprocessing. The Molecular Foundry runs electron microscopy and nanofabrication tools. For a move at any of them we coordinate on calibration windows, OEM service scheduling, and whatever safety inspection the institute schedules.
UC Berkeley Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) and Facilities Services set the campus requirements for laboratory clearance and building access. Your lab manages chemical inventories and safety documentation; Ontrack plans the physical move around the release and access windows the campus confirms. We handle cross-campus, off-campus and external biotech tenant relocations. See our compliance guide for planning questions.
Our crews stage from Hayward for Berkeley moves. Travel time depends on the route, traffic and campus access. Contact us with the locations and requested dates so we can confirm survey availability, crew scheduling and any weekend or after-hours access with your building.
Contact Ontrack once the origin, destination and equipment scope are known. Build the move date around site access approval, the lab's EH&S process, equipment preparation and vendor availability. Confirm those dependencies with each responsible team before booking the physical move; a larger or phased project may need more planning time. Related guidance: our lab move timeline guide.
For JBEI bioreactors and JGI sequencing platforms, start with the exact model and its manufacturer transport instructions. Your lab and qualified equipment vendor determine shutdown, cleaning, removal of components, shipping locks and return-to-use checks. Ontrack plans the physical relocation around their readiness and the agreed packing and access requirements. Record the pickup, delivery and any required handoff documentation in the move scope.
Plan cold-storage equipment and its contents separately. The exact equipment model's manufacturer instructions govern preparation, transport and restart, while your lab's approved sample plan sets storage conditions, monitoring and acceptance checks. Agree who supplies each specialist service and how the equipment pickup and delivery fit that plan. Ontrack handles the agreed physical equipment move; hazardous materials travel under the lab's approved specialist arrangements. Related guidance: -80 freezer move guide.
Ontrack Moving® carries a $10,000,000 Combined Protection Tower across multiple policies, not a single $10 million general liability or equipment policy. A Certificate of Insurance reflects the actual policies and endorsements; your facility reviews whether they meet its requirements. Standard limited equipment liability is $0.60 per pound per article under the applicable moving agreement. Ontrack does not sell additional insurance or valuation; ask about a referral to a third-party provider and review that provider's terms separately. Related guidance: compliance guide.
Ontrack Moving® does not transport hazardous materials directly. Your EH&S team and specialist provider determine classification, packaging, transport and disposal requirements. Ontrack Moving® crews handle the non-hazardous instruments, furniture, fume hoods and infrastructure in scope, and we work with your safety officer so both schedules line up.
What Bay Area Customers Say About Ontrack
4.9/5 Average Rating from 2,847+ Reviews
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Moved the laboratory on a Saturday to minimize downtime
I hired Ontrack Moving for a relocation of both an office and lab space in South San Francisco. Because we had two separate "workflows" to move, Ontrack provided a staggered relocation. They delivered materials promptly for us ahead of time, so we could prep accordingly. We moved the laboratory on a Saturday, in order to minimize pause in operations. And we completed the office move the following Tuesday... Super satisfied with the service provided by the South SF team and have already contracted them for additional work.
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Office and warehouse move handled with care
We recently hired Ontrack Moving for our commercial relocation, and I couldn't be happier with their services. From start to finish they were on point. The movers were punctual, well-coordinated, and handled our office and warehouse move with care... Their experience in commercial moving was evident throughout the process. I highly recommend Ontrack Moving for their outstanding service.
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Quick with the quote and the COI for our office move
We had a great experience with On Track Moving. From the start, they were quick with providing us a quote and COI for our office move. A special thanks to Paul who answered the dozens of questions we had. He's been incredibly diligent and helpful throughout. And Carmina who scheduled the move and parking permits... When we ran into issues with our furniture layout, On Track was quick to solve them, worked beyond their hours, and even came the next day to help us.
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Lab moving guides on our blog:
Biosafety Cabinet Decontamination Guide • How to Move a -80 Freezer • Lab Decommissioning Checklist • Lab Relocation Compliance GuideLaboratory movers in other Bay Area cities:
San Francisco • Palo Alto / Stanford • South San Francisco • Oakland • Hayward • Fremont • San Mateo • Walnut Creek • Emeryville