01
Discover
Understand the facility, project window, rack count, asset types, access restrictions, data sensitivity, and desired disposition path.
Controlled infrastructure retirement
Infrastructure ends. Accountability shouldn’t.
Secure, documented data-center decommissioning, from rack-level inventory and controlled removal to sanitization coordination, transportation, and responsible disposition.
On-site labor from $50 per technician-hour
Asset group identified
Inventory → controlled handoff → closeout
The hidden work
An empty rack is not the same as a completed project.
A completed decommission should leave more than vacant floor space. It should leave an intelligible record of what was removed, how sensitive media was handled, where equipment went, and what remains outstanding.
01
Which assets were removed?
02
Which drives contained data?
03
Who handled each device?
04
What was reused, recycled, transported, or destroyed?
05
What proof remains after the room is empty?
The controlled retirement system
Five stages. One accountable record.
Each stage turns physical work into defined inputs, controlled actions, and reviewable outputs.
See the complete process02
Map
Create or validate the asset inventory. Identify servers, switches, storage, drives, rails, cables, PDUs, and dependencies before removal.
03
Retire
Coordinate shutdown, cable isolation, de-racking, hardware removal, packing, labeling, and cleanup using an agreed method of procedure.
04
Protect
Maintain tracking and handoff records. Apply the agreed sanitization, destruction, reuse, or recycling workflow to relevant devices and media.
05
Close
Deliver a clear package showing completed work, asset outcomes, exceptions, supporting records, and unresolved items.
Service coverage
Scope follows the asset, not a template.
Capabilities can be combined around the facility, equipment, schedule, and evidence requirements. Inclusion is confirmed before work begins.
| Service capability | Initial scope | Field execution | Closeout output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset inventory | Validate or create | Update outcomes | Reconcile |
| Shutdown coordination | Confirm ownership | Follow authorization | Record exceptions |
| Cable mapping | Trace dependencies | Isolate and remove | Document residuals |
| De-racking | Plan sequence | Controlled removal | Confirm completion |
| Drive identification | Classify | Track custody | Match evidence |
| Packing | Define method | Protect and label | Handoff record |
| Transport coordination | Confirm destination | Stage handoff | Receipt where scoped |
| Reuse or recycling routing | Agree path | Separate streams | Provider evidence |
| Exceptions record | Open register | Update in field | Resolve or carry forward |
| Final report | Agree evidence | Capture records | Closeout package |
Chain of custody
The record moves with the hardware.
Asset identity, media classification, handoff checkpoints, disposition instructions, verification, and exceptions can be aligned before the first device leaves its rack.
Identify
Handoff
Reconcile
Review security and custody
Physical removal is one controlled handoff in a longer system.
Shutdown authority, equipment ownership, packing method, destination, media handling, and acceptable evidence all shape the work.
Transparent engagement
Clear labor pricing. Project-specific execution.
The public rate is a useful planning baseline. The final scope reflects the conditions and services required to complete the project responsibly.
Starting rate
$50
USD per technician-hour
- Minimum booking
- Confirmed with scope
- Team size
- Based on scope and schedule
- Quoted separately
- Transport, lifting equipment, packing, specialist destruction, recycling, travel, and after-hours access
Labor planner
$50 / technician-hourPlanning estimate only. It excludes transportation, equipment, materials, disposition charges, taxes, travel, and third-party services.
Project fit
Built for difficult exits
Practical situations where inventory, timing, custody, and destination need to be resolved together.
Office or colocation exit
Clear infrastructure against a lease, handback, or access deadline.
Rack consolidation
Remove redundant equipment while protecting live dependencies.
Hardware refresh
Retire displaced assets after replacement and migration.
Facility closure
Coordinate equipment, records, staging, and final cleanup.
Cloud migration cleanup
Account for the hardware left after workloads move.
Storage-array retirement
Identify data-bearing media and agree its next step.
Network replacement
Trace and remove switches, routers, rails, and cabling.
End-of-lease removal
Prepare owned or leased equipment for its confirmed destination.
Lab cleanup
Separate active test assets from equipment ready to leave.
Multi-site retirement
Define a repeatable evidence model across several locations.
Practical answers
Questions before the first shutdown
What does data-center decommissioning include?
A project can include assessment, inventory, shutdown coordination, de-racking, cable and accessory removal, media identification, packing, transport coordination, disposition routing, cleanup, and closeout reporting. The agreed scope determines what is included.
Is the $50 rate the total project cost?
No. It is the public starting on-site labor rate per technician-hour. Transportation, equipment, packing materials, travel, disposal, recycling, after-hours work, taxes, and third-party services can be quoted separately after assessment.
Can you work inside an active data center?
Potentially, where the site owner approves the work method, access controls, isolation boundaries, safety procedures, and working window. Active-site requirements must be confirmed before scheduling.
Do you perform data wiping or physical destruction?
Sanitization and physical-destruction coordination can be included in scope. The responsible provider, method, verification evidence, media type, and customer policy must be agreed before work begins.
How are assets tracked?
Projects can use asset identifiers, working inventories, handoff records, exception logs, and outcome reconciliation. The exact evidence fields and custody checkpoints are defined in the project scope.
Can reusable equipment be retained or returned?
Yes, reuse, return, resale preparation, or another customer-defined destination can be part of the disposition plan when ownership and receiving instructions are confirmed.
What information is needed for an estimate?
Useful inputs include facility location and status, rack and device counts, equipment types, desired completion date, working window, access limits, loading facilities, media requirements, and intended destinations.
Can work be scheduled after hours?
After-hours work can be assessed. Availability, site access, staffing, travel, and any separate rate or facility charge must be confirmed in the quote.
Do you provide recycling certificates?
Evidence can be requested from the relevant recycling provider where included. Certification status and document availability must be independently verified for the facility performing the work.
How quickly can a project begin?
Timing depends on scope, site access, shutdown authorization, staffing, equipment, transport, provider availability, and documentation requirements. Submit the initial brief so the schedule can be assessed honestly.
Documented closure
When the last rack leaves, the evidence stays.
Tell us what is being retired, where it is located, and when the site must be cleared. We will turn the initial scope into a practical decommissioning plan.
Start your project brief