How to Move a Piano (Safely)

A piano is the heaviest, most valuable thing in most homes, and the most dangerous to move wrong. Here's how it's done properly.

Why you shouldn't DIY a piano move

It's hundreds of pounds of cast iron and wood with the weight high and uneven. On stairs, a piano that gets away from you can cause crushing injuries and thousands in damage. Insured specialty movers carry the right equipment — and the liability coverage — so your instrument and your home are protected.

The piano-moving process

• Measure the path — doorways, hallways, stairs, and turns, plus the truck ramp.
• Prep the instrument — on grands, remove and wrap the legs and pedal lyre; lock the keyboard lid.
• Pad and wrap — protect the finish with moving blankets and shrink wrap.
• Board it — tip a grand onto a padded skid board; dolly an upright with a piano board and straps.
• Move it — a crew sized to the weight navigates tight turns slowly and in control.
• Reassemble — reattach legs and pedals and position the piano in its new home.

Stairs, apartments, and tight spaces

Stairs are the riskiest part of any piano move, and we don't take pianos up or down them. Our piano moves are ground-level only. Tell us the exact path, including doorway widths, turns and whether there are any steps, and we'll confirm before booking that it's a move we can do.

What it costs

We move pianos at ground level only, and long-distance piano moves are priced separately. Every move is fully insured.