The cost to move a piano is $423 on average, though the price depends on the size and style of the piano and the distance of the move.
While the average piano moving cost is $423 prices range from $259 to $588. Piano owners often choose professional moving companies for all grand piano sizes, including baby grands, because they require dismantling expertise.
Moving a piano is a labor of love not only for the owner, but also for professional moving companies. Everyone is completely invested in the safe transfer and delivery of the instrument regardless if the piano is a family heirloom or vital to your career as a musician.
Calculations are based on the cost of moving a grand piano 150 miles, which is a long-distance move. Moving a grand piano requires an average of four professional movers, with two hours for removal and delivery each. Calculations rounded to the nearest whole number.
| Long-Distance Move of a Grand Piano | 150 miles | $375–$1,500 |
| Removal and Delivery Labor | 4 professional movers for 4 hours | $128–$240 |
| Total | $500–$1,740 | |
| Total per Mile | $3–$12 |
The piano's size, type, and weight affect shipping costs, as does the distance the instrument must travel. For example, lightweight upright pianos that you can easily roll out the door usually cost less to move and ship than heavy grand pianos that require multiple professionals and specialized equipment to move.
Additionally, if you're moving a piano across the country, you can expect to pay more than if you're moving it down the block. It typically costs $1.50 to $2.50 per mile to move a piano locally, and $2.50 to $10 per mile for a long-distance move. That said, some companies offer flat-rate shipping for long-distance moves, which might be more cost effective depending on how far you are from your final destination.
Protecting your piano during a move is a top priority because it has sentiment or income tied to its safe arrival. It's crucial to communicate the piano’s details (size, weight, make, model) clearly with a moving company near you so you can get the most accurate pricing. Your schedule and an accurate description of the challenges the movers will face while moving the piano are also essential details regardless of whether the move is down the street or across the country.
Pianos come in different sizes based on their style, and these dimensions help to calculate costs when hiring professional movers. Grands are longer and likely have to be partially disassembled, while verticals are top-heavy, which can lead to damaged feet (piano feet, that is!) during the move if you’re not careful.
Vertical or upright pianos have a vertical soundboard, making them very space-efficient. While vertical pianos are still delicate and weighty, they are easier to move. If you have a capable team to help, you may handle short-distance moves as a DIY project. However, you’ll have to take special care when lifting to avoid damaging the feet.
| Vertical Piano Type | Short Distance Cost Range | Long Distance Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| Spinet (Under 40 inches tall): | $150–$300+ | $500–$700 |
| Console (40-44 inches tall): | $150–$250 | $500–$700 |
| Studio (44-47 inches tall): | $150–$250 | $500–$800 |
| Upright (Over 47 inches tall): | $150–$300 | $500–$800+ |
Vertical pianos vary in type from the compact spinet (no longer in production and may require special care) to the full upright, which can size up to a “vertical grand” size. Costs vary from around $150 to $300 for short-range moves and $500 to $800 for long-range moves.
Sometimes a separate class is made for “digital” pianos that use acoustic soundboards, but this factor doesn’t affect the size as much as other factors. However, the extra hardware in a digital piano may weigh more, increasing overall moving costs.
Grand pianos use a larger horizontal soundboard. This type of construction is more delicate and much rarer in the average home. When homeowners need to arrange transportation for these instruments, grand piano costs can be significantly higher than vertical models, especially over long distances, ranging from $350 to $650 for short-range moves and up to $2,000 or more for long-range moves.
| Grand Piano Type | Short Distance Cost Range | Long Distance Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| Petite | $250–$400 | $1,000+ |
| Baby | $250–$500 | $1,000–$1,500 |
| Medium | $250–$500 | $1,200–$1,500 |
| Parlor | $300–$600 | $1,200–$1,700 |
| Semi-Concert or Ballroom | $300–$650 | $1,500–$2,000 |
| Concert | $300–$650 | $1,500–$2,000+ |
| Distance of the Move | Cost Per Mile |
|---|---|
| Local | $1.50 to $2.50 |
| Long-distance | $2.50 to $10 |
Moving companies will often quote you an hourly rate, usually with a three-hour minimum; the average time it takes to prepare the piano for the move. Keep in mind that not all piano moves are equal. A baby grand needs much more finesse than an upright that rolls easily out of the front door.
Hiring a local moving company is less expensive. The cost to move a piano locally is $1.50 to $2.50 per mile and $2.50 to $10 per mile for a long-distance move. Current gas prices will affect these rates.
Location affects piano moving costs in two important ways. First, the moving costs will typically vary based on gas prices, which vary greatly by location. Second, it’s more expensive to move a piano in a city or busy town due to higher costs of living and complex, often tight streets, which lead to extra fees. Rural moves or moves across simple, large roads can cost much less.
Moving a piano requires a great deal of effort and skill to avoid damage. Adding obstacles like stairs increases moving fees. The cost of going up steps is $5 to $10 per step or $40 to $100 per staircase. Some moving companies will also charge additional costs for other hindrances like tight corners, narrow doorways, and awkward pathways into your home.
Moving a piano, even when handled carefully, poses a risk to floors, especially hardwood floors and other flooring that can be accidentally dented or scratched. If movers encounter wood, stone, ceramic, or vinyl flooring, they will take extra time to lay down pads or runners, and possibly put on protective booties so their shoes don’t create any damage.
These steps help protect the floor and the piano, but they take additional time and may incur extra fees. Line items for floor prep and protection may add $50 to $100 to the bill, depending on flooring needs.
Emergency moves happen when you need a piano moved immediately, regardless of scheduling. In some cases, pianos don’t need to be shipped immediately but they require expedited shipping to speed the process up.
Some movers will handle emergency and expedited moves, but you should always contact them and ask first. An immediate emergency move often doubles the ordinary costs of moving a piano.
An international move takes longer and also requires additional work like adding extra padding and securing the piano to move across borders. Additional permits may be needed, depending on the final destination, and movers will pass those costs down to the owner. You can expect an international piano move to cost up to $5,000 with these prep and shipping considerations.
Grand pianos need some dismantling before crating and shipping. The dismantling price is $100, and crating adds about $800 more but increases to $1,200 if you prefer heated crating. Usually, movers wrap verticals in moving blankets to ship.
Insurance is typically free for a piano valued at $5,000 or less. But if your piano is worth more than $5,000, the movers will charge $10 to $15 for every additional $1,000 value.
In many cases, a new home isn’t quite ready for a piano yet. That means the piano needs to spend some time in storage before moving it to its new home. The storage unit needs to be large enough to accommodate a piano and include climate control to prevent damage. Renting a storage unit costs $240 per month on average, or $1 to $1.80 per square foot.
Don’t forget to include the professional movers’ tips into your budget. You can take between 5% to 10% of the piano moving cost, and split that amount among the movers when they’re finished. Tipping movers costs $4 to $10 per hour, $10 for half day moves and $20 for full day moves per mover. Having cash on hand divided into envelopes will make the tipping process easier.
Simply put, you should choose professional piano movers because they have more experience. They also have the proper tools and a trained crew to avoid damage. Remember, pianos weigh from 900 to 1,300 pounds, an awkward, tough haul for anyone, especially for an inexperienced group of friends you’ve plied with pizza and beer to help.
When choosing a piano moving company near you, always research whether the company has appropriate insurance to handle any type of accident, from injuries to scratches in the piano’s finish. The moving company should have three types of insurance: worker’s, property, and piano. Inspect your contract or bill of lading to understand who will handle the piano (and their training) and the repair and reimbursement policies.
Below, we’ll cover the costs if you are absolutely determined to move the piano yourself, and have a group of people who are willing to help out. It creates some new risks, but you can save money.
Push friendship to the max and ask your most loyal friends to help move your piano. But, make sure the entire group is physically prepared and has the right tools needed to get the job done. Your toolkit should begin with the two most important pieces of equipment: a dolly and hump strap. Also, start thinking of a very generous thank you gift for your fellow piano movers.
Depending on if you have a vertical or grand piano, you’ll need other specific tools to move the piano and avoid damage, not to mention back injuries.
| Tool | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dolly | $125–$200 |
| Hump Strap | $25 |
| Locking Belt | $25 |
| Tool | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dolly | $125–$200 |
| Hump Strap | $25 |
| Locking Belt | $25 |
| Skid Board | $125 |
| Hoist and Crane | $750–$2,000 |
| Tool | Cost |
|---|---|
| Protective Pads and Blankets | $30–$35 |
| Packing Tape | $3 per roll |
After all of the strenuous lifting and carrying, you’ll still need transportation. If you don’t own or can’t borrow a large enough vehicle, you’ll have to rent a truck or van. A rental truck for a local move starts at $20.00 per day plus an additional $1.10 per mile driven.
Depending on your circumstances, you might end up paying additional costs for miscellaneous items, including rush and rescheduling fees, piano tuning, and the cost to move related items, like a piano bench.
| Miscellaneous Tasks | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Rush and Rescheduling Fees | $300 for a local move and $400–$700 for long-distance |
| Piano Tuning | $100–$150 |
| Related Items Like a Seating Bench | $20 per item or $1 per pound |
| Climate-Controlled Storage | $50–$75 per month |
After you finish your piano move, there are a few ongoing expenses to consider. Here’s additional costs to look out for:
Tuning fees: Experts recommend tuning a piano about once per year, and particularly several weeks after the piano moves. Tuning costs between $200 and $300 on average, and tuners may charge more in more urban areas.
Regulations: Regulations refer to minor repairs to correct physical imbalances in hammers or felts and similar problems—like a more in-depth, corrective version of tuning. Full regulations typically only happen every several years, and tend to be significantly more expensive than tuning.
Looking to reduce costs when moving a piano, even when hiring professionals? Start early and follow a few steps to help reduce expenses on your end:
Shop around: Look up pricing information for local piano movers. You don’t necessarily need an in-home estimate either. A phone and online investigation can yield several different fee structures you can compare to see which works best for your piano’s size and moving date.
Prepare for moving: Clear away all obstacles from the piano’s room to the door. Lay down covers on vulnerable flooring for ramps. If possible, you can move the piano closer to the entryway to cut down on work inside the home. For larger pianos, you should remove your front door from the jambs for clearance. Movers can handle this step, but you can save time and make sure your door is properly cared for.
Prepare the piano: Preparing your home (especially your floors) can help save time and fees, but don’t forget to prepare the piano itself. You can save money by wrapping the legs, lid, keys, and sides with padding and blankets tightly secured with packing tape. We don’t suggest moving the piano much yourself, since it can be easy to damage with minor mistakes (especially the legs). If you’re confident, you can take the legs off the piano and bind them separately, but this step raises the risk of causing damage.
Package services together: When possible, try to bundle services like dismantling or tuning the piano after a move with the same service. Many piano moving companies offer service packages, and it’s an easy way to save.
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First, snap some photos of the piano so you can prove if damage happens during the move. Second, secure the lid and wrap it in bubble wrap and furniture blankets ahead of the move (especially if movers aren’t handling this step for you). Third, if you aren’t sure about tight spaces, take measurements and check your gaps to make sure clearance won’t be an issue. On the day of the move, keep kids and pets far away from the movers and piano to avoid accidents.
Yes, moving a piano often causes it to become out of tune, even if you're not moving the piano very far. One reason is that any temperature and humidity changes can affect a piano's tuning. Additionally, the bumps and jolts from a moving truck usually push a piano out of tune.
However, don't jump right to tuning it once the piano gets to your new home. Instead, it's best to wait at least two weeks for the instrument to acclimate to its new environment. After a couple weeks, you'll get an idea of what the piano will really sound like in its new home, at which point you can call a piano technician to get it properly tuned.
It's typically best to hire movers who specialize in moving pianos because moving them often requires specific equipment and finesse, especially when it comes to grand pianos. However, some standard moving companies have experienced piano movers on their team, so it never hurts to call a company and ask about their piano moving expertise.
Qualified piano movers will take several steps to protect your piano from damage during the move. First, they'll wrap the piano to protect its finish. Ideally, they'll wrap the piano in a specialized blanket that features a soft, padded interior and a tougher exterior.
After wrapping your piano, the movers will securely strap it to a dolly for safe transport to and from the moving truck. Once the piano is in the truck, movers might put the piano on a piece of plywood to help level it during the move, depending on the truck bed. They will then strap it in place so it doesn't shift around during the drive to your final destination.
