Are Piano Movers Worth the Cost?

Pianos are more than just beautiful pieces to showcase in your home. They’re finely tuned instruments that bring music into your life. Due to both their weight and delicate nature, moving a piano presents a unique challenge when you’re relocating.

Fortunately, there are expert piano movers that can safely bring your upright, spinet, grand, or baby grand piano to your new dwelling.

Moving different types of pianos

Not all pianos are created equal, and some are more difficult to move than others—even for experienced professional movers. While you can carefully pack up an electronic keyboard into its case or padded bag, nonelectronic pianos are extremely heavy and delicate.

Here’s some information on the different types of pianos:

Spinet pianos. Usually less than 40” tall and up to 60” wide, these small pianos can weigh up to 400 pounds.
Upright pianos. Weighing up to 1,000 pounds, an upright piano can be up to 60” tall and 60” wide.
Baby grand pianos. The size varies, but these gorgeous instruments are often about 150” wide, 150” long, and 99” tall with the lid down. They generally weigh upwards of 600 pounds.
Grand pianos. Some of these massive but stunning instruments weigh up to 1,400 pounds and have a footprint as large as 9’6” long and 7’4” wide.

In addition to the instrument’s size and weight, there are other factors that make piano moving so difficult—and potentially dangerous for the movers and the piano itself.

Why is piano moving so difficult?

Safe piano moving requires more than a lot of strength. It also requires knowledge of the instrument’s inner workings, proper equipment, and a lot of planning.

First, some pianos must be partially disassembled in order to fit through the doorways of your old and new homes. Expert piano movers will even remove the pedals and legs from grand pianos to safely move them. Both disassembly and reassembly should be done by professionals who know their way around these instruments.

Second, pianos are too heavy to be simply lifted and carried. The task needs specialty equipment like piano moving boards, straps, and dollies. Most pianos require this equipment plus three to four people to safely carry the instrument to and from the moving truck. And if this team isn’t a group of professional piano movers who have carefully planned the move, they risk damage to the piano, the property, and injury to themselves.

Can you move a piano by yourself?

Everyone loves a can-do attitude! However, some tasks—including packing and moving a piano—are better left to the professionals. These instruments are heavy, intricate, and flat out difficult to move and transport, especially if there are stairs and narrow walkways to navigate at your old and new homes.

Long story short: even if you’re doing a DIY move by packing and transporting your belongings by yourself, it’s usually best to hire professional piano movers for your local or interstate relocation.

Why are piano movers so expensive?

Piano moving is a specialized skill that not everyone has. Yes, piano movers need to be strong—but they also need to know how to disassemble and reassemble certain components, how to use the safety equipment, and how to avoid damaging not just the instrument, but the floors and walls of the home you’re moving out of and the one you’re moving into.

In other words, when you partner with professional piano movers, you’re protecting your valued instrument and your property (not to mention protecting yourself against injury!).

How to plan a piano move

Planning a move takes organization. And when you’re moving a piano, there are a few more details you’ll need to consider. Here are a few pro tips that’ll help your favorite instrument arrive safely at your new home:

At least one month before your move, talk to local moving company about the type and size of your piano, as well as how many flights of stairs it’ll need to go up or down during your relocation.
Confirm that your movers are comfortable transporting your piano. Some models like grands and baby grands might require specialty piano movers, as many local moving companies will only move upright and spinet pianos.
Find a piano technician to help. Depending on its size and type, your piano might need to be serviced or disassembled by an experienced professional or manufacturer representative before the move, and then reassembled at your new home.

Finally, as you settle into your new place, keep in mind that your piano will likely need to be professionally tuned before you can enjoy it. If you’re moving locally, ask the same piano tech that helped during your move to come back and tighten the strings so you can tickle the ivories!

We can help move your piano!

As the best movers in Chicago, we’re here to take on the heavy lifting—and the stress—that come with moving to a new home. And since piano moving is a huge task, we can take that off of your plate too.