A piano is a very valuable possession and almost nobody leaves their prized piano behind, especially if it happens to be a priceless family heirloom.
Pianos are both very expensive and very difficult to move – a bad combination that will surely raise a lot of questions as Moving day approaches. And without a doubt, the burning question that will keep you tossing and turning in bed is
How much does it cost to move a piano?
That’s right, you’ll need to know the answer to that riddle soon so that you can set your moving budget right. But before you learn the average cost to move a piano, let’s focus for a bit on the factors that will affect the piano moving price.
Factors affecting the piano moving cost
There are several major factors that will influence greatly the piano moving price. Once you’re familiar with them, you may be able to find a way to lower the piano shipping cost in your particular case.
Factor 1. Size, weight and type of your piano
Heavier and larger pianos cost more to be moved between Point A and Point B simply because they will require more movers with specialized equipment, more wrapping materials and even partial disassembly for safe transportation.
Moving a grand piano will cost you much more due to its huge dimensions and its unique shape that makes it very tough to maneuver around the home on its way to the moving vehicle
- Spinet pianos are the smallest upright pianos available and they weigh around 300-400 pounds.
- Large upright pianos can weigh anywhere from 500 pounds to 800 pounds.
- Grand pianos have a very distinguishable shape and can weigh anywhere from 600 pounds up to 1,200 pounds.
To get a more accurate piano moving cost estimate, you’ll need to know the exact dimensions of your musical instrument. So, take the measuring tape and get down to work.
For an upright piano, you’ll need to measure its floor-to-lid height. For a grand piano, you’ll need to know the piano’s length from the keyboard end to the bow. In general, baby grand pianos are close to 6 feet in length while concert grand pianos can reach up to 7 feet in length.
The easiest way to know how much professional piano movers will charge you to move your piano, wherever it needs to go, is to tell them the exact make and model of your large instrument.
Once the piano movers have that piece of information, they will be able to give you a much more accurate piano moving estimate so that you won’t have to deal with any unpleasant surprises price-wise after the move is completed.
Factor 2. Move distance
The cost to move a piano across country will be influenced directly by the move distance that valuable instrument will need to travel to reach its destination. In terms of price, there’s a huge difference whether your piano will be moved across town, to another town or city in the same state (intrastate moving), or across multiple states to another long-distance spot in the country (interstate moving).
Generally speaking, the greater the move distance, the higher the piano moving cost will be. The piano moving company will have very different expenses (time, fuel, wear and tear, etc.) to transport your piano 30 miles, 300 miles, or 3,000 miles across the entire country.
Factor 3. Obstacles on Moving day
Keep in mind that any types of obstacles that your piano movers will have to overcome on the day of the move will increase the piano moving cost, sometimes by a lot. This is normal as your hired men will need to invest more efforts and time to take the huge musical instrument out of your home.
STAIRS usually pose a serious problem when moving a piano and can make the piano move much more expensive as a result. Most piano movers will charge you extra if they have to carry your piano along stairs or a staircase. Normally, they will charge you around $5-$10 per step, or anywhere between $40 and $100 per staircase (flight of stairs).
Other obstacles that may increase the piano moving cost in your case include but are not limited to tight corners, tight spaces, and narrow doorways. Also, if the path between your front door and their moving truck is tricky to walk on (gravel, grass, earth, etc.), you can expect to be charged extra for the inconvenience.
Average cost to move a piano with piano movers
No that you’re familiar with the major factors that will affect the piano moving cost one way or another, let’s say a few words about the typical cost to move a piano so that you can have a good reference point when comparing cost estimates from various professional piano movers.
For local moves, the average piano moving cost is somewhere between $200 and $400. For long-distance moves, the average piano moving price can be anywhere between $700 and $2,000.
Also, it’s important to know that the national average cost for moving a piano is $405. Needless to say, the price you’ll pay to have your valuable musical instrument packed and moved by professional piano movers can vary significantly in comparison with these average values. As you already know, the type of your piano, the move distance and a number of other specifics will determine how much piano movers charge you for the job.
How is the piano shipping cost calculated?
Hourly rate. Some professional piano movers choose to charge their clients an hourly rate for their piano moving services. So, when the piano moving cost is estimated on an hourly basis, the following factors will determine the final price:
- Number of movers required to complete the job;
- Time required to move the piano from Point A to Point B;
- The type of piano moving equipment used in the process’
- The amount of the travel fee.
Most piano movers that operate an hourly rate (usually for local moves), will charge a minimum of 3 hours of labor – the estimated average time the professionals will need to pack a piano, get it out of the home, load it safely onto the moving truck, deliver it to the new address, unload it safely and get t inside the new residence.
Flat rate. Long-distance piano movers will usually give you a flat rate that will be calculated on the basis of move distance, piano type (size and weight), and complexity of the job (stairs, corners, and so on). In fact, the only way for you to receive accurate piano moving quotes is to have the pros visit your home so that they can determine any possible difficulties and obstacles on the day of the move.
It’s useful to keep in mind that professional piano movers usually charge a base rate of $50. Then, they estimate the piano moving cost at an average rate of approximately $1.50 per mile for a local move and roughly $3 per mile for a long distance move. Then, they add additional charges for long flights of stairs, long carry to the moving truck, etc., including a travel fee.
So, how much does it cost to move a piano?
To sum it up, most professional piano movers charge from $200 – $1000 to move a piano locally (depending upon the size of the piano, the distance moved and the number of stairs traversed). Add another $200 – $1500 to that price for long-distance hauling.
So, you could spend anywhere from $250 to $2500 to move your piano.
In most piano moving situations, financially speaking and health-wise for you, your crew and your piano, you would be much better off just hiring a qualified piano mover in your area to do the job for you.
Additional piano moving costs
It’s easy to guess that any types of additional piano moving services that you need will cost you extra. Here’s a quick list of possible extra services that will increase the overall piano moving price.
- Partial disassembly. A grand piano may need to be partially disassembled to be moved out of the house in the safest possible manner. Professional piano movers will usually charge around $100 for removing the piano’s leg, pedal box, and music rack.
- Crating. If you own an extremely valuable piano, you’ll want it to be perfectly protected for the impending move. The safest way to move a priceless piano is to transport it in a customized wooden crate. Piano crating fees start from $800 and can easily reach $1,000, or more.
- Hoisting. In the case of too narrow hallways, doors, or stairs, your piano may need to be hoisted out through a window or a balcony with the help of specialized hoisting equipment. Expect to pay around $700-$1,000 for that specific service.
- Emergency moving. Moving your piano in an emergency will most likely cost you double the regular piano moving cost. For a last-minute piano move, expect to be an extra fee of around $300 for a local move and an extra charge of $400-$600 for a long-distance move.
- Insurance. Professional piano movers should offer you adequate insurance at no cost up to $5,000. In case you wish to buy extra insurance, expect to pay roughly $15 per $1,000 of value.
- Re-tuning. In most cases, your piano will need to be re-tuned after the move due to the unavoidable vibrations and shocks on the road. Also, the different climate (especially humidity) in your new home may require professional re-tuning. Expect to be charged around $100-$150 for that post-move piano service.
DIY Piano Moving Costs
Let’s determine your piano moving costs to obtain the proper equipment to do the job without hiring professional piano movers. Before you proceed, it’s important to keep in mind that moving a piano by yourself is not only extremely challenging, but it can be plain dangerous as well. Take a look at these 120 piano moving tips to keep thing as safe as possible.
Equipment needed to move a piano
There are two pieces of basic piano moving equipment, the dolly and the humpstrap that are absolutely necessary to move pianos. These must be obtained as a part of your piano moving preparation.
You will always need at least a piano dolly and a humpstrap in order to move and carry an upright piano over steps.
Without using this basic piano moving equipment of a dolly and a humpstrap, you cannot take advantage of balance to move your piano, and you cannot protect the bottom and sides of the piano from scuffing as you move it. See all the things you may have been doing wrong when moving a piano on your own.
Upright piano moving equipment costs
You need to obtain:
- 4 wheel piano moving dolly – $160 (seen under the side of this piano and in 2 pictures below).
- 1 hump strap – $35 (being used by the front man to pull, lift and guide the piano).
- a locking piano belt- $35 to tie the piano securely (weld it) to the dolly. This is needed only if you’ll be traversing more than 4 consecutive low stairs with an upright piano.
Grand piano moving equipment costs
Here’s what type of equipment you’ll need to rent or purchase to move a grand piano by yourself:
- Two locking piano belts – $35 each to secure the piano board to the grand piano.
- A piano
skidboard – $160 to be secured to the long flat side of the grand. (it is also called a piano board and is approximately the same size as your grand piano’s 5′ or 6′ long flat side). - Quality Mover’s Pads – $30 each.
- Quality Packers Tape (that won’t break every time you yank it) – $3.00 / roll.
- 4-wheel piano dolly – $80.
Other kinds of piano moving dollies are harder to push because they have smaller hard rubber wheels on a rod axle and only one set of ball bearings around the swivels.
The soft rubber swiveling wheels will not mar hardwood, tile, marble, slate, stone or linoleum floors. If kept clean, they will not dirty or stain the carpets either.
Don’t forget to factor in all the DIY moving expenses directly linked to renting a moving vehicle that will be big enough to accommodate your big musical instrument. Oh, and when was the last time you drove a huge moving truck with tons of stuff loaded in the back, including your valuable piano?
Now that you have read all our warnings and seen all of the costs involved, do you still want to move your piano by yourself?
Be sure to also check the piano moving basics that will help you protect your prized musical instrument throughout the house move.
