CitizenShipper · Updated January 16, 2024
Unless you’ve got access to a cadre of professional wrestlers willing to do it for a case of beer, piano moving is a job best left to professionals.
Whether it’s a spinet upright or a baby grand, moving a piano takes plenty of planning and a fair amount of money.
Charles Moore, owner of Atlanta-based Chuck’s Delivery Service, LLC, has been moving all types of piano for years. He and his crew have moved Grands, Baby Grands, Upright Back and Upright pianos across the Fulton County metropolitan area. His advice to customers:
“Please just get out of the way. There’s really nothing a customer can do to prepare to move a large object like a piano,” said Moore. “Piano moving should definitely be left to the professionals. Folks just need to get out of the way and watch the magic happen.”
Prices for a piano move are affected by two factors: instrument size and how many flights of stairs are required for the move.
“The industry standard is the more stairs you have to negotiate, the more guys you need to have join the job, and that increases the moving price,” according to Moore. “It can take anywhere from four to six guys to move a Grand Piano just a few flights.”
An Upright Piano can range from 300 to 500 lbs., whereas a Grand Piano can weigh in upwards of 1,200 lbs.
There are some other considerations when moving a piano. A perfect veneer considerably increases the value of the piece and is usually protected by professionals with layers of blankets to avoid dents and dings.
Finally, it is crucial to have a professional evaluate the instrument at its current location prior to moving. Some pianos take well to tuning, but some have difficulty maintaining tone and need frequent adjustment. Additionally, most experts recommend allowing a piano to adjust to the ambient humidity of its new environment for a month or so before having a professional tuning job performed.
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