How Much to Charge for Piano Moving
Local piano moving typically runs $250–$450 for an upright and $400–$800 for a baby grand or grand on ground-level moves, with stairs adding $40–$100 per flight at each end, tight turns and long carries adding their own surcharges, and hoist or crane jobs starting around $800–$2,500 depending on equipment and crew. Most movers hold a minimum equal to the base upright rate, and long-distance moves are quoted separately by mileage plus the access at both ends.
Base rates by instrument
- Spinet / console — $250–$350
- Upright — $300–$450
- Baby grand — $400–$650
- Grand / concert grand — $600–$800+
- Hoist or crane job — $800–$2,500+
- Minimum — at least the base upright rate
The surcharges that make it profitable
- Stairs — $40–$100 per flight, at each end
- Tight turns and landings — where the real difficulty lives
- Long carry — beyond a stated distance from the truck
- Disassembly and reassembly — legs, lyre, pedals on a grand
- Hoist / crane — equipment rental plus additional crew
- Mileage — beyond a local radius
- Climate-controlled storage — monthly, plus handling in and out
Assess before you price
This is the trade where a bad phone quote can turn into a dangerous afternoon. Get photos of the stairwell, the landing, the doorway, and the instrument, or just do a site visit for anything unusual.
Experienced movers charge for the assessment on complex jobs and credit it against the move.
Crew size is the cost
Three people versus four is a 33% labor increase before anything else even moves. Every surcharge in this trade is really a crew-size question in disguise — stairs, turns, hoists, and grands all push the same number up.
Price from the crew you’ll actually need, not the one you’re hoping will be enough.
Don’t compete with general movers on price
A household mover with two people and a dolly will quote less and occasionally get away with it. You’re selling the equipment, the technique, and the insurance, and a customer with a genuinely valuable instrument tends to get that immediately once it’s explained.
Refer the tuner
A moved piano needs a couple of weeks to settle before it’s tuned. Say so, hand over a referral, and it costs you nothing — it heads off a complaint about how it sounds on arrival, and it builds a relationship that sends work back to you for years.
Frequently asked questions
Why do stairs cost so much per flight?
Because they change the crew size and the risk simultaneously. Three people on flat ground becomes four on stairs, the work is slower, and the consequences of a slip are severe for the instrument, the house, and the crew. It's the surcharge most worth holding firm on.
When is a hoist or crane necessary?
When the instrument physically cannot make a turn or clear a stairwell — common with grands on upper floors in older buildings. Identify it during the site assessment and quote it as its own job, because attempting it without the equipment is how people get hurt.
Should I charge a minimum?
Yes — at least your base upright rate. A twenty-minute move across town still requires a full crew, a truck, and specialty equipment, and 'it's only going next door' is one of the most reliable ways to lose money in this trade.
How should storage be priced?
Monthly, climate-controlled, with in and out handling as separate charges. Pianos are humidity-sensitive, so unconditioned storage isn't an acceptable option to offer — price the correct version rather than competing with someone offering a barn.