Best Piano Movers (2023 Review)

For many homeowners, few possessions are more prized than their piano. Whether you own a Steinway baby grand, an upright, or even a smaller spinet piano, you’ve undoubtedly enjoyed creating countless hours of beautiful music and priceless family memories.

The last thing you want is for that music and those memories to end on a sour note because your piano was damaged during a move.

Accounting for how you’ll relocate your piano is an essential part of any moving experience. Not all full-service moving companies are properly equipped to move pianos and other specialty items.

In this guide, we’ll go over the best major piano moving companies and offer tips to help you move your piano safely.

Best piano moving companies

Here are our picks for the best moving companies to consider when you need to transport a piano:

• Best for long-distance moving: International Van Lines
• Best for white-glove service: JK Moving Services
• Best for last-minute moves: American Van Lines
• Best for HOAs and condos: Safeway Moving
• Best claims process: North American Van Lines

Best for long-distance moving: International Van Lines

As the name implies, International Van Lines (IVL) is a top-tier pick for international or long-distance piano moving. In addition to serving all 50 states, they provide moving assistance in more than 180 countries.

IVL is licensed and registered as both a carrier and a broker. This means that if they can’t handle your move directly, they can still coordinate your request using a vetted third-party mover in their extensive network. Their national coverage allows them to offer competitive rates for cross-country moves.

As a full-service long distance moving company, they have add-on options for specialty items like pianos, as well as auto transportation, packing services, and more. Piano packing is available at flat rates for different types of pianos.

The company’s website includes helpful piano packing tips and other free moving resources to help ensure your items are safe during transport.

Pros/Cons

Read our full International Van Lines review.

Best for white-glove service: JK Moving Services

If you’re looking for high-end, white-glove service for your piano moves, JK Moving Services is an excellent choice. Just expect to pay more for that level of service.

As part of their process, they will inspect your piano’s condition with you prior to the move. This helps ensure that the piano will arrive at your new home in the same condition in which it left your prior home. If it doesn’t, you will be able to easily spot and file a claim for the damage.

Teams of four to six movers will move the piano, as well as remove and wrap legs and pedals if needed, then unwrap and reassemble the piano at your final destination.

JK Moving Services also offers climate-controlled storage facilities if you need to keep your piano in storage for any amount of time as part of your relocation. With guaranteed pickup and delivery, extremely responsive customer service, available financing for qualifying customers, and background-checked movers, the luxury service may be worth the extra cost.

Pros/Cons

Read our full JK Moving Services review.

Best for last-minute moves: American Van Lines

If you need last-minute help moving a piano, American Van Lines is well worth considering. They don’t charge additional fees for last-minute moves, and they offer flat-rate pricing for pianos and other specialty items. This means you won’t have to worry about paying extra fees for piano disassembly or reassembly, because they are already included in your initial quote.

Better yet, American Van Lines actually certifies its crew members for moving pianos, fine art, and antiques after they complete necessary training, so you can have confidence that they’ll move your stuff safely!

In addition to packing services and handling large moves, American Van Lines can also accommodate specialty moves and small moves — perfect for if you only need to move your piano and a few other items. An excellent customer service score, competitive pricing, and 30 days of free storage are the cherries on top!

Pros/Cons

Read our full American Van Lines review.

Best for HOAs and condos: Safeway Moving

Depending on where you’re moving to (or from), you’ll have to deal with an HOA or condo association as part of your move. If this is the case, Safeway Moving should be your go-to choice.

All of Safeway’s moving partners carry $1 million in liability insurance — the minimum most HOAs and condo associations require. Further, Safeway and its partners hold the additional required licenses for working with HOAs and condos, so you don’t have to worry about your piano move not being compliant.

If you’re going to need to use climate-controlled storage facilities for your piano, Safeway Moving offers 30 days of free storage on all long-distance moves. Climate-controlled long-term storage is also available.

Safeway Moving also provides flat-rate pricing on its moves, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with hidden fees for your piano or other items. A triple-check verification system also ensures you get an accurate quote for your move — though you’ll have to call them, since they don’t offer online quotes.

Pros/Cons

Read our full Safeway Moving review.

Best claims process: North American Van Lines

The last thing you want is for your piano to get damaged while it’s in transit to your new home. But even with the most careful movers, accidents can happen.

If you’re worried about needing to file a claim, North American Van Lines (NAVL) is a good fit. NAVL allows customers to file claims online, even for international moves, providing a quick and easy claims process if your piano or other valuables get damaged.

North American Van Lines also offers fragile-only moving services perfectly suited for pianos and other similarly fragile and expensive items. If you only need professional help to move your piano and antiques but want to pack everything else yourself, their flexible add-on services have you covered.

Whether you use North American Van Lines for long-distance or local moving, you’ll also benefit from 24/7 online tracking, custom crating, and guaranteed prices. And of course, you can also use them if you need to move the rest of your house, too!

Pros/Cons

Read our full North American Van Lines review.

Comparing the best piano movers

Still not sure which full-service mover you should entrust with piano moving services? Here’s a breakdown of our top picks:

What to look for in a piano mover

Getting multiple quotes for moving a piano is always a must — but you shouldn’t necessarily go for the company that offers the lowest price. Here are some other essential factors to consider when choosing a piano mover:

• Customer reviews: Customer reviews and referrals are an essential starting point for having peace of mind that a mover will transport your piano with care. Check online reviews and ask the mover for referrals to get an idea of the pros and cons of their services.
• Moving process: Ask questions about the piano mover’s process. Do they disassemble or provide custom crating for pianos? What kind of equipment do they use to transport pianos? What kind of training does their team have? Understanding how they work will help you know if they’re a good fit for you.
• Years of experience: Only work with piano movers who are properly licensed and have extensive experience moving pianos like yours. For example, if you need to move a baby grand but a mover is only experienced with upright pianos, you should choose someone else.
• Damage policy: No one likes to envision the worst-case scenario, but it’s important to understand a company’s policy for if your piano is damaged while in transit. Understanding what kind of contents coverage plans a potential mover offers is a must.
• Quote standards: Some piano movers will give you a quote that could easily change, while others charge a flat rate, so you know how much to expect. Flat rates, or binding estimates, usually require an in-person or virtual walkthrough of your home to get a better assessment of the layout and amount and type of belongings. Make sure you understand how quotes are calculated so you can make an apples to apples comparison.

Factors affecting piano moving costs

When requesting a free quote for piano moving services, be sure to provide your movers with sufficient information about your move. The following factors all have a direct influence on your piano moving costs:

• Type of piano: There’s a big difference between concert grands, upright pianos, and spinet pianos in terms of their size and weight. The type of piano you have will affect how many movers are needed to transport it, how much padding is needed, and what type of moving equipment they’ll need to use. Generally speaking, grand pianos are the most expensive to move while spinets are the cheapest. Grand pianos tend to be more expensive because they often require crating and disassembly as part of the moving process.
• Accessibility: Due to their large size and weight, a piano’s accessibility will play a role in your moving quote. A piano that is hard to access or needs to be transported up or down a flight of stairs will increase your total costs due to the added labor.
• Piano storage: Pianos must be stored in a climate-controlled facility to protect the wood and minimize tuning issues. If storage is needed, be sure to request this as part of your quote.
• Moving distance: As with other items, the distance you need to move your piano will usually play a role in your total quote. Large moving companies generally charge a flat rate for long-distance moves, but many companies charge mile-based fees for local and long-distance moves. Be sure you understand how pricing is calculated.

Preparing to move your piano

Before moving specialists arrive to pick up your piano, there are a few things you can do to make the move easier (and potentially cheaper). If possible, take care of the following tasks before professional piano movers arrive:

• Secure loose parts. Secure loose piano components like the keyboard lid so they don’t move around during transportation. This will reduce the risk of damage during the move.
• Measure the piano and doorways to plan your route. Carefully measure your piano’s dimensions, as well as the dimensions of any doors or hallways it might need to pass through. This will help you plan the route for getting the piano out of the house without hitting walls or door frames.
• Wrap with furniture pads (if necessary). If your movers won’t be providing furniture pads, or if you’re attempting a DIY move, be sure to wrap your piano with multiple furniture pads for added protection.
• Move the piano closer to the door. If you can safely move it, try to get your piano closer to your front door before movers arrive. Easier access to the piano can help you secure a lower quote from potential piano movers. Only attempt to move the piano yourself if you have proper equipment, such as moving straps and furniture dollies.

FAQs about piano movers

Are piano movers worth it?

Trying to move a piano yourself can be tricky due to the weight and dimensions of a piano. You might damage the piano while loading it into a moving truck or injure yourself. This becomes even more crucial if you’re moving from one state to another, where hiring one of the best interstate moving companies is advised. Hiring professional piano movers can offer peace of mind, ensuring both you and your piano are protected during the move, especially during interstate transitions

Do you need a specialized mover to move a piano?

While you don’t technically need a specialized moving team to move your piano, it’s strongly recommended. General movers might not have the know-how or equipment to safely move your piano, which could increase the risk of damage.

Is it expensive to move a piano?

Local piano moves could cost as little as $150. However, moving a piano long-distance can cost as much as $2.50–$10 per mile, depending on the company’s rates. On average, most homeowners spend between $258 and $573 for piano moving services.

Do you need to tune a piano after moving it?

You’ll probably want to tune your piano after moving it. From changing humidity levels during the move to parts shifting while in transit, there are several issues that could affect your piano’s tuning. Retuning the piano after you move into your new home will help it sound like it should.