How To Move a Piano

Moving a piano can be an expensive and daunting task, especially in tight spaces or if stairs are involved. This is why we recommend hiring one of our top long-distance moving companies. These companies employ piano moving specialists with expert training to move these intricate instruments properly and safely.

If you decide to go the DIY route, our guide covers everything you need to know before tackling this project, including a list of necessary equipment, safety tips, and more.

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Types of Pianos and Their Moving Challenges

Different types of pianos present unique challenges when it comes to moving.

Upright Pianos

Upright pianos, including spinet, console, and studio models, are typically easier to move than their larger counterparts. These pianos are vertically oriented and can weigh between 300 to 800 pounds. Their compact design allows for easier maneuvering through doorways and hallways, but their weight still requires careful handling and proper equipment.

The vertical structure of an upright piano allows the instrument to be tilted slightly to navigate through narrow spaces. However, overeager tilting can throw their weight out of balance, so even this type of piano is best off in experienced hands. The size and design of an upright piano might give a false sense of manageability, but remember that it holds a heavy cast iron harp and intricate mechanisms inside its hard shell.

Grand Pianos

Grand pianos are significantly larger and heavier than upright models, often weighing 500 to 1,200 pounds or more. Their horizontal orientation and long shape make them particularly challenging to move. Grand pianos require disassembly of certain parts, such as the legs and pedal lyre, before moving.

The hefty structure of a grand piano often leads to difficulties during moves. Its components—like the soundboard and strings—are sensitive to swift motions, temperature changes, and humidity variations. Properly securing the inner mechanisms and wrapping the wooden frame is vital to preserve resonance quality. If at all possible, you should hire professional help to move a grand piano.

Baby Grand Pianos

Baby grand pianos, while smaller than full-size grand pianos, still present similar moving challenges. They typically weigh between 500 to 700 pounds and require the same careful disassembly and reassembly process as their larger counterparts.

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Essential Equipment for Moving a Piano

Here’s the essential equipment that will give you the best chance of transporting your piano without damage.

Moving Blankets and Padding

Moving blankets or padding protect the piano’s finish from scratches and dents during the move. Wrap the entire piano, including the legs and pedals, with thick padding secured by packing tape or bungee cords.

Moving blankets can be purchased from The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, Amazon, Uboxes, and other home improvement stores. You can also rent them from companies such as U-Haul, Budget, or Penske. Ensure you have enough blankets to cover the piano and ample tape to hold the blankets in place. You can purchase lifting straps and tie-down straps at these stores, too.

Dollies and Hand Trucks

A piano dolly or hand truck is necessary for transporting the piano once it’s wrapped. For upright pianos, a four-wheel dolly is typically sufficient. Grand and baby grand pianos require a specialized piano board or skid board designed to support their weight and shape.

Companies that sell or rent moving supplies will typically also have dollies, hand trucks, and skid boards. Remember to properly anchor the piano to the dolly—don’t assume you’ll be able to hold it in place by hand.

Straps and Securing Tools

Heavy-duty straps are crucial for lifting and securing the piano. Ratchet straps can be used to fasten the piano to the dolly or moving truck. These are absolutely indispensable when moving the dolly up and down inclines, which you’ll have to do to get it onto a truck. Securing the piano with heavy-duty straps minimizes wiggle room and reduces the risk of slips during transit.

Bungee cords can serve some of these purposes, but remember that they have more give than canvas ratchet straps. They’re best used for securing moving blankets around the piano.

Other Supplies and Equipment

Here are some other things that are good to have on hand:

• Bubble wrap: For wrapping pedals and other delicate parts
• Lifting straps: For controlling the weight of the piano as you lift
• Measuring tape: For preparing to move the piano
• Microfiber cloth: For dusting when finished
• Packing tape: For securing plastic wrap and moving blankets
• Plastic wrap: For securing the keyboard lid and protecting delicate finishes
• Ramp: For moving the piano up or down stairs (if necessary)
• Screwdriver: For disassembling parts
• Work gloves: For protecting your hands and keeping a good grip

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Preparing Your Piano for the Move

Some of these steps may seem obvious, but making sure you take care of them before you lift anything will make for an easier and safer moving process.

Ask for Help

No matter what type of piano you have, moving it is not a one-person job. We recommend recruiting at least three or four other adults to help with the heavy lifting, plus an extra person to guide the endeavor.

Pianos are not only heavy and awkward but also fragile. Moving them safely is difficult, and drops can be disastrous for the piano and those moving it. As you weigh the cost of hiring professional piano movers, consider the risk of injury and the price of repairing or replacing a damaged piano. Hiring a professional could end up being both the safest and cheapest option.

Protect Keys, Pedals, and Loose Parts

Close and lock the keyboard lid to protect the keys during the move. If the lid doesn’t lock, secure it with plastic wrap and packing tape—remember to stick the tape only to the plastic, not to the piano, which may damage the finish. Cover the pedals with bubble wrap or plastic to prevent damage.

Remove any removable parts, such as the music rack, and wrap them separately. For grand pianos, you’ll need to remove the legs and pedal lyre. Place all screws and small parts in a labeled bag and tape it to the wrapped piano to avoid losing them.

Take Piano Measurements

Before you begin moving the piano, you need to measure the following:

• The piano itself
• The piano skid board, if using
• Any doorways, hallways, and staircases the piano must pass through
• The truck or van you will use to transport it
• The new space where you plan to put the piano

Make sure the piano fits through the necessary passageways in your old and new homes. This can include doors, halls, stairs, and elevators. You may need to move the piano on its side to fit through some spaces. This should be done carefully, and the piano should not stay on its side long.

You should also double-check the dimensions of the vehicle you plan to use to transport the piano. A truck rental company should be able to recommend the best vehicle for your needs.

Clear a Path

Finally, chart a course and clear the path. Map out the path you will take with the piano, then remove any obstacles. Open or remove doors, move furniture out of the way, and keep pets and kids away from the area.

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Moving an Upright Piano

Follow these steps to move a spinet, console, studio, or upright vertical piano.

1. Wrap the Piano

Check that the keyboard lid is secured shut and the pedals are wrapped. Also secure the top lid with plastic and tape. Once again, take care where you put the tape so you don’t damage the piano’s finish.

Next, wrap the piano with blankets or other padding. Ensure the wrapping is thick enough to protect the piano—especially its corners—from bumps and scrapes. You can secure the blankets with packing tape, bungee cords, or ratchet straps. Alternatively, you can wrap the piano in plastic to hold the blankets in place.

2. Assign Positions

Upright pianos can weigh over 500 pounds, so four people is ideal—two bearing the weight and two guiding the movement to the moving van or truck. An additional helper should be ready to slide the dolly under the piano and guide the lifters.

3. Load the Dolly

Slide a lifting strap under each end of the piano. With a team of four, each person holds one end of a strap, the objective being a different person supports each corner. Once everyone is in place, proceed to lift the piano onto the hand truck or dolly.

Be mindful that in some circumstances, it may be necessary to carry the piano outside before loading it onto the dolly. It may be wise to consider hiring a professional, as carrying the piano without the aid of a dolly can greatly increase the risk of damage or bodily injury.

4. Transfer to the Truck

Once the piano is secured on the dolly, you can proceed to roll it into the truck. Most moving trucks have a ramp to make this process easier. If you are moving multiple items, the piano should be loaded into the truck first and placed against the back wall. Use ratchet straps to prevent the piano from rolling, sliding, or tipping during transit.

5. Move to Your New Home

Drive the truck slowly and carefully to your destination. Avoid curves and dips in the road as this may cause the piano to shift. Once safely there and on a level surface, unload the piano using the dolly. Make use of the lifting straps to carry the piano to its new location. Take the same precautions for clearing pathways and removing obstacles as you did when moving the piano out of your old home.

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Moving a Grand Piano

Follow these steps to move a grand or baby grand piano.

1. Gather Your Team

Due to the heaviness of the grand piano and because of its extended length, we recommend having a five-person team assembled and prepared.

2. Disassemble and Wrap the Piano

Check that the music rack has been removed and wrapped separately. Wrap the piano lid in moving blankets, and then secure it with packing tape or a bungee cord.

Tilt the piano on its side. Next, instruct your team to support it while you simultaneously disassemble the pedals and remove the piano’s legs with a screwdriver. Wrap these pieces separately as well. Place the screws in a bag and tape the bag to one of the legs to avoid losing them.

Finally, wrap the entire piano—including the keys—in blankets. Loop packing tape around the entire piano a few times to hold the blankets in place, or wrap the piano a second time with plastic wrap.

3. Position Piano on a Skid Board

Gently tilt the piano back to its original position while sliding the piano board underneath it. Alternatively, you can slide lifting straps under the piano as you tilt it back, then hoist it onto the board. Either way, move slowly and carefully to avoid damaging the piano.

4. Transfer to the Truck

Once the piano has been loaded onto the skid board, you can roll and maneuver it through the house and onto the truck. You should keep one person on each side of the instrument at all times. Secure the piano to the back wall of the truck using ratchet straps. Pack the music rack, legs, pedals, and bench.

5. Move to Your New Home

Carefully drive the truck, avoiding sharp turns and dips in the road, to your new home and unload the piano. Position one person on each side of the piano. The fifth person should help direct the piano’s descent down the ramp and offer assistance or guidance as needed. 

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After Moving a Piano

Once you deliver the piano to your new home, you still are not quite done yet.

1. Position the Piano

Upright pianos must be placed against an interior wall, away from air vents and direct sunlight. Grand pianos sound best when their straight edge is placed against an interior wall. Like upright pianos, they should be kept away from direct sunlight, windows, doors, and air vents.

2. Unwrap and Reassemble

If you have a grand piano, keep your helpers around long enough to unwrap and reassemble the piano. This will be difficult, if not impossible, to manage on your own. If you have an upright piano, reassembly will not be an issue, but you may still need help unwrapping.

3. Clean and Tune

The last step is to hire a professional to clean and tune your piano. Anytime a piano is moved, its delicate inner workings can shift. For optimal results, wait a few weeks to schedule the tuning so the strings have time to fully settle and adjust to their new environment’s temperature and humidity.

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When To Hire Professional Piano Movers

While it’s possible to move a piano yourself, we do recommend hiring a professional. Your piano is a delicate, expensive instrument, and professional piano movers have the experience, equipment, and insurance to move it safely. They can handle challenging situations like steep staircases or tight corners.

While hiring professionals may seem expensive, it can be cost-effective when you factor in the potential for injury or damage to the piano. If you cannot find at least three able-bodied people to help, abandon your DIY plans and gather free quotes from local or trusted interstate moving companies.

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Our Conclusion

Moving a piano can be done without the help of a professional, but it does require some time management, and it is a labor-intensive process. If you decide to tackle the task by yourself, make certain you have the proper equipment and plenty of help. Otherwise, you risk injuring yourself, damaging your home, or breaking your piano.

Because of this risk, we recommend that you consider hiring a professional.

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FAQ About How To Move a Piano

How many people are needed to move a piano?

You need at least three or four people to safely move a piano. However, five or six may be needed for heavier upright pianos and concert grand pianos.

How do you move a piano down a flight of stairs?

To move a piano down a flight of stairs, you will need a hand truck or dolly and a metal ramp or heavy-duty plywood planks. If you cannot find a prefabricated ramp that will cover the length of your stairs, you can construct your own using planks (minimally 2 feet by 8 feet). Then you can secure the piano on a dolly and slowly roll it down the ramp. We recommend hiring a professional if you need to move a piano upstairs or downstairs.

How long does it take to move a piano?

It typically takes two to four hours to move a piano. However, the actual time may vary depending on the size of the piano, the distance of the move, and whether stairs are involved.

What are some of the dangers of moving a piano?

The dangers of moving a piano include:

• Damage to the piano
• Damage to your home
• Personal injury
• Liability for the injuries of others