Hit The Right Note: How Much To Move A Piano?

Pianos are beautiful and expensive instruments, not to mention very large and heavy. Piano removal is no small task and it’s generally known that your average person shouldn’t handle it by themselves, or even with friends and family.

It’s more than common that piano owners recruit the services of professional removalists who will have the correct experience and tools to handle such a difficult job. But, how much does it cost to move a piano, and what affects the cost? Let’s take a look.

How The Piano Moving Removals Process Works

If you decide to use the services of professional piano removalists, here are the steps they are likely to follow:

Phase 1 – Preparation And Number Of People:

Your piano removalists team is likely to be made up of at least four people to help lift and guide the cargo safely.

They will already know the weight of the instrument, as well as whether they need to deal with staircases, tight turns and other obstacles along the way.

They will then use furniture dollies and what’s known as a piano skid board to move the piano itself, together with shoulder harnesses, wrapping blankets and other protective gear.

Next, they will remove the piano’s legs (if it’s a grand or upright type) and will wrap them up to be carried separately to the main body piece.

While this is happening, the other half of the team will support the back half of the piano so that the remaining legs don’t have too much weight put on them.

Next, your team will lower the piano onto its longer side, onto a padded piano board before being properly secured with furniture straps.

The lid of the piano will be secured closed, and now that the instrument is resting, the back legs can also be taken off, wrapped and secured. Finally, they will wrap up and carry the stool to be moved at the same time.

Phase 2 – The Piano Moving Process

Your piano removalists will naturally take their time and be very careful when taking the piano from the property into the van.

It will most likely be handled by two members of the team, while the others will act as guides to navigate them through doors and obstacles. Once they reach the moving truck, they will carefully place the piano on its longer side, in the back centre of the truck before being securely strapped in place.

Once they have tested all straps and fixtures, they will further protect the piano with furniture blankets and padding where necessary to prevent damage to the piano or any other cargo in the truck. Then, it’s time to drive slowly, carefully and without taking hard turns or hash braking.

The process is reversed on the other side, with the cargo being lifted off, moved into the designated space and reassembled.

Phase 3 – The Final Touches

Moving your piano would most likely affect its internals slightly, so it’s highly likely that you’ll need to have it retuned so that it can sing like before before.

As standard, a retuning service will cost somewhere between $200-$300, so do make sure to include that cost in your oveall budget. However, it’s best you wait a week or two before doing so, as the piano will need to acclimatize to the humidity and temperature of the new room.

‘Do I Really Need A Professional to Move My Piano?’

The short answer to this is a resounding yes.

We would not recommend attempting to move something as large and heavy as a piano without the proper tools and experience – even if you’re just going down the street.

Without professional assistance, you run a very real risk of injuring yourself, damaging your vehicle, or damaging your previous piano.

By working with an expert piano removal service, you can ensure that both you and your piano arrive at the new destination unharmed.

How Much Do Pianos Weigh?

Of course, this depends on the type of piano in question, but there are some broad ranges we can give you.

For instance, a grand piano can weigh anywhere between 200kg right up to 650kg for the largest. If you have an upright piano, it can weigh between 120kg and 400kg.

How Much Do Piano Removals Cost?

Like anything else, the exact cost of moving a piano will depend on a range of different factors, so it’s always best to talk directly to your mover before making assumptions. Here are some of the things that would influence your moving a piano costs:

• Dimensions, weight and size of the piano
• Accessibility to the piano at both locations – including stairs, lifts, parking, and other obstacles
• The distance of transit
• Whether or not the job is on a weekend or during a holiday period

As above, there are many variables that will affect the cost of moving your piano, but here are some broad estimates to help you get a decent idea:

Moving A Piano Costs: Interstate (600km+ average distance)

• Grand piano – Approx. $1100-$1500
• Baby brand piano – Approx. $800-$1000
• Upright piano – Approx. $600-$700
• Organ – Approx. $300-$500

Moving A Piano Costs : Suburb to suburb (40-80km average distance)

• Grand piano – Approx. $500-$800
• Baby brand piano – Approx. $300-$400
• Upright piano – Approx. $180-$220
• Organ – Approx. $150-$200

Let ZOOM Face The Music

As you can see, there’s quite a bit involved when carrying out a piano removal – but no worries, as we’ve moved plenty in our time and can make the whole thing a breeze.

Our team has years of experience in moving large and fragile objects, and know what it takes to get it from door to door in complete safety. And, we do everything we can to keep down the cost of moving a piano so that you can be 100% happy with the service.

For more information, check out our page on piano removals in Sydney.