How Much Does It Cost to Move A Piano Across Country

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The piano is one of the most wonderful sounding instruments one can learn how to play. However, learning the piano can take years to master, and when you begin to move you don’t want all your hard work to go down the drain if it breaks. You must look into how much does it cost to move a piano locally. 

Moving a piano can be tedious due to the many parts a piano has. An average piano can have up to 10,000 parts and any piano owner would want to treat their piano with care. 

So, now it’s a couple of days from the move and you’re sitting there wondering how you’re going to move the piano. 

Should you move it yourself? Or should you hire professionals to do it? 

Here we will explain the best possible ways to move a piano and also will show you how much does it cost to move a piano across country. 

Determine Your Budget

First things first, you must determine how much money you have and if you have money to spend on hiring people to do this job. 

Don’t wait last minute and trying to crunch some numbers in, if you do this the budget you created might come with errors. 

So, it’s best to take time before you move and fix up a budget and depending on how much you have left to spend you can consider hiring professional movers. 

How Do I Create a Budget?

To create a simple budget all you have to do is sit with no distractions and list all the spending you’ve done.

This includes listing all of your:

• Subscriptions 
• Moving Cost
• Travel Cost
• Food
• Gas
• Rent
• Appliances 

Anything you spend money on should be included in the budget. 

Once you have everything on a piece of paper, you must go through every one of them to see if you still need to be spending money on that. 

For example, if you realize you need more money because the professional movers that you contracted are charging a little more than your budget. 

What you can do is cancel or take away things you don’t need from your budget. This would include subscriptions such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and so on. 

Who Can Move My Piano?

Now that your budget is done you will need to determine what you can or cannot afford. 

The people that are able to move pianos include: 

• Yourself
• Professional Movers

Each has its benefits and disadvantages so before you choose on which you would like to help you move your piano, consider all possibilities. 

Moving It Yourself

If you don’t have money to hire a professional moving company to move the piano for you then what’s left to do is move it yourself.

What people tend to not realize is when you’re moving a piano yourself you still need to cough up some money. 

You will need to spend money on renting a moving truck, buying or renting dolly’s, moving equipment, and possibly hiring your friends to help you load and unload. 

Advantages

The main advantage of moving a piano yourself is the most obvious, you’re not spending as much money as you would if you hire professional movers. 

There is nothing wrong with putting some elbow grease onto what you’re doing.

Depending on the company that you find they can charge an arm or leg for their services. 

With moving a piano yourself, you will gain the necessary experience for future moves or when someone asks you how to ship an upright piano across country? 

Disadvantages

Pianos are extremely heavy, and they have a lot of moving parts. So, if you’re not careful you may injure yourself or break the piano on the move. 

Renting a moving truck, yourself can be cheaper but if you don’t know how to use the space correctly then the piano will be moving around, and it may cause more damage. 

If the piano breaks, depending on what broke on the piano it can cost a lot of money to fix or find the exact part for it. 

Therefore, moving a piano yourself isn’t the best choice because there is a large margin of error that can happen. If you break the piano, then buying a brand-new piano can cost you a lot.

Not to mention the possibility of being injured to its size and weight. 

It’s best to just have professionals that know what they’re doing and that have the right equipment to move the piano. 

Using Professional Movers

It’s always recommended to use professional movers when considering moving a piano. 

As mentioned, they are qualified to do this type of job and have had many experiences with moving items across the country or locally. 

To find professional piano movers to help you move your piano locally is not difficult. You can simply search online and compare different moving companies. 

However, before committing to one moving company always ask for a quote before booking their services. 

You want to make sure the cost of everything is there or at least close to the exact cost, so when you get the bill you won’t be surprised if any additional fees. 

Advantages

Professional movers know how to handle pianos of all types and sizes for the most part. 

You won’t be doing any of the liftings that required to move the piano. 

Also, the movers will have the equipment needed so you don’t need to spend money on equipment that you’ll only use once. 

Disadvantages 

Using professional moving companies can be expensive so be aware and try to get a quote before signing any type of contract. 

Depending on how far you’re moving, if it’s a great distance then some moving companies will charge an extra fee for long-distance. 

If you find only regular household movers, then they may charge extra fees for moving and packing the piano for transport. 

Cost to Hire Piano Movers

To get an accurate cost to piano movers, you must contact them and get a quote directly. 

Normally hiring piano movers will cost you anywhere from $200 to $400 for local moves and $1,000 to $2,000 for long-distance moves. 

However, the cost of the move will depend on many factors such as size, the weight of the piano, distance, and other factors. So, the price can be higher or lower than anticipated. 

Type and Size of Piano

Not all pianos are the same and they have different dimensions so make sure you know this information so you can tell the mover.

Pianos that are heavier tend to cost more to ship, the reason being it’s going to require more workers to carry and transport the piano.

Depending on the size of the piano it may need to be disassembled or partially disassemble and due to the more pieces, there will be more need to use cushions and bubble wraps. 

This will add to the overall cost of the move.

Knowing the type of piano you have will also be beneficial in determining the cost.

If you are moving a grand piano due to the size it will be difficult maneuvering the piano up and down the stairs. 

Distance

If you’re going far then you will be paying more when you contract professional movers. 

Some moving companies may give you a flat rate for the entire move while some may charge per mile. 

Knowing the Structure of Your Surroundings

Moving companies will add fees to the move if there are structures that will make the move hard. 

Structures that will affect the moving cost can include:

• Stairs
• Spiral stairs 
• Tight spaces 
• Sharp turns 
• Narrow doorways
• High Terrain
• Walkways between the entrance and the moving truck

For the most part, the stairs will be the biggest obstacle when trying to move a piano.

If there are a lot of stairs, then the moving company will need to hire more strong people to be able to handle the job. 

Due to this, some moving companies may charge up to $5 to $10 per stair or $40 to $100 per staircase. 

Therefore, when discussing the cost of the move with the moving company, try and mention any of these obstacles to the company. 

This will help the company figure out a better approach to handle the piano and they will give you a more accurate quote of the move. 

Having an elevator where the piano can fit in either the drop-off or pick-up location may lower the cost of the move tremendously. 

How Much Does It Cost to Move a Piano Locally

To move a piano locally the average cost will be anywhere from $200 to $400.

However, this will depend on the factors above such as the type of piano, size, and what obstacle needs to be overcome to move the piano. 

When you move locally this means that you are going within state lines or sometimes within a set neighborhood. 

Always talk with the company beforehand to figure out what type of move it will be classified as. The farther you’re going the cost of the move will rise. 

How Do You Move a Piano Across States

To move a piano across states you will need to determine the cost if you use professional movers and if you don’t then you need to figure out the renting cost of a truck.

If you hire professional movers, they will charge anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 for long-distance but if the drop-off location is very far then the price may go up. 

With professional movers, some may not go certain distances so discuss and calculate the miles that your new place is going to be.

Another option that you can do is do the move yourself. 

However, as mentioned this may not be the best choice because of many factors that can go wrong. 

You don’t want to move your piano with the possibility of damaging it in the move because you didn’t know how to position it. 

Although doing it yourself may seem cheaper than hiring professional movers, if you rent a truck or any vehicle then the mileage may add up and cost a lot. 

How To Ship An Upright Piano Across Country

An upright piano is one of the most common types of piano that is out and what people generally have. 

It’s also called “vertical pianos” and they are normally 43 inches and 53 inches tall, these pianos are easy to fit into a home or classroom. 

To ship upright pianos across the country the best bet is to use a consolidated freight

What Is A Consolidated Freight? 

A consolidated freight is a service that is provided by a licensed and insured shipping company that will transport items long or short distances. 

Using consolidated freight is the safest option to ship an upright piano across country. 

When using the company’s services, you will only pay for the space on the truck that is being occupied by the item which in this case will be a piano. 

Your piano will be with other items as well that are heading in the same directions. 

You will get the same type of experienced workers as hiring professional movers. With a consolidated freight, all workers know how to handle and transport pianos safely. 

Cost of A Consolidated Freight

The cost of shipping an upright piano using a consolidated freight will depend on the size and style of the piano, as well as other factors such as stairs, and tight spaces

Typically shipping a piano will cost between $950 and $2500. 

Here is a table of the different types of cost of using different shipping methods

Method	Cost
Renting a truck and moving it yourself	Depends on the size of the vehicle and distance
Hiring professional movers	Depends on size and distance but will be approximately $4,300
Consolidated Freight	$950 to $2,500+

Why Are Upright Pianos Difficult to Ship?

Upright pianos are very heavy, bulky, and very delicate. 

Some of these pianos are inexpensive but some other upright pianos are priceless that need to handle with more care and attention to detail. 

Here are some reasons why they are hard to ship:

Weight

These pianos can weigh around 300 lbs. or up to 1,200 lbs. 

The weight of the piano mostly comes from the cast iron harp that holds the string of the piano. If it’s a smaller upright piano, then it would contain a smaller harp. 

If you have an antique piano, they are normally heavier than a newer model. 

Due to this tremendous weight, you will need many helpers and proper tools to handle the move. 

Style

Knowing the type of piano, you have is important when considering moving a piano. 

If you have antique, grand piano, or a heirloom upright piano then you need help from professional movers. You will need to have the right tools that only professional movers can provide. 

Tuning

Every acoustic piano will need to be tuned after the move. It doesn’t matter the piano’s size, age, or value. Once the piano is moved it will need to be tuned. 

If you are moving locally then some professional movers do tune the piano. 

However, if you’re moving long-distance, then once you’re situated in your new place you will need to find a piano tuner. 

How Much Does It Cost to Move A Spinet Piano?

Spinet pianos are the smallest style of upright pianos. They are normally under 40 inches tall and weigh about 300 to 400 lbs. 

The action of the piano is on the bottom of the keys and is operated by the vertical wires attached to the back of the keys. 

The cost to move a spinet piano is about $150 to $300 for local distances and $500 to $800 for long distances. 

For a more accurate cost talk with your professional moving company and determine if they can give you a quote. 

Whether you have a grand piano, spinet piano, or an upright piano. Making sure you treat the piano with care is the most important thing you can do. So, when you move, make sure to use professional movers so they can move your piano with the care and attention it needs. Start moving your Piano with professional movers such as Earthrelo.