Chicago Area Piano Moving

Piano and organ moving is as much an art as it a science. Pianos are moved to and from a wide variety of locations.  Many of these moves provide unique challenges and our movers have to use their raw physical strength along with their wisdom to accomplish the job. Having a knowledgeable crew with decades of experience is vital to ensure a successful move of your instrument.

Piano Moving Costs

The question most often asked when finding a piano mover is “How much does it cost?”. Piano moves are priced based on four major factors:

  • The style/type of piano (upright, baby grand, grand…)
  • The distance between the pick-up and delivery
  • The difficulty of the move due to turns, stairs, and the need for specialty equipment
  • The brand of piano – some pianos are made better and are heavier than others

With these factors in mind, 80% of the pianos we move fall into the $350 – $750 price range.

Hiring a professional vs. DIY

Hiring a professional piano mover is the better choice for many reasons. Considering the specialized equipment and care needed to safely move this instrument, most people are better off using a professional piano mover.

Weight is the first important consideration. Upright pianos can weigh as much as 800 pounds. A grand piano can be as heavy as 1,500 pounds.

The next consideration is value. Pianos are typically not cheap, and some may even be valuable antiques. A do it yourself move means that any mistakes you make are not covered by any insurance. Golden Eagle Movers is a licensed mover, and insured as required by the State of Illinois.

The final consideration is that many large pianos have to be dismantled and turned on end in order to move them. The vast majority of piano owners, and even regular household movers, do not have the experience, familiarity with the techniques, or have access to the needed equipment used in piano moving.

It is not uncommon for us to receive calls from piano owners saying that they attempted the move themselves or had a household mover attempt to transport their piano and were unsuccessful.

There are always risks associated with moving a piano. Hiring a professional mover can drastically mitigate these risks.

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Types of Pianos

Upright Pianos

Spinet: 35″ – 39″
Console: 40″ – 43″
Studio: 44″ – 47″
Full Size: 48″ – 60″

Grand Pianos

Baby Grand: 4’ 5”- 5’2’’
Living Room/ Parlor Grand: 5’3”-6’4”
Concert/ Professional: 6’5’’- 9’+

Measuring a Piano

upright piano measurement Upright / Vertical Piano

Vertical pianos are measured by their overall height, from the floor to the very top of the lid. Measurements for vertical pianos are given in inches only (no feet).

Grand Piano MeasurementsGrand Piano

Grands are measured by their overall length. Close the lid completely. Hook, or have someone hold, the end of the tape measure at the center of the tail. Measure where indicated by the dotted line. Grand measurements are given in feet and inches.

Moving a Piano Around a Room

It’s understandable that you might not want to hire a mover just to move a piano around a room, but these small moves can be surprisingly dangerous. With both grands and verticals, it’s primarily the legs you want to watch out for. Breaking a leg on a vertical may just be an inconvenience, but on a grand it can be disastrous. For example, a leg could get caught on an uneven floor or the grate of a heating duct and come crashing to the floor, breaking the legs as well as the pedal lyre.

Dragging a piano across carpeting can also be too much for the legs to handle. If you insist on moving a grand piano yourself, 3 to 5 strong people should gather around its circumference and lift while moving. Don’t actually try to lift it off the floor; just relieve the strain on the legs of the piano.

At least 2 people should always move a vertical piano. Smaller, apartment sized verticals with free-standing legs should have their legs protected by lifting or tilting the piano back ever so slightly while moving. But remember that most of the weight of the piano is in its back, so be sure you have a firm grip on it and don’t tilt so far that the piano is in danger of falling over. Larger verticals and smaller ones without legs can simply be rolled, although this may be hard to do on carpeting. Piano casters can sometimes get stuck unexpectedly, so move slowly with one person on each end of the piano.