Best Piano Movers
Quick answer: Safeway Moving is the best piano mover overall because it pairs flat-rate pricing with climate-controlled storage and 30 days of free storage on interstate moves. Still, the right piano mover depends on your piano, your route, and your budget. Most people spend $258 - $573 to move a piano.
rating
4.23 / 5
- Specialty packing services
- White-glove reputation
- 80+ years' experience
Jump to the piano mover info you’re looking for:
Who are the best piano movers?
- Best overall: Safeway Moving
- Best for flexible scheduling: American Van Lines
- Best for fragile-only moves: North American Van Lines
- Best for contents coverage: Allied Van Lines
- Best for high-end service: JK Moving Services
Not every full-service moving company has the crews and equipment to move a piano safely. We base these picks on side-by-side company comparisons, pricing research, and firsthand customer experiences from our Better Moves Project.
Why compare movers with moveBuddha?
- On average, moveBuddha users save more than 30% by comparing movers before booking.
- When you choose a moveBuddha Certified mover, you get $1,000 in added move coverage, plus dedicated support throughout your move.
- If something goes wrong, moveBuddha provides dispute mediation with Certified movers to help resolve the issue and protect your move.
Best overall: Safeway Moving
Safeway Moving is our best overall piano mover because it covers what matters most in a piano move: a fixed price, safe storage, and coverage if something goes wrong. Its flat-rate pricing and triple-check quote process mean your piano won’t trigger surprise fees on moving day.
Pianos are sensitive to temperature and humidity, so storage matters if your dates don’t line up. Safeway includes 30 days of free storage on interstate moves and offers climate-controlled storage for longer stays. Its moving partners also carry $1 million in liability insurance, which meets most HOA and condo requirements.
Safeway Moving pros & cons
- 30 days of free storage on interstate moves
- Flat-rate pricing & price matching
- 24/7 customer service
- moveBuddha Certified
- No online quotes
- Not ideal for piano-only moves
- No moves to or from Alaska or Hawaii
Read our full Safeway Moving review.
rating
4.9 / 5
Best for flexible scheduling: American Van Lines
American Van Lines (AVL) is our pick for flexible scheduling because it doesn’t charge extra for weekend or after-hours moves and can sometimes handle last-minute moves. That helps when your piano move has to fit around a closing date or building move-in hours.
Flexibility doesn’t come at the expense of care. AVL crews average 10 years of experience and go through ongoing training and certification for pianos. Its flat-rate pricing includes piano disassembly and reassembly, and AVL takes on small moves if you’re only moving a piano and a few other items.
American Van Lines pros & cons
- Piano-certified crews
- No extra fees for weekend or after-hours moves
- Flat-rate, all-inclusive pricing
- moveBuddha Certified
- No moves to or from Alaska or Hawaii
- Credit card deposit to book
- Local moves in only four states
Read our full American Van Lines review.
rating
4.9 / 5
Best for fragile-only moves: North American Van Lines
North American Van Lines (NAVL) is our pick for fragile-only moves because you can hire pros to pack and move just your piano and other delicate items while you pack everything else yourself. That keeps the specialty work in trained hands without paying for full-service packing.
NAVL also builds custom wooden crates for delicate items and offers temperature-controlled storage. If your piano is damaged, you have nine months to file a written claim.
North American Van Lines pros & cons
- Fragile-only packing option
- Custom crating
- No deposit to book
- Satellite shipment tracking
- No instant online quotes
- Frequent complaints about claims
Read our full North American Van Lines review.
rating
4.83 / 5
Best for contents coverage: Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines is our pick for contents coverage because a piano is often the most valuable item in a home, and basic liability pays only $0.60 per pound. Allied’s full value protection repairs or replaces damaged items at current market value.
Allied also offers custom crating for high-value items and fragile-only packing in all 50 states. It has moved households since 1928 and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Allied Van Lines pros & cons
- Strong contents coverage options
- Custom crating & fragile-only packing
- No deposit to book
- A+ BBB rating
- No instant online quotes
- Pricier than many competitors
- Service varies by local agent
Read our full Allied Van Lines review.
rating
4.23 / 5
Best for high-end service: JK Moving Services
JK Moving Services is our pick for high-end service because its piano process is built around protecting the instrument. JK inspects your piano’s condition with you before the move, and teams of four to six movers remove and wrap the legs and pedals, then reassemble the piano at your new home.
JK also offers climate-controlled storage to protect the wood and tuning, plus background-checked movers. It costs more than most movers, but financing through Enhancify can make the service more manageable for a valuable piano.
JK Moving Services pros & cons
- Specialty piano wrapping & reassembly
- Background-checked movers
- Financing as low as 0%
- Climate-controlled storage
- Higher-than-average prices
- Local moves within 50 miles in VA, MD & DC only
- No online quotes
Read our full JK Moving Services review.
How do the best piano movers compare?
| Mover | Best for | Local moves | States served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safeway Moving | Overall pick | Contiguous U.S. | 48 (not AK or HI) |
| American Van Lines | Flexible scheduling | 4 states | 48 (not AK or HI) |
| North American | Fragile-only moves | Through local agents | 50 |
| Allied Van Lines | Contents coverage | Through local agents | 50 |
| JK Moving | High-end service | Within 50 miles in VA, MD & DC | 50 |
Do you need a specialty piano mover?
Hire a full-service mover if you’re moving your whole home and want one company to handle the piano too. Every company on our list can move pianos alongside the rest of your belongings.
A specialty piano mover makes more sense if the piano is the only thing you’re moving or if it’s a large grand. Local piano stores and piano technicians can usually refer you to specialists they trust. For a long-distance move, some owners hire a local piano mover to load and unload and a separate carrier for transport.
What should you look for in a piano mover?
Getting multiple quotes is a must, but price isn’t the only factor. Check these before you book:
- Customer reviews: Look for reviews that mention pianos specifically, and ask the mover for references
- Experience with your piano: A crew that only moves uprights may not be ready for a baby grand
- Proper equipment: Pros use a piano board, non-marring dollies, straps, and clean moving pads
- Crew size: Most grand pianos need a crew of three or more, especially with stairs
- Coverage: Basic liability pays only $0.60 per pound, so ask about full value protection
- Quote type: Binding or flat-rate quotes keep your price from changing on moving day
For interstate moves, confirm the mover’s authority with a USDOT number lookup before you sign. A moveBuddha Certified mover also adds $1,000 in move coverage and dispute mediation if something goes wrong.
How much does it cost to move a piano?
Most homeowners spend $258 - $573 to move a piano. Local piano moves can cost as little as $150, while long-distance moves can run $2.50 - $10 per mile, depending on the company’s rates.
These factors have the biggest effect on your price:
- Piano type: Grand pianos cost the most to move because they often need crating & disassembly, and spinets cost the least
- Access: Stairs, tight turns, and hard-to-reach rooms add labor and raise your quote
- Distance: Large movers often charge a flat rate for long-distance moves, while others charge by the mile
- Storage: Pianos need climate-controlled storage to protect the wood and limit tuning issues
Full-service movers often price pianos as a bulky item. Safeway, for example, charges $50 - $300 per bulky item on top of your move. Our moving cost calculator weighs distance, home size, move date, and service level together, and it runs on 1,000+ live price points collected every month.
How do you prepare a piano for movers?
A few simple steps before movers arrive can make your piano move easier and sometimes cheaper. Read our full guide on how to pack and move a piano for more detail.
Piano mover FAQs
Are piano movers worth it?
Yes, piano movers are worth it for most people because pianos are heavy, top-heavy, and easy to damage. A DIY move risks injury and costly repairs. Professional movers bring the right equipment and coverage, which matters most on interstate moves.
Do you need a specialized mover to move a piano?
You don’t need a specialized mover to move a piano, but you do need a crew with piano experience and equipment. Many full-service movers have piano-trained crews. Ask how many pianos like yours the crew has moved before you book.
How much does it cost to move a piano?
It costs $258 - $573 to move a piano for most homeowners. Local moves can cost as little as $150, while long-distance moves can run $2.50 - $10 per mile. Grand pianos and homes with stairs cost more.
How many movers does it take to move a piano?
It takes two movers for most uprights and three or more for most grand pianos. Stairs and tight turns can add another mover. JK Moving uses teams of four to six movers for piano moves.
Do you need to tune a piano after moving it?
Yes, you’ll likely need to tune a piano after moving it because temperature and humidity changes affect the strings. Wait about three to four weeks so the piano can adjust to its new home. A professional tuner can also check for any parts that shifted in transit.
How we chose the best moving companies
The moveBuddha team has spent nearly 10 years evaluating moving companies using a rigorous review system to identify the best moving companies. Our thorough methodology evaluates each moving company's services, cost, customer service, and reputation:
Moving services (35%):
We verify operating authority, insurance, and service scope against FMCSA/SAFER and state databases. We confirm availability via standardized mystery-shopping calls (packing tiers, storage type, specialty handling, delivery windows, valuation), and then review contracts alongside complaint and claims patterns over time.
Customer feedback (28%):
We run structured post-move surveys through our Better Moves Project with verifiable documentation. We emphasize on-time performance, care of goods, and estimates’ accuracy, and we investigate outliers before they influence scores.
Online reviews (7%):
We aggregate ratings across multiple third-party sites to reduce platform bias, analyze overall trends and company response behavior, and discount obvious spam/fake signals such as sudden bursts, duplicate language, and low-history profiles.
State availability (12%):
We confirm USDOT numbers, broker vs. carrier status, and any required state permits, then score a state-by-state service matrix that accounts for coverage gaps, seasonal limits, and lane strength. We award additional credit for documented cross-border or specialty lanes.
Additional services (12%):
We verify whether add-ons are performed in-house or subcontracted, look for crew training/certifications for high-value or oversized items, count only documented offerings (tariffs, photos, written service descriptions) confirmed via mystery shopping, and reward robust pre-move planning (virtual surveys, itemized crating).
Quotes/Payment options (6%):
We test standardized move profiles to assess estimate type (binding, not-to-exceed, non-binding), line-item transparency, and disclosed surcharges, require clear written policies for deposits, refunds, and cancellations, and award points for secure, flexible payment methods and customer portals.
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