Cost to move
How much it costs to move a piano
Reviews that mention a piano show a whole-move median of $3,623, which is the total a reviewer paid, not a price for the piano alone. Haulest is not a carrier; the file holds 303 such reviews from 260 movers so you can set those totals next to every other move.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 2026-09-24
What moves with a piano cost
That spread is the bill for the entire shipment, stairs and all, in reviews that happen to name a piano.
The figure is a whole move. Among reviews that mention a piano, the median price is $3,623, taken from 302 priced reviews dated from 2010 to 21 Sept 2026. The middle half of those totals runs from $1,100 to $6,800. That spread is the bill for the entire shipment, stairs and all, in reviews that happen to name a piano.
Set it beside every move. Across the full file, the median is $3,255 from 24,086 priced reviews. 54.5% of the piano mentions describe a move between states, so many of these bills include a long haul, not just a piano on a truck for an afternoon. A table by home size follows this section and breaks the same reviews down further.
A total is not a piano price. These 303 reviews come from 260 movers, and each price is what the household paid for the move as a whole. Packing, mileage, and the rest of the household goods sit inside the same number. If you want a line for the piano, ask the mover to show it on the written estimate, which our guide to reading an estimate walks through.
Whole-move price in reviews that mention a piano, against all reviews. Dated reviews from 2010 to 21 Sept 2026. A median needs 35 priced reviews overall, or 10 in a size row.
| Moves that mention a piano | All moves | |
|---|---|---|
| Median whole-move price | $3,623 (302 priced) | $3,255 (24,086 priced) |
| Middle half | $1,100 to $6,800 | |
| Between states | 54.5% | |
| Mentions damage | 53.8% | 35.4% |
| One or two stars | 53.1% | |
| Mean rating | 2.89 | 3.08 |
Source: Haulest review file, 21 Sept 2026 (whole-move prices, self-reported).
Same comparison by home size. Rows with fewer than 10 priced reviews show the count only.
| Home size | Mentions a piano | All moves |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 5 priced | $2,000 (605) |
| 1 bedroom | $2,500 (23) | $2,150 (3,231) |
| 2 bedroom | $4,432 (45) | $3,764 (6,535) |
| 3 bedroom | $5,462 (57) | $5,000 (4,703) |
| 4 bedroom | $7,100 (26) | $6,215 (1,618) |
Source: Haulest review file, 21 Sept 2026 (whole-move prices, self-reported).
Why these reviews run negative
That selection effect is why these reviews run more negative than the file as a whole.
Damage shows up more often here. 53.8% of reviews that mention a piano also mention damage, against 35.4% of all reviews. 53.1% of the piano mentions are one or two stars. The mean rating is 2.89, against 3.08 for the file as a whole. Those gaps are real, and they need a plain explanation.
People name the piano when something happened. A reviewer often writes the item into the story because it was scratched, delayed, or the crew struggled with it. That selection effect is why these reviews run more negative than the file as a whole. It does not mean that moving a piano makes a move go badly.
Complaints cluster around the carry. In general terms, the sore points are damage and the physical handling: stairs, tight turns, and a long walk from the truck to the door. Those details make the job harder, and they are the things people write down. A quiet, uneventful piano move is less likely to earn a mention at all.
Recent reviews
What reviewers said about a piano
5 of 5 · 17 Sept 2026 · reported $3,698
“I have a massive, antique piano and a heavy safe. Other companies refused or wanted to charge a fortune. These guys came in, assessed the situation, and moved both items without a scratch on them or my walls. Their strength and skill are impressive. True professionals.”
5 of 5 · 14 Sept 2026 · reported $2,944
“I was afraid of moving my grandmother's upright piano. They sent a team of experts in moving heavy goods, along with specially designed dollies and padding. They spent lots of time to get through a small hallway corner without marking anything on the walls or on the instrument. Excellent attention to detail and care.”
5 of 5 · 11 Sept 2026 · reported $5,244
“I had a wonderful experience working with him and his team at Vantage Movers! I worked with them across several days and several different requests throughout my move about a month and a half ago. This included moving furniture, packing clothes and my kitchen up, moving an upright piano, breaking…”
How to get it priced right
A mover must offer full value protection.
Put the piano on the inventory. Name the instrument on the written inventory and on the written estimate before loading day, including whether it is an upright or a grand. A grand is usually moved on its side on a padded piano board with the legs and lyre removed, so that work should be visible in the quote. Our inventory calculator is a place to list it with the rest of the household.
Ask about the hard parts. Stairs, tight turns, and the distance from the truck to the door drive the handling work, and each one can add labor. Ask the estimator what extra handling applies and how disassembly is priced, especially for a grand. See common add-on charges in the accessorials calculator so the line items have names.
Get the valuation in writing. For moves between states, the default liability is released value, 60 cents per pound per article, unless you buy full value protection. A mover must offer full value protection. Ask for the valuation in writing and keep that sheet with the estimate, next to the piano line.
When to call a specialist
A piano is commonly tuned after it settles in the new home.
A general mover can do the job. A general mover can haul the piano with the rest of the household, and some general movers subcontract the piano job to a specialist. That split is a fit for a plain upright when the instrument is named on the estimate. Check the mover registration with the license lookup before you book.
Call a specialist for a grand or a hard path. Uprights and grands are handled differently, and a grand is usually moved on its side on a padded piano board with the legs and lyre removed. Stairs, tight turns, or a long carry from the truck to the door are reasons to ask for a specialist on that piece. Our piano service page is the short version of that choice.
Plan on a tuning after it settles. A piano is commonly tuned after it settles in the new home. Give it that pause, then call a tuner; the calendar will not name itself. If your mover is already sending the piano to a specialist, a second company is optional.
From the review file
Movers whose reviews mention a piano
How this list was made. Active FMCSA household-goods authority, at least 10 reviews on record, and at least two held reviews that mention a piano. Sorted by review volume, not rating. A mention is not an endorsement: read the reviews. Sorted by how many matching reviews each mover has, not by rating. Corpus as of 21 Sept 2026. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.
| Mover | Based | Record | Matching reviews | All reviews | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howards Vanlines inc | Clifton, NJ | CarrierUSDOT 4391903 | 2 | 1684.9 mean, dated | 8 May 2026 |
| Muscular Moving Men | Phoenix, AZ | CarrierUSDOT 1829172 | 2 | 1594.3 mean, dated | 4 Mar 2026 |
| Wheaton Van Lines | Indianapolis, IN | CarrierUSDOT 70719 | 2 | 811.5 mean, dated | 25 Aug 2022 |
| Miami Movers For Less | Miami, FL | CarrierUSDOT 1717780 | 2 | 374.1 mean, dated | 1 May 2021 |
| 500 Move | Glendale, AZ | CarrierUSDOT 1078585 | 2 | 322.4 mean, dated | 5 Jun 2025 |
| DC Pro Moving and Storage | Silver Spring, MD | CarrierUSDOT 2067172 | 2 | 293.2 mean, dated | 3 Nov 2013 |
| Elite Moving & Storage Inc | Las Vegas, NV | CarrierUSDOT 1378764 | 2 | 271.4 mean, dated | 7 Jun 2019 |
| Mashav Relocation | Baltimore, MD | CarrierUSDOT 1861735 | 2 | 204.3 mean, dated | 23 Apr 2018 |
| Gentlemen Movers | Columbia, SC | CarrierUSDOT 1442337 | 2 | 103.8 mean, dated | 6 Feb 2025 |
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026; FMCSA Licensing and Insurance, household-goods authority (record column).
Before you hire
Four checks before a deposit
Written estimate after a look
Interstate movers must give the booklet and a written estimate after a survey or a full description. A $499 ad is not an estimate.
FMCSA Protect Your MoveLegal name matches SAFER
USDOT on the paper, the truck doors, and the census. A different name is the walk.
USDOT / Companies House lookupWalk from cash and blank paper
FTC: unregistered interstate, huge deposit, cash only, or a blank contract. Photograph and leave.
FTC: hiring a mover110% on a COD non-binding job
Pay up to 110% plus agreed extras and they must hand over the load. Not a cap on extras you signed.
US interstate rules
Reviewed by Anthony Bale, 24 Sep 2026. Corpus as of 21 Sept 2026. Drafted with grok-4.7-medium via cursor-agent on 2026-09-24, then edited. Haulest is not a carrier.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- What do these piano figures measure?
- They measure the whole move. The median among reviews that mention a piano is $3,623, from 302 priced reviews. That number is the total a reviewer paid, not a fee for the piano alone.
- How do those totals compare with all moves?
- The median for all priced reviews is $3,255, across 24,086 reviews. 54.5% of the reviews that mention a piano describe a move between states. Read both medians as full-move bills.
- Why do these reviews look more negative?
- 53.8% of them mention damage, against 35.4% of all reviews, and 53.1% are one or two stars. The mean rating is 2.89, against 3.08 for all reviews. People often name the piano because something happened to it, so this slice runs more negative than the file.
- What should I put on the estimate?
- Name the piano on the inventory and on the written estimate, and say whether it is an upright or a grand. Ask about stairs, tight turns, the distance from the truck to the door, and disassembly. Ask for the valuation in writing.
- When is a specialist the right call?
- A general mover can take an upright with the household goods, and some general movers subcontract the piano job. A specialist fits a grand, or a path with stairs and tight turns. A piano is commonly tuned after it settles in the new home.
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About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
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