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Piano Movers and Piano Moving Company
A piano is not just heavy, it is heavy in a way that fights you. An upright can run 300 to 500 pounds, a grand 600 to 1,300 pounds, and every one of those pounds sits high, shifts on a turn, and lands on a finish that scratches if you look at it wrong. Star Van Lines is a licensed piano moving company that treats a piano as its own job, with the boards, dollies, and straps the work actually needs, and a crew sized to the instrument in front of it. Most piano damage happens in the same three places: a doorway that was measured by eye, a staircase taken by two people who should have been four, and a grand that was rolled on its own legs instead of laid on a skid board. We move pianos to remove those failure points. One licensed company, our own trained crews, and weight-rated equipment on every job.
Dennis has 15+ years of experience in interstate moving and has coordinated over 1,000 relocations across the United States.
Piano moving at a glance
Star Van Lines moves spinets, consoles, studio uprights, full uprights, baby grands, grands, and 9-foot concert grands for homes, studios, schools, and venues in all 50 states, coordinated from our base in Vernon, California, seven days a week, 08:00 to 20:00. Every piano is quoted by type and access before the job, wrapped and boarded by our own trained crews, and moved under active federal operating authority.
A typical upright is handled by 2 to 4 movers; a grand or concert grand often takes 4 or more, plus extra hands for stairs.
Licensed interstate mover - USDOT #4176875, MC #1607491. Phone (855) 822-2722.
What is included in a Piano Movers and Piano Moving Company
On-site or photo assessment
We measure the piano, the doorways, the hallway turns, and every stair before we quote, so the crew and equipment match the instrument and the building.
Boarding, padding, and wrapping
Uprights are strapped to a padded four-wheel piano dolly; grands have the lid closed and locked, pedals and legs removed, and the body laid on a padded skid board, also called a piano board, and belted down.
Stair, tight-turn, and long-carry handling
Board technique and controlled stair work move the weight up or down flights that a dolly alone cannot manage.
Loading and transport under our own authority
Your piano is loaded and hauled by our crews under USDOT #4176875, not handed to a stranger who bid lowest that week.
Reassembly and placement
Legs, pedals, and the lyre go back on, the piano is set exactly where you want it, and the padding comes off.
Valuation coverage on every instrument
Piano shipments carry liability coverage by federal rule, with the option to raise it to Full Value Protection for a high-value instrument.
Why a piano needs specialty movers, not general labor
A piano concentrates several hundred pounds into a tall, top-heavy, awkward shape, and the way it is built decides how it has to be moved. Getting that wrong is how instruments and backs get broken.
Weight is the first fact. Upright pianos generally run 300 to 500 pounds, though large old uprights can top 700. A baby grand runs roughly 500 to 600 pounds, a full grand 600 to 1,300 pounds depending on length, and a 9-foot concert grand can reach 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. That range is why crew size is not fixed: 2 to 4 movers for most uprights, 4 or more for a grand, and more again when stairs are in the path.
Shape is the second. A grand cannot roll on its own three legs without stressing the frame, so the legs and pedal lyre come off and the body rides on its long straight side on a padded skid board. An upright stays vertical on a four-wheel piano dolly. Either way the keyboard lid is closed and locked, the case is blanket-wrapped, and straps carry the load, not fingertips.
Access is the third. A 32-inch doorway, a 90-degree hallway corner, or a flight of stairs changes the whole plan, and each stair is taken deliberately with the piano boarded and belted. We check all three, weight, shape, and access, before a single strap goes on.
Why choose Star Van Lines to move your piano
Plenty of outfits will quote a piano over the phone and show up with two people and a furniture dolly. That is how pianos get dropped. A Star Van Lines piano move rests on four things you can verify:
- Real federal authority. We operate under active interstate authority, USDOT #4176875 and MC #1607491. Look either number up on FMCSA SAFER at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov before you hire us, and hire no interstate carrier that will not give you both.
- Our own trained crews. The people who assess, board, and carry your piano work for Star Van Lines. We do not resell the job to a stranger, because the handoff is where a 700-pound instrument gets mishandled.
- The right equipment, every time. Piano boards, four-wheel dollies, heavy-duty lifting straps, ramps, and moving blankets are standard on the truck, sized to the instrument rather than improvised on arrival.
- A quote keyed to the real job. We price by piano type, weight class, and access, put it in writing, and do not spring surprise labor on you at the curb.
We have moved households and instruments in all 50 states since 2016 and hold a 240+ review history across public platforms. We keep that record by standing behind a written estimate.
How a Piano Movers and Piano Moving Company works, step by step
Assess and measure
We record the piano type and weight class, measure doorways, halls, and stairs, and put the price in writing before the date is set.
Plan the crew and route
We size the crew to the instrument, 2 to 4 for an upright and 4 or more for a grand, and confirm stairs, elevators, long carries, or a hoist if a doorway will not pass.
Prep and protect
Grand legs and pedals come off, the lid is closed and locked, the case is blanket-wrapped, and the piano is boarded and belted.
Load and transport
Your piano travels under our USDOT #4176875 authority, secured upright or on its skid board so it cannot shift in transit.
Place and reassemble
We carry it to the room you want, reattach the legs, pedals, and lyre, remove the padding, and check the finish with you.
How much does piano moving cost?
Piano moving is quoted by instrument, not by a flat rate, because a 350-pound upright on a ground floor and a 1,200-pound grand up two flights are not the same job. Four things set the price: the piano type and weight class, the distance, the access at both ends such as stairs, tight turns, doorway width, and elevator, and whether hoisting is needed when a piano will not fit through a door.
A local upright move with easy access sits at the low end; a grand with multiple staircases, or a long-distance interstate haul, sits higher. You receive a firm written quote after we see the piano and the path, not a number pulled from the air. Call (855) 822-2722 and we will walk your specific move with you.
How is a grand piano moved differently from an upright?
A grand is moved on its side; an upright is moved standing up. On a grand, the crew closes and locks the lid, unscrews the two or three legs and the pedal lyre, and lowers the body onto its long straight side on a padded skid board, where it is strapped down and rolled on the board's wheels. An upright keeps all four feet and rides vertically on a four-wheel piano dolly, blanket-wrapped, with straps holding it to the crew.
Baby grands from about 5 feet up to 9-foot concert grands all follow the grand method; the longer and heavier the instrument, the more hands it takes, which is why a concert grand near 1,000 to 1,200 pounds can call for a crew of five or more.
How do you handle stairs, tight turns, and doorways?
Stairs and turns are handled with the piano boarded, belted, and taken one controlled step at a time by a crew spaced along the load. Before the day, we measure every doorway and hallway, because a standard interior door is about 32 inches wide, roughly 30 inches of actual clear passage, and many uprights need most of that, and we plan the turn radius for hall corners and landings.
When a piano is too wide or too heavy for the stairs, or a doorway simply will not pass it, we plan a hoist through a window or over a balcony rather than force it. Every one of those calls is made at the assessment, not improvised while 500 pounds is balanced on a step.
What licensing and insurance protect a piano move?
Any mover crossing a state line with your piano must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and hold a USDOT number plus interstate operating authority, an MC number. Star Van Lines operates under USDOT #4176875 and MC #1607491, both searchable on the public FMCSA SAFER database at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
On valuation, federal rules give you two choices: Released Value Protection is included at no added charge but covers only 60 cents per pound per article, and Full Value Protection costs more and makes the mover responsible for repair or replacement value. For a high-value instrument, that difference matters, so we explain both in plain language before you sign and recommend Full Value Protection on any piano worth well above its weight in cents.
What happens on delivery day?
On delivery we carry the piano to the exact spot you want, reattach the legs, pedal lyre, and any hardware we removed, and take the padding off. We check the finish and the case with you against its condition at pickup. If anything shows damage, note it on the delivery paperwork at that moment, because that record starts any claim. Interstate rules give you up to 9 months to file a written loss or damage claim, and under FMCSA rules a licensed carrier must acknowledge it within 30 days.
One note that applies to every piano: it will usually need tuning after a move, because a change in location, humidity, and handling shifts the strings, so most technicians suggest letting it settle two to four weeks before that tuning.
Which pianos and settings do you move?
We move the full range of vertical and horizontal pianos: spinets around 36 inches tall, consoles, studio uprights around 45 to 48 inches, and full uprights over 50 inches, plus baby grands, parlor and semi-concert grands, and 9-foot concert grands. Settings run from a walk-up apartment to a two-story house, a church, a school band room, a recording studio, or a performance venue.
Player pianos and older cast-iron-frame uprights, which sit at the heavy end near 600 to 800 pounds, get the same board-and-strap treatment sized up for the weight.
Where do you move pianos?
We move pianos in all 50 states from our base in Vernon, California, both locally and on long-distance interstate corridors. A cross-town upright and a coast-to-coast grand are priced from their own inputs rather than a flat rate. Wherever the piano is going, our specialty service ties into local teams in hubs such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago, so one licensed company owns the job from lift to placement.
What our track record looks like
Star Van Lines has moved instruments and households in all 50 states since 2016 and carries a 240+ review history across public review platforms. We hold that record by staffing every piano move with our own trained crews, boarding and strapping the instrument the way its weight class requires, and carrying it under USDOT #4176875 and MC #1607491.
Frequently asked questions about Piano Movers and Piano Moving Company
How much does it cost to move a piano?
Piano moving is quoted by instrument and access, not a flat rate. The price is set by the piano type and weight class, the distance, the stairs and turns at both ends, and whether a hoist is needed. You receive a firm written quote after we see the piano and the path.
How many movers does it take to move a piano?
Most uprights are moved by 2 to 4 movers. A grand or concert grand usually takes 4 or more, and stairs add hands. We size the crew to the instrument and the access before the day.
How much does a piano weigh?
Upright pianos generally run 300 to 500 pounds, with large old uprights topping 700. A baby grand is roughly 500 to 600 pounds, a full grand 600 to 1,300 pounds, and a 9-foot concert grand can reach 1,000 to 1,200 pounds.
How do you move a grand piano?
The lid is closed and locked, the legs and pedal lyre are removed, and the body is lowered onto its long straight side on a padded skid board and strapped down. It then rolls on the board's wheels and is reassembled at the destination.
Can you move a piano up or down stairs?
Yes. Stairs are taken with the piano boarded and belted, one controlled step at a time by a crew spaced along the load. If a staircase or doorway will not pass the piano, we plan a hoist instead of forcing it.
Is my piano covered during the move?
Every interstate shipment carries valuation. Released Value Protection is included and covers 60 cents per pound per article, while Full Value Protection covers repair or replacement value for an added cost. We recommend Full Value Protection on a high-value instrument.
Do you move pianos across state lines?
Yes. We are a licensed interstate carrier operating under USDOT #4176875 and MC #1607491, and we move pianos locally and on long-distance corridors in all 50 states.
Will my piano need tuning after the move?
Usually yes. A move changes the piano's location, humidity, and handling, which shifts the strings, so most technicians suggest letting it settle two to four weeks and then tuning it.
How do I get a piano moving quote?
Call (855) 822-2722 or request a free quote online. We confirm the piano type, the access at both ends, and the distance, then put the estimate in writing.
Get your free piano moving quote
Tell us the piano type, the pickup and destination, and the stairs or turns at each end, and we will size the crew, match the equipment, and send a written quote.
One licensed company, our own trained crews, the right board and straps for the instrument.
Licensed interstate mover, USDOT #4176875, MC #1607491. Serving all 50 states, seven days a week.