All services
Local Moving
Long-Distance Moving
Commercial Moving
Apartment Movers
Piano Moving
Packing & Storage
Service areas
How It Works
Reviews
About LD Movers
Contact
Site assessment
Doorway widths, stair turns, and thresholds measured before the crew is sized and scheduled.
Piano Movers - Uprights, Grands, and Specialty Items
Pianos, safes, pool tables, and antiques moved with the right equipment and crew size rather than improvised on the day.
Specialty moving
Specialty Items Need Equipment, Not Optimism
A grand piano is not a heavy sofa. It needs a board, skids, straps, and a crew that has done it before.
Most piano damage happens because a crew tried to move it like furniture. An upright can weigh 500 pounds and a concert grand well over 1,000, with the weight distributed unevenly across a frame that does not tolerate being tipped.
We move grands on a piano board: the lid is closed and locked, legs and pedal lyre are removed and wrapped separately, the body is padded and strapped to the board, and the whole assembly moves on a skid. Uprights are wrapped, strapped, and moved upright on a dedicated dolly.
The same discipline applies to gun safes, pool tables, marble tops, and oversized artwork. Each gets a purpose-built plan, the right crew size, and crating when the item warrants it.
What is included
Every Specialty Move Includes
Correct equipment
Piano boards, skid boards, four-wheel dollies, stair-climbing equipment, and ratchet straps.
Protective wrapping
Quilted padding on every surface, with legs, lyres, and hardware removed and wrapped separately.
Right-sized crew
Three to five movers depending on instrument type, floor, and access - never a two-person guess.
Custom crating
Wooden crates for artwork, marble, and antiques that should not travel padded alone.
Placement
The item is set exactly where you want it and reassembled before the crew leaves.
How it works
How a Piano or Specialty Move Runs
Measured, planned, and crewed before anyone touches the instrument.
1. Assessment
We collect the make, model, and type, then measure the route: doorways, stair turns, landings, and thresholds.
2. Plan and crew
Equipment and crew size are set from the assessment. A grand down a turned staircase is not the same job as an upright on one level.
3. Prepare the instrument
The lid is closed and locked, pedals and legs removed where applicable, and every surface is padded.
4. Secure and move
The instrument is strapped to a board or dolly and moved along the planned route with spotters at each turn.
5. Transport
It travels secured upright against the truck wall, isolated from other freight, with straps checked before departure.
6. Place and reassemble
Legs, lyre, and hardware are refitted, the instrument is positioned, and padding is removed on site.
Pricing
What Specialty Moving Costs
Specialty items are quoted individually because the drivers are physical rather than volumetric: instrument type, floor, stair turns, and whether a crane or hoist is required.
A piano moved as part of a larger household relocation is usually cheaper than a standalone booking, because the crew and truck are already scheduled.
- Instrument type - spinet, console, upright, baby grand, or concert grand - sets the base crew size.
- Stairs and turns add crew and time; a straight ground-floor route is the cheapest case.
- Crating is priced separately and is recommended for artwork, marble, and fragile antiques.
- Standalone specialty jobs carry a minimum; bundling with a full move reduces cost.
- Tuning after the move is recommended and is not included in the moving quote.
Before move day
How to Prepare and What to Ask Before You Book
The difference between a smooth move and an expensive one is usually settled weeks before the truck arrives. Get the paperwork right, be honest about access, and confirm what is actually included in the price you were quoted.
Ask any mover for their USDOT number and verify it. A legitimate interstate carrier is registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and you can look up their licensing and insurance status in a few minutes. Be cautious with any company that will not give you a written estimate, demands a large cash deposit up front, or refuses to survey your inventory before quoting a price.
Be specific about access at both ends. Stairs, elevator reservations, long carries from the truck to the door, low-clearance garages, and narrow streets all change the crew size and the hours required. An access detail you leave out is the single most common reason a job runs past its estimate.
- Confirm the estimate is binding or binding-not-to-exceed, not a non-binding guess.
- Verify the USDOT number and insurance before you pay a deposit.
- Declare stairs, elevators, and parking limits at both origin and destination.
- Decide on valuation coverage: released value is free but pays only 60 cents per pound.
- Set aside documents, medication, keys, and valuables to move yourself.
- Photograph high-value and fragile items before they are wrapped.
- Confirm who signs for delivery if you cannot be there in person.
Licensing and protection
Licensed, Insured, and Accountable
Any company moving household goods across a state line is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and must hold an active USDOT number and operating authority. LD Movers holds both, carries cargo and liability coverage, and provides certificates of insurance for buildings that require one before move day.
How valuation coverage works
Valuation is not the same thing as insurance, and the difference surprises people at claim time. Every interstate shipment includes released value protection at no charge, which pays 60 cents per pound per article. On a 40-pound flat-screen television that comes to $24 regardless of what you paid for it.
Full value protection is the alternative. Under it, the carrier is liable for the replacement value of a lost or damaged item, and repairs, replaces, or pays out accordingly. It costs more and usually carries a deductible option, and on a full household shipment it is almost always the right call. Your coordinator walks through both options before you sign anything.
If something goes wrong
Note any damage on the inventory sheet at delivery before the driver leaves - that document is the basis of a claim. You have nine months from delivery to file, and carriers must acknowledge a claim within 30 days and resolve it within 120. We would rather fix a problem than argue about one, and our claims contact is the same coordinator you have worked with from the start.
Choosing a mover
How to Vet Long-Distance Movers for Your Move
Searching for movers near me returns a mix of licensed carriers, brokers who resell your job, and outright scams. A few checks separate them quickly.
- Verify the license. Every interstate mover must hold an active USDOT and MC number. Look it up on the FMCSA site and confirm the company name matches the one on your estimate.
- Ask carrier or broker. Brokers sell your move to whichever carrier bids lowest, which is how people end up with a crew they never vetted. LD Movers operates its own trucks and crews.
- Insist on an inventory. A written estimate without a walkthrough is a guess, and guesses get revised upward on move day once your goods are already on the truck.
- Read the valuation terms. Released value coverage is included by default and pays only 60 cents per pound - about $60 for a 100-pound television. Full value protection costs more and is worth it on a household shipment.
- Refuse large cash deposits. A reasonable deposit is a small percentage. Demands for a large sum up front, especially in cash or by wire, are the most reliable warning sign there is.
- Get the delivery window in writing. Reputable carriers commit to a spread of days and explain what happens if they miss it.
LD Movers is licensed and insured for interstate household moves, holds a 4.9-star average across 212 verified reviews, and quotes from a real inventory every time. You will speak to the same coordinator from estimate through delivery.
FAQ
Piano Movers FAQ
Do you move grand pianos?
Yes. Grands move on a piano board with the legs and lyre removed and wrapped separately, handled by a crew sized to the instrument and the route.
Will my piano need tuning after the move?
Almost certainly. Any change in position, temperature, or humidity affects tuning. Wait two to four weeks after delivery so the instrument settles first.
Can you get a piano down a turned staircase?
In most cases yes, after we measure the turns and landings. Where a staircase genuinely will not take it, we will tell you before booking rather than on the day.
Do you move gun safes and pool tables?
Yes. Safes, pool tables, marble tops, and oversized artwork are handled by the same specialty crews with equipment sized to the item.
Is my piano insured during the move?
Released value protection is included at no charge. Full value protection is strongly recommended for instruments and is quoted on request.
Related services
Other Ways We Can Help
One coordinator handles every service on your move, so you are not managing multiple vendors when dates or access rules change.
Local Moving
Same-metro moves billed hourly with crews, truck, and materials included.
Long-Distance Movers
Interstate relocations to all 50 states priced by weight and distance.
Commercial Movers
Business relocations scheduled around your operating hours.
Apartment Movers
Walk-ups, high-rises, elevator windows, and building paperwork.
Office Movers
Corporate moves with floor-plan labeling and workstation rebuild.
Packing & Storage
Full or partial packing plus secure short and long-term storage.
Ready to move?
Get Your Free Moving Estimate
Tell us about your upcoming move. A senior moving advisor responds within 24 hours with clear pricing and next steps.