Baby Grand vs. Grand vs. Upright: What Piano Movers Charge and Why

"How much does it cost to move a piano?" is the first question we get, and the honest answer is: it depends on more than just the piano. But since piano type is a real factor, here's how we think about pricing across the three main categories.

Upright pianos

Uprights include spinets (36–40" tall), consoles (40–43"), studios (44–47"), and full uprights (48"+). Weight ranges from about 300 pounds for a spinet to 800+ pounds for a full upright. Uprights are compact and easier to negotiate through doorways than grands, which usually makes them the least expensive category to move.

Where uprights get expensive is when they live upstairs or in a walk-up condo. A 700-pound old upright at the top of two flights in a historic Mission Hills home is not a two-person job.

Baby grands and grands

Baby grands typically run 4'11" to 5'6" and weigh 500–650 pounds. Full grands go up from there — a 6' grand is around 700 pounds, a 7' semi-concert is 800+, and a 9' concert grand can hit 1,000+ pounds. For a good primer on how sizes and models compare, Piano Buyer is the standard reference.

Grands require disassembly for transport: legs off, pedals detached, lyre wrapped, lid closed and secured. That disassembly and re-assembly time is what makes grands cost more to move than uprights of similar weight. It's also the reason grand moving really should be left to a piano specialist rather than a general moving crew.

What actually drives the price

In our experience, the four factors that move a quote up or down are, in order of impact:

1. Distance. A cross-town move in San Diego is very different from a scheduled long-distance move to the Bay Area or out of state.
2. Stairs and access. A ground-floor pickup and delivery with driveway access is the cheapest scenario. Two flights of stairs at both ends adds meaningful time and crew size.
3. Piano type and size. This is the piece most people focus on, but it usually matters less than access.
4. Timing. Same-day urgent moves during our busy season (summer, end of month) cost more than a scheduled weekday move.

What our quotes include

Every local piano moving quote from us includes: a piano-only crew (not general movers doubling as piano guys), padded and covered transport in a piano-configured truck, full disassembly and reassembly for grands, floor runners at both ends, and full valuation coverage. We don't tack on fuel surcharges or "long carry" fees mid-job — the quote is the quote.

What you should ask any piano mover

Beyond price, three questions separate specialists from generalists:

• Do you have piano boards and skids on the truck, or just moving blankets?
• Is the crew moving my piano the same crew moving furniture for another customer today, or are you piano-only?
• What's your process for stairs, and do you subcontract that?

What about organs?

If you have a Hammond, a home console organ, or a church organ, that's a separate conversation — see our page on organ moving. Organs are heavier per cubic foot than pianos and come apart differently.

Get a quote for your specific piano

Give us a call or request a free quote online. Tell us the make, model, and size if you know it, plus the access at both ends, and we'll usually give you a firm number the same day.