Short answer
A piano removalist specifically. An upright is heavy and top-heavy, a grand has to be partly dismantled and moved on its side on a purpose-built board, and the damage from doing it wrong is often internal rather than visible. Many general removalists will either decline or subcontract it, and it is better to know which before the day.
When it is someone else
Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Removalist.
a piano tuner
afterwards. Any piano needs tuning after a move, and it is usually recommended to let it settle in the new environment for a few weeks first.
What to do before anyone arrives
- Measure everything: the instrument, every doorway, the stairs, the turns, and the truck's access.
- Find out what it is worth and whether your contents insurance covers it in transit. High-value instruments often need to be specified.
- Photograph it from all sides, including the case and the legs, before it moves.
- Note stairs and their turns. A straight run and a dog-leg are very different jobs.
What to ask when you book
- Have you moved this type before, and what equipment do you use?
- What is your insurance cover for the instrument specifically, and what is the limit?
- How many people are coming?
- Do you recommend a tuner and when should I book them?
What changes the price
No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.
- Type — upright, baby grand or concert grand.
- Stairs, turns and doorways at both ends.
- Distance.
- Whether specialist equipment or additional crew is needed.
What you can do yourself
Is this licensed work?
Not licensed. Specialist equipment and experience are the distinguishing factors, along with adequate insurance for the instrument's value.
There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.
- NSWNSW Fair Tradingbuilders, electricians, plumbers and specialist trades
- VICBuilding and Plumbing Commission, and Energy Safe Victoria for electricalbuilding practitioners and plumbers; electricians are Energy Safe Victoria
- QLDQueensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)building and most trade contractor licences
- WABuilding and Energybuilders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters
- SAConsumer and Business Servicesbuilding work contractors and supervisors
- TASConsumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)building and occupational licences
- ACTAccess Canberraconstruction occupations licensing
- NTNT Government building practitioner registrationbuilding practitioners and electrical workers
Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.
Common questions
- Who should I hire for a piano to move
- A piano removalist specifically. An upright is heavy and top-heavy, a grand has to be partly dismantled and moved on its side on a purpose-built board, and the damage from doing it wrong is often internal rather than visible. Many general removalists will either decline or subcontract it, and it is better to know which before the day.
- Will moving a piano put it out of tune?
- Almost always, though less because of the journey than because of the change in temperature and humidity at the new location. That is also why the usual advice is to wait a few weeks before tuning — tuning it the day it arrives means tuning it again once it has acclimatised.
Find a Removalist near you
1,234 removalists in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.
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General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.