Piano Movers in Bellevue, WA
An upright weighs as much as three people and carries most of that weight high and at the back. A grand has to come apart before it fits through a door. Neither is hard to move with the right board, straps and headcount, and both are easy to wreck without them.
Typical Bellevue range: $300 to $600 for an upright, $450 to $1,200 for a baby grand or grand. Stairs and tight turns are priced per flight.
- Service
- Piano and heavy-item moves
- Instruments
- Spinet to concert grand
- Also moved
- Safes, pool tables, treadmills
- Priced by
- Type, stairs and distance
How do piano movers move a piano?
The order on a grand matters. The lyre comes off first. Then the left front leg is removed while two movers hold that corner, and the piano is lowered onto the padded board on its straight side. The remaining two legs come off once the weight is on the board. Reverse it at the other end. Nobody ever lifts a grand by its legs or its lid.
The kit a piano crew brings:
- Skid board. A padded plank the length of the instrument, with strap slots, that takes the weight on stairs.
- Four-wheel dolly with rubber casters. The piano's own casters are decorative and will gouge a hardwood floor.
- Ratchet straps and hump straps. One set ties the piano to the board, the other lets two movers share the load on a staircase.
- Pads, stretch wrap and floor runners. The finish is wrapped before the instrument moves an inch.
How much do piano movers cost in Bellevue, WA?
Three details set the price: the type and size of the piano, the number of steps at each end, and the distance between addresses. Send a photo of the piano, the maker's name, and a photo of every staircase and tight corner on the route. A split-level in Lake Hills with seven steps and a turn is a different job from a rambler with a level front walk.
| Instrument or item | Typical range | Approximate weight and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spinet or console upright | $300 – $450 | 300 to 450 lb, two or three movers |
| Studio or full upright | $350 – $600 | 400 to 800 lb, three movers |
| Baby grand, up to about 5 ft 6 in | $450 – $900 | 500 to 650 lb, legs and lyre removed |
| Grand, 6 to 7 ft | $700 – $1,200 | 650 to 900 lb, three or four movers |
| Concert grand, 9 ft | $1,000 – $1,500 | About 1,000 lb, four movers |
| Stairs, per flight | $40 – $100 | More for turns and landings |
| Gun safe, 500 to 1,000 lb | $300 – $900 | Appliance dolly or stair climber |
Ranges are typical for Bellevue and the Eastside, not a quote. Your price comes as a written estimate.
Can you move a piano yourself?
General household movers handle uprights every week and are a fair choice for one at ground level. For a grand, a player piano, or more than a few steps, ask whether the crew has a skid board and has moved that type before. That question sorts the field quickly.
| Factor | Piano movers | General household movers | Do it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Skid board, piano dolly, hump straps | Dolly and straps, sometimes a board | Whatever the rental yard has |
| Grand pianos | Yes, disassembled properly | Sometimes | No |
| Stairs and landings | Yes | A few steps | Not advised |
| Damage coverage | Valuation on the instrument | Valuation, often by the pound | None |
| Typical cost, upright | $300 – $600 | Hourly rate, two-hour minimum | $60 – $150 in rentals |
| Best for | Grands, stairs, valuable instruments | Uprights at ground level | Nothing above a spinet |
What other heavy items need specialty movers?
A slate pool table is taken apart completely: pockets, rails, felt, then the three slate slabs, which weigh 150 to 250 pounds apiece. It is rebuilt and leveled at the new house, and the felt is usually replaced. A grandfather clock has its weights and pendulum removed and packed separately, or the movement is damaged on the first bump.
Safes are about the floor as much as the lift. A 900-pound safe on a dolly puts a great deal of load on four small wheels, so plywood or hardboard sheets are laid over tile and hardwood first. Tell the estimator the safe's weight from the label inside the door, and whether it sits in a basement.
Treadmills fold, but the deck is heavy and awkward on stairs. Marble and granite tops are carried on edge, never flat, because they snap under their own weight.
Does a piano need tuning after it is moved?
Western Washington's damp winters and dry, heated interiors pull a soundboard in both directions. Place the piano on an interior wall, away from heating vents, fireplaces, exterior doors and direct afternoon sun. A room that holds steady near 45 percent relative humidity keeps a tuning longest.
On a wet day the instrument is wrapped in pads and stretch film before it leaves the house, and the truck is backed to the door. A few minutes of drizzle on a wrapped piano does no harm. Water on bare keys or inside the case does.
Moving the rest of the house too? One crew can do both on the same day: see local movers in Bellevue. A piano going to another state travels with the household shipment, covered on the long-distance movers page. Typical prices for every service are on the movers in Bellevue home page.
What else do people ask piano movers in Bellevue?
How much does a piano weigh?
A spinet or console upright weighs 300 to 450 pounds, a studio or full upright 400 to 800, a baby grand 500 to 650, and a 9-foot concert grand about 1,000. The cast iron plate inside accounts for much of it, which is why the weight sits toward the back.
Can piano movers near me take a piano up or down stairs?
Yes. The piano is strapped to a skid board and slid one step at a time with movers above and below. Send photos of the staircase and measure the narrowest point, including any landing where the piano has to turn.
Can you move a piano from one room to another in the same house?
Yes. In-home moves are common before new flooring or a remodel. Uprights are rolled on a piano dolly over floor protection. A grand going through a doorway still has to come off its legs.
What if the piano will not fit through the door?
Measure first: most uprights are 24 to 28 inches deep and pass a standard 30-inch interior door. When a staircase or hallway will not allow it, the options are removing a door and its trim, or a hoist through a window or over a deck, which is quoted separately.
Other moving services in Bellevue
Have a move date in mind?
(425) 696-1428Say where you are moving from and to, how many rooms, and anything heavy or awkward. You get a written estimate before you commit to a date. Prefer not to talk? Text the details and a few photos.