The Best Piano Movers

With 70-plus years of experience, Atlas Van Lines has moved its fair share of pianos. The company has built a strong nationwide partner network of more than 400 local agents, and in addition to moving your piano, the company can also help you move your cars and your entire household. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving down the street, across states, or to a different country—Atlas can transport your items safely and securely.

To get a binding quote, you need to speak to a representative, but you don’t need to put down a deposit to secure your moving date. An online customer portal grants you access to a shipment tracking service and other perks, including online payments, claim forms, and a profile of the person who will be driving your belongings. Because Atlas relies on a network of nationwide partners, there may be some discrepancy in the quality of service, depending on your starting location. That said, Atlas strives to deliver the best moving experience to all its customers and will work with you to rectify any problems that may arise.

Once you book a piano move with JK Moving Services, you can be sure the team that shows up at your house will be professionals with a plan. Before doing any moving, they’ll inspect your piano to note its pre-move condition and will determine the best way to get it out of your home and into the new location. Depending on the type of piano you own, they may disassemble the legs and pedal extensions before wrapping it in pads and cellophane. The company can send up to six movers to your home, depending on the type of piano you have, its weight, the presence of stairs, and the distance between your home and the moving truck.

Keep in mind that you need to call JK to get a quote and that you’ll have to put down a $250 deposit to secure your moving date. Once your belongings are loaded, you can track the truck’s location in real time. While the company can help you move anywhere in the country or abroad, local moves are limited to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Relocating across an ocean with your piano and all your other belongings can easily become a stressful event, but United Van Lines can help make that transition as smooth as possible. A move manager will serve as the point of contact between you and the company, counseling you on all the proper customs forms and making sure your move proceeds without any issues. It’s important to note that the company won’t move your piano by itself; it will only do so as part of a household move.

To get a quote, you have to call the company and go through a virtual assessment. For international moves, the quote includes packing services for all your belongings. It also includes full valuation coverage, which, although not insurance, is a safeguard against the loss of or damage to any items incurred during the move. You can buy additional protection for an extra fee. Be advised that any items worth more than $100 must be listed on a separate form for valuation coverage.

Moving a piano is generally an expensive matter, but you may find a good deal working with Wheaton World Wide Moving. The company boasts a broad discount program that includes special pricing for members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and customers of real estate company RE/MAX, among many other categories. Wheaton also offers moving discounts throughout the year, and its sales agents are usually willing to work within your budget.

The company’s experts have performed countless piano moves and can move anything from a console to a full-size grand piano. They’re equipped to disassemble and wrap your piano with padded tarps and other protective material to ensure it’s transported securely. While your instrument is en route to your new home, you can follow its movements with the company’s online shipment tracking tool. Be advised that long-distance moves require an upfront deposit to secure your moving date. Wheaton World Wide Moving states it has an “unyielding commitment to quality” and customer satisfaction, so it will do its best to provide you with an optimal moving experience and to solve any issues that may arise.

Mayflower is a sister company of United Van Lines, and as such, many of their services and policies overlap. In this case, just like United, Mayflower won’t move a piano by itself but can do so as part of a household move. That said, the company has a large network of agents across the country that provide service in almost every state and can help you relocate to your new home.

To get a quote from Mayflower, you must call the company and go through an in-person or virtual home assessment. You don’t need to put down a deposit to secure your moving date. Keep in mind that Mayflower offers customizable moving packages that you can adapt to your budget and needs. This includes full packing services and additional coverage for your property. In the case of pianos, Mayflower doesn’t have a maximum weight limit, but it does have a minimum weight of 500 pounds.

If you need to move your piano locally within the continental U.S., American Van Lines can dispatch its expert team to handle the task for you. The company takes pride in its certified movers, who are trained in the proper techniques to disassemble and reassemble all types of pianos. The company will move any piano, regardless of weight, and you can book the move independently; it doesn’t have to be part of a household move.

American Van Lines also performs antique and fine art moving, as well as household, military, and commercial moves. To get a quote, you have to speak to a representative and provide details about your piano, including but not limited to: type, weight, location it’s being moved to, and whether there are any stairs or elevators in either property. You can keep track of your shipment with American Van Lines’ online tracking service. Be aware that you’ll have to pay a deposit to book American’s services and that binding estimates may increase in the final bill if the company moves things not listed in your quote.

“Piano moving is an art that requires creativity and finesse,” Modern Piano Moving writes on its website. The company states that it will never turn down a job because it’s difficult, which makes it the perfect choice to handle any custom requests. It doesn’t matter if the only way to get your piano out is through a second-story window—Modern Piano Moving has done it before. Throw your most difficult task at them, and the experienced staff will find a way to get it done. An added benefit: Modern Piano Moving is the only company in our roundup that uses climate-controlled vehicles to ensure minimum disruption to your piano’s inner mechanisms during transit.

You can get a ballpark estimate of the company’s quote by filling out a short form online. Prices vary depending on size, distance, urgency, and other factors, such as stairs and elevators. Moving a large upright piano from Brooklyn to Boston, about 200 miles, could cost you upward of $1,000. The quote includes a two-man team and the standard valuation coverage, which you can increase if you choose. Be mindful that no matter which valuation you purchase, the company doesn’t cover damage to internal components. It also doesn’t do moves of less than 200 miles, though it does maintain a directory of recommended local moving companies.