How to move a grand piano without damaging it

Edited by the PianoSpeed moving team · Last verified 27 June 2026

A grand piano is moved on its side, on a padded board, not upright on its legs. The legs and the lyre are removed first, the lid is closed and secured, and the case is wrapped before it leaves the room. This is the part most people get wrong, and it is the part that breaks a leg or a pedal. The weight is real but predictable, and the risk is almost entirely about turns, doorways and stairs rather than the lift itself.

Measure the narrowest point on the route before anything moves. A standard upright is around 150kg and a concert grand can pass 450kg, so the question is never whether it can be lifted but whether it can be turned. Stairs are always chargeable because they add time and people, and the cost is set from the floor it sits on and whether there is a lift. Ask for that in writing before the day.

If the piano is treasured rather than valuable, say so. A careful firm will plan the route around the instrument, not the other way round.