How to Move a Piano Safely

Pianos punish improvisation. Their weight is concentrated, their centres of gravity are awkward, and the inside — strings, soundboard, action — is as sensitive as the outside is bulky. Whether yours is a spinet, an upright, or a grand, the moving method is the same in outline: measure first, prepare the instrument, move it on the right equipment, and let it settle afterwards.

Measure everything before moving day

The piano itself is rarely the problem — the route is. Measure doorways, hallway turns, stair widths, and landings at both homes. An upright that fit through the front door of a Barrhaven home may not clear a tight Glebe turn. Condo moves add elevator dimensions to the list. Tell your mover the measurements when you book; surprises on moving day are how pianos (and stairwell walls) get damaged.

Uprights vs. grands: different animals

Uprights move as one unit: keyboard cover locked or taped, the whole instrument padded, then strapped to a piano board and dolly. Grands are a bigger operation — the lid, pedal lyre, and legs come off, the body is padded and strapped on its side to a piano board, and legs and hardware travel separately in labelled bags. Disassembly is precision work, not brute force, which is why grands are professional territory.

Preparing the instrument

Close and latch the fallboard over the keys; tape it if the latch is weak. Remove music, lamps, and anything sitting on top (you would be surprised). Wrap the piano fully in moving pads — the finish is the first casualty of a doorway brush. Pedals get protected too. If you are packing other breakables the same week, the same 'no air, no contact' thinking applies — see our fragile items guide.

The equipment that makes it safe

A piano board (also called a skid) distributes the weight and gives straps something to grab. A heavy-duty, purpose-built dolly rolls it — never drag a piano on its own casters, which are decorative, not structural. Stairs mean ramps, straps, and a crew sized for the weight, with one person calling every move. This is the same reason truck size matters: a piano loads first and rides secured, never as an afterthought.

After the move: settle, then tune

A moved piano needs to acclimatize. Changes in temperature and humidity — especially in an Ottawa winter move — plus the simple jostling of transport will pull it out of tune. Give it a few weeks in its new room to settle before booking a tuner, and keep it away from exterior walls, vents, and direct sun where possible.

DIY or hire it out?

Be honest about the route. An upright across a flat, wide-open main floor with four strong adults is physically possible — and people still get hurt and pianos still get dropped doing it. Stairs, turns, grands, or a valuable instrument: hire it. When you get a quote, mention the piano up front so the right crew and equipment show up the first time — that is standard practice for us.

Pianos and storage between homes

Closing dates that don't line up raise a fair question: can a piano wait in storage? Yes — provided it's stored the way it was moved: fully padded, upright for uprights, boarded for grands, in a clean, dry, indoor facility rather than a damp garage. Tell the storage provider it's a piano when you book so it's placed in an accessible, protected spot rather than behind two rooms of furniture. Our St. Laurent facility handles exactly this during move-plus-storage jobs.

Frequently asked questions