Upright and Grand Piano Moving Done the Right Way
A piano is one of the heaviest things in a house and one of the most delicate at the same time. 1st Step Movers are piano movers in Pittsburgh, the South Hills and all of Washington County, moving uprights, consoles, spinets, baby grands and grands across the room, across town or across the state.
Most of the weight in an upright sits high in the cast iron plate and the back, so it wants to tip toward its back. A grand is long, low and balanced on three legs that were never made to carry it across a floor. Either way, the risk is not the drive. It is the first doorway, the porch steps and the turn at the bottom of the basement stairs.
Moving a piano safely takes the right crew size, the right equipment and a plan for the stairs, the doorways and the turns before anyone lifts it. That is what we bring. We are licensed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission as a household goods mover, registered with FMCSA for interstate moves, and insured. Questions before you book? Call us at (724) 986-9287.
We move pianos on their own or as part of a full local move around Pittsburgh and Washington County. Every piano is wrapped in moving blankets, strapped to a padded piano board and rolled on dollies, never dragged on its own small casters. Your floors, railings and door frames are protected on the way in and out.
A lot of our piano jobs are not whole house moves at all. People call us to pick up a used piano they bought from a private seller, to bring a family piano home from an estate, to shift a piano to another room so new flooring can go in, or to carry an old piano out for good.
Getting a quote is easy. Request a free piano moving quote and tell us the type of piano, the steps and tight turns at each home and both addresses. A photo of the piano and the path out of the house helps us plan the right crew.
How a Piano Move Works
Every piano move follows the same four steps, planned around your piano and your home. The planning happens before move day, so the lifting goes smoothly.
- Tell Us About the Piano: The type and size, how many steps and turns at each home, both addresses and a photo if you have one. Mention narrow doors, a steep driveway or a long walk from the curb.
- We Plan the Move: We match the crew and equipment to the piano and the stairs, and set a date Monday through Saturday. For a grand we also plan where the legs come off and go back on.
- Wrap, Strap and Move: Blankets, a padded piano board, straps and dollies, with floors and door frames protected. The piano is strapped upright against the truck wall so it cannot shift on the road.
- Set in Place: Placed where you want it, with grand piano legs, lyre and lid put back on. We set it level and away from the path of the door before we leave.
Why Hire Local Piano Movers From Washington County?
Most piano damage happens on stairs, porch steps and tight turns, not on the road. Around here that means hillside driveways, split levels, basement stairs and narrow city row houses. Our crews move heavy pieces through homes like these every week, and we plan for every step and landing before move day.
A grand piano needs more than muscle. We take off the legs, pedal lyre and lid, set the piano on its side on a padded piano board, and put it all back together in its new spot. Uprights stay upright the whole way and are never laid on their backs.
Weather matters too. In winter the piano stays wrapped until it is inside. We bring the same care to gun safes and other heavy items, and our guide to safely moving pianos, safes and other heavy items explains why the right gear matters.
Licensed and Insured
PA PUC licensed, FMCSA registered and insured on every piano move.
The Right Equipment
Piano boards, straps, dollies and blankets, never a furniture dolly alone.
Careful With Your Home
Floors, railings and door frames protected from the first step to the last.
Upright and Grand Piano Moving
Upright, Console and Spinet
The most common home pianos, tall and top heavy, moved upright on a board and dollies with the keyboard lid closed.
Baby Grand and Grand Pianos
Legs, lyre and lid removed, moved on its side on a padded piano board and reassembled on arrival.
Stairs and Basements
Up or down stairs, porch steps, split levels and steep driveways, planned step by step with enough hands on every landing.
Used and Antique Pianos
Pickups from private sellers and estates, plus antique pianos, player pianos and organs wrapped with extra care.
Piano Removal
An old piano you no longer want, carried out of the house and hauled away for you.
Pianos in a Full Move
Planned into your local or long distance move, across Pennsylvania or out of state, wrapped and secured.
Customer Reviews
- Locally owned in Washington County
- PA PUC certified mover
Google Review
Excellent service! First time ever using a moving company! They did an excellent job! Took good care of our piano! Definitely recommend!
Google Review
We needed a few hours of help to swap furnishings for a few rooms from upstairs to downstairs. Mike and Cory were professional, courteous and very careful.
Google Review
I have had 3 moves now with Jason & 1st Step Movers. The first was over a year ago for the movement of oversized furniture within my home.
Google Review
The crew did an excellent job. Very careful about not damaging anything in the process. The driver was great in backing into a very tight spot.
Google Review
Jason and his crew helped me with a local move and also helped move some large furniture. They were very careful with my belongings and the premises.
Google Review
They carefully wrapped furniture and laid down protective floor covers in my apartment which was a meaningful touch.
Piano Moving FAQ
Answers to the questions people ask before hiring piano movers in Pittsburgh and Washington County.
It depends on the type and size of the piano, how many steps and tight turns there are at each home, the distance between addresses and whether the piano is part of a full move. A spinet on a ground floor is a very different job than a grand going down to a basement. Tell us about your piano, send a photo if you can, and we will give you a free quote.
Spinets and consoles are roughly 300 to 500 pounds, full size uprights roughly 500 to 800, and grand pianos from about 500 pounds to well over 1,000 for larger models. That weight sits high and off center, which is why pianos need a trained crew and a piano board rather than a few strong friends.
Yes. We count the steps, landings and turns when we quote, and bring the crew size and equipment the stairs need. Going down is the riskier direction because the weight wants to run away from you which is why we control the piano on every step with a padded board and straps. Basements, porch steps and split levels are all part of the job around here.
Yes. We remove the legs, pedal lyre and lid, set the piano on its side on a padded piano board, move it, and put it back together where you want it. Measure the doorways on the way in; a grand on its side usually fits through a standard door that the assembled piano never could.
Do not roll it across the floor on its own small casters, lift it by the legs, lid or keyboard, or put it on a regular furniture dolly. Never try stairs without enough people and a piano board. Most injuries and damage happen in those moments.
For anything beyond a few feet on one level floor, yes. A piano is heavy, top heavy and easy to scratch, and the instrument inside can be knocked out of adjustment by a hard bump. Hiring a crew with a piano board, straps and dollies takes one phone call, and it is far easier than dealing with a dropped piano or a hurt back.
Make the job simple. Clear a wide path from the piano to the door, take down anything on the walls along the way, have parking ready close to the entrance and tell us about every step up front. If you are already moving, adding the piano to your full move is usually easier than booking it on its own. Our minimum is 3 hours, travel time included, Monday to Saturday.
Usually, yes. Moving and changes in temperature and humidity shift the tuning. Let the piano settle in its new room for a couple of weeks, then call your tuner, and keep it away from heat vents, fireplaces and outside doors.
Yes. We pick up pianos from private sellers, estates and family homes and deliver them to you. Before you pay, ask the seller about the steps and doorways at their home and get a photo of the path out, so we can plan the right crew for both ends of the move.
Yes. If you have a piano you no longer want, we carry it out of your home and haul it away as part of our junk removal service. Old pianos are some of the hardest things to get out of a house, so this is a common call for us.
Yes. We move pianos across Pennsylvania and to other states as part of our long distance moving service. The piano is wrapped, strapped to the truck wall and placed in your new home the same way it would be on a local move.
At least a week ahead is best, and more around the end of the month when moves stack up. We move Monday through Saturday and fit in last minute piano moves whenever the schedule allows, so call even if your date is close.