Who do I contact to move my piano?
There are two well-established piano moving companies here in Southern Maine: The Piano Movers of Maine (207-939-3018) and Starbird Piano (207-775-2733), both of which are based in Portland. Both, in my experience, are willing to travel pretty far.
Pricing for piano moving is quite variable, and you should have the following information ready: The location the piano is moving from and to; The number of steps at both locations; The size of the piano (length for a grand or height for an upright).
If you need an especially long-distance move between states, reach out to Piano Movers Inc. They service all of New England.
Do I really need a professional mover?
Pianos weigh many hundreds of pounds (about 400 for the smallest spinets and 1200 for the largest grands). They can also move unpredictably because of their often dramatically uneven weight distribution. Although moving a piano poorly could damage it, the real risk is to the people and the environment. On a flight of stairs, a piano can quickly transform into an unstoppable battering ram, leaving a path of devastation behind it.
The typical rule of thumb is to call a professional if either you’re moving a grand piano, or if you’re moving an upright and more than three stairs are involved at either location.
Can I just use a regular moving company?
Typical household movers don’t have adequate experience taking pianos apart and putting them back together. They might be able to move an upright, but grands are another matter altogether. I regularly have to reinstall pedal lyres that were improperly installed by movers. I’ve also cleaned up after several piano drops (one of which trapped a person). These are nightmare experiences for everybody involved. These are typically caused by the piano moving in a way the mover didn’t expect, given their uneven weight distribution. If at all possible, choose somebody with substantial experience moving pianos!
I once was called in to help “experienced piano movers” remove the legs from a Steinway. They couldn’t figure out how they came off! I won’t name the company, but it was a large, local moving firm, and they’d begun attempting to remove the bolts holding the key bed to the rest of the cabinet when I arrived. If they’d succeeded, it would have been quite the insurance claim!