Two Chicks Moving | Serving Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Estero & Bonita Springs | Published October 6, 2026
A piano is the one item on a move that can hurt someone, damage a floor, and lose its tune all in the same trip. It is heavy, top-heavy, and full of parts that do not like being tipped or bumped, and the hardest part is usually not the drive but the last twenty feet: the front step, the doorway, the turn into the living room. As a mover in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Estero, and Bonita Springs, our crews wrap and move pianos regularly as part of local moves. Here is how to move a piano safely, what it takes for each type, and when it makes sense to call a crew.
The Short Answer: How to Move a Piano
- Measure the route. Measure the piano and every doorway, hallway, and turn between it and the truck.
- Gather the right equipment. A piano dolly, a piano board for grands, straps, and thick moving blankets.
- Protect the piano. Close and lock the keyboard lid, then wrap the case in blankets and tape or shrink-wrap over them.
- Remove legs and lid on a grand. Take off the lid, lyre, and legs, and set the body on its straight side on a padded piano board.
- Move it with enough people. At least two people for small uprights and three or four for full uprights and grands, lifting with the legs.
- Let it settle, then tune it. Give the piano two to four weeks in its new room before you book a tuning.
Start With Your Piano Type
How you move a piano depends almost entirely on what kind it is. Pick yours to see its typical weight, the crew it needs, and how it travels.
Uprights move standing up on a piano dolly. Grands have their legs, lyre, and lid removed and travel on their straight side on a padded piano board. Small uprights need two people; full uprights and baby grands need three; full grands need four.
typical weight
people to move it
| Piano type | Size | Typical weight | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinet upright | about 36 inches tall | 300 to 400 lb | 2 people |
| Console upright | about 40 to 43 inches tall | 350 to 450 lb | 2 people |
| Studio upright | about 45 to 48 inches tall | 400 to 500 lb | 3 people |
| Full-size upright | about 48 to 60 inches tall | 500 to 800 lb | 3 people |
| Baby grand | about 5 feet long | 500 to 650 lb | 3 people |
| Grand piano | about 6 to 7 feet long | 650 to 1,000 lb or more | 4 people |
Weights vary by maker and age; older uprights with heavy cast-iron plates often sit at the top of the range.
How to Move an Upright Piano vs. a Grand Piano
Moving an upright piano
- Close and lock the keyboard lid, or tape it shut with painter's tape.
- Wrap the whole case in moving blankets and secure them with tape or shrink-wrap.
- Tilt the piano just enough to slide a piano dolly under it, with one person on each end.
- Roll it keeping it upright, never on its back, with a person guiding each side.
- Use a ramp or a stair-climbing method for steps, and strap it upright against the truck wall.
Moving a grand or baby grand
- Close the fallboard and remove the music desk.
- Take off the lid and its hinges, then remove the pedal lyre.
- Remove the leg on the straight side, ease the body down onto a padded piano board, then remove the remaining legs.
- Wrap the body and strap it firmly to the board.
- Roll the board on a dolly, and keep legs, lid, and lyre wrapped and labeled together.
On either type, protect the floors first. A piano dolly carries a lot of weight on small wheels, so our crews lay runners over hardwood and tile and pad every door frame on the route, the same way we do on every local move.
Piano Moving Cost Calculator
For a local move, the cost to move a piano mostly comes down to how many movers it needs and how long it takes. This calculator estimates both, using the $50 to $75 per mover, per hour range for Lee and Collier County movers.
A small upright on one level is often a two-person job that fits within a 2-hour minimum. Full uprights, grands, and stairs add crew and time. Ask your mover how pianos are priced when you get your estimate.
estimated labor cost
movers
hours, including travel
typical weight
Estimate only, not a quote. Based on the published $50 to $75 per mover, per hour range for the area and a 2-hour minimum. Some movers add a separate piano fee, so confirm how your piano is priced. Nothing you enter here is sent or saved.
If the piano is moving as part of a full household move, it is usually more cost-effective to include it in the same job, since the crew and truck are already there. Our guide to how much movers cost in Fort Myers explains how the rest of a local move is priced.
Can You Move a Piano Yourself?
Sometimes, yes. A small spinet on a single level, with a few experienced helpers and the right dolly, is a manageable job. Answer these questions to see whether yours is.
If the piano is a full upright or a grand, if there are stairs, or if you do not have a piano dolly and at least three experienced helpers, hire a crew. Those are the moves where injuries and damage happen.
- Is the piano a full-size upright or any kind of grand?
- Are there any stairs, steps, or a steep ramp on the route?
- Is the route tight, with narrow doors or sharp turns?
- Do you have fewer than three strong helpers who have moved one before?
- Are you missing a piano dolly or piano board and straps?
- Is the piano valuable or a family heirloom?
Equipment You Need to Move a Piano
Piano dollyA heavy-duty, low dolly rated for the piano's weight. Furniture dollies are too small.
Piano boardA padded skid board for grands, with handholds and strap slots.
Ratchet or moving strapsTo hold the piano to the dolly, the board, and the truck wall.
Thick moving blanketsSeveral per piano, plus tape or shrink-wrap to hold them on.
Floor runners and door padsTo protect hardwood, tile, and door frames along the route.
RampFor steps and the truck, so the piano is never carried down a slope by hand.
After the Move: Settling and Tuning
- Moving dayPlace the piano away from exterior doors, windows, and air vents, then unwrap it.
- First weekLeave it be. Keep the air conditioning on so the room stays steady, which matters in Southwest Florida's humidity.
- Weeks two to fourBook a tuning once the piano has settled. Tuning too early means it drifts again.
- After thatKeep it on its normal tuning schedule. A piano that went out of tune right after a move usually holds once it has settled.
Moving more than the piano? Our packing services team can wrap the rest of the house, and every large item gets the same blanket and plastic protection.
Local Area Guide: A New Coffee Shop Anchors Fort Myers' Latimer Crossing
If you are settling into Fort Myers this fall, there is a new neighborhood spot on Cleveland Avenue. Foxtail Coffee Co. held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting in late August at Latimer Crossing, a new 92-unit mixed-income community built by the Southwest Florida Housing Foundation, the nonprofit development arm of the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers. The 1,745-square-foot café is the first business to open at the property and also houses a Kelly's Ice Cream shop, so residents have coffee and treats within walking distance.
Latimer Crossing is part of Phase I of the Greater Dunbar Initiative, a larger effort to add affordable and workforce housing while bringing everyday amenities into the neighborhood. It is the fourth Southwest Florida location for franchise owners Scott and Diana Willis and their first inside Fort Myers itself, and two more commercial spaces at the property are still available, so more neighborhood businesses are likely to follow.
Whether you are moving across town or across the state, our Fort Myers moving team can get you settled in time for your first cup of coffee at the new place.
Moving a Piano: FAQs
What is the best way to move a piano?
The best way to move a piano is with a crew that has a piano dolly, a piano board for grands, straps, and enough people for the weight. Uprights stay upright on the dolly; grands have their legs and lid removed and travel on their straight side on a padded board. Measure the route first and protect the case with thick blankets.
How much does it cost to move a piano?
For a local move, it comes down to crew size and time. A small upright on the ground floor may only need two movers for the job minimum, while a grand piano or a piano going up a flight of stairs needs a larger crew and more time. Some movers also add a separate piano handling fee, so ask how it is priced when you get your estimate.
Can you move a piano yourself?
A small spinet or console on one level can be moved by a few strong, experienced people with a piano dolly and straps. Full uprights, grands, and anything involving stairs are where injuries and damage happen most, and those are best left to a moving crew with piano equipment.
How many people does it take to move a piano?
Plan on two people for a spinet or console, three for a studio or full-size upright and most baby grands, and four for a full grand or any piano going up or down a flight of stairs.
Can you lay a piano on its back to move it?
An upright piano should stay upright, since laying it on its back puts strain on the internal parts. A grand piano is the exception: once the legs, lyre, and lid are removed, it is moved on its straight side on a padded piano board.
Should you tune a piano after moving it?
Yes, but wait. Give the piano two to four weeks in its new room so the wood and strings settle to the temperature and humidity, then have it tuned. In Southwest Florida, keeping the air conditioning running helps it settle sooner.
Ready to Book Your Move?
Two Chicks Moving is a trusted Mover in Fort Myers, Mover in Cape Coral, Mover in Naples, Mover in Estero, and Mover in Bonita Springs. If a piano is part of your move, tell us the type, the stairs, and the route when you request your estimate, and we will bring the crew and equipment to move it safely. Browse every community we cover on our areas served page.
Get a Free Quote
