Piano moving — done by people who've actually done it.
Pianos are the single most-cracked-driveway, most-strained-back item in the moving business — and the item most likely to go badly with a crew that hasn't moved one before. Ours have. Hundreds of them, across Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and the Inland Northwest.
What to expect.
An upright piano weighs 300-500 lbs; a spinet or console usually runs 250-450 lbs; a baby grand can run 500-700 lbs and needs to be broken down (legs and lyre removed) and moved on its side on a skid board; a full grand piano can hit 900-1,200 lbs; a concert grand can exceed that. None of these is a job for two guys and a furniture dolly — they are jobs for a piano board, real ratchet straps, stair-climbing dollies, and a crew that knows how to navigate a stairwell turn without pivoting the full weight onto one corner. A cracked leg on a baby grand isn't a scratch — it's a $2,000-4,000 repair. That's why we quote piano moves separately and staff them with our most experienced crew members.
In Spokane's South Hill, Browne's Addition, and older Coeur d'Alene neighborhoods around Sherman and the East Side grid, piano moves often mean narrow century-old stairwells, tight landing turns, and doorframes that weren't built with a 600-lb instrument in mind. We walk the route before we lift — measuring doorways, checking stairwell turn radius, checking floor protection on hardwood and tile, and deciding whether the piano goes up the front stairs, through a wider back entrance, or needs to be walked around via a deck, garage, or sliding door. The pre-move walkthrough is included and often changes the plan.
We quote piano moves separately from a general household move because they take dedicated time, dedicated equipment, and dedicated crew attention regardless of how much other furniture you have. A local upright or spinet move is typically a flat rate that varies by stairs and distance; grand pianos and any move involving more than one flight of stairs get a specific quote after we know the exact model, weight, and route. Interstate piano moves (to or from California, Montana, Utah, or the Seattle area) are quoted per job and handled in-house without brokering — real driver, real delivery window.
Piano type by type, what we handle across the Inland Northwest: (1) Uprights and studio uprights — the most common local move, typically 3-person crew, standard flat local rate. (2) Spinets and consoles — lighter but awkwardly shaped, same crew, same rate structure. (3) Baby grand pianos — requires removing the lyre and legs, wrapping the body in blankets and padding, and moving on a skid board on its side; usually 3- to 4-person crew, custom quote. (4) Grand and semi-concert grand pianos — same skid-board process but heavier, 4-person crew minimum, always custom quoted; we've done Kootenai County lakefront homes with 9-foot grands and Spokane South Hill Victorians with parlor grands. (5) Digital and keyboard pianos — handled as part of a normal household move at standard hourly rates, not piano-specialty pricing.
Piano moving scenarios we handle regularly across Spokane and North Idaho: church piano relocations (sanctuary to fellowship hall, or between two church campuses), school and university piano moves (Gonzaga, Whitworth, EWU, NIC — practice rooms and recital halls), estate piano relocations (family heirloom pianos moved from a downsizing home to a family member's house across the country), tuning-tech coordination (we don't tune, but we schedule around your tuner's follow-up visit — pianos need to settle 2-3 weeks in a new location before tuning), storage-unit piano placement (climate-controlled units only — uninsulated storage will damage the soundboard), and studio moves where a music teacher is relocating both their instrument and their teaching setup.
Coverage across the Inland Northwest is the same crew and equipment regardless of location: Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Deer Park, Mead, and Nine Mile Falls on the Washington side; Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum, Dalton Gardens, Hauser, and Athol on the Idaho side. Drive-times from our Post Falls dispatch: CDA piano 10 minutes, Hayden 15 minutes, Spokane 25 minutes, Spokane Valley 15 minutes, Liberty Lake 10 minutes. No location surcharge for piano work across the metro.
Every job includes:
- Upright, spinet, console, studio, baby grand, grand, and concert grand pianos — all sizes
- Real piano boards, ratchet straps, and stair-climbing dollies — not furniture dollies
- Pre-move walkthrough of doorways, stairwell turn radius, and floor protection before the piano is lifted
- Grand piano breakdown (legs and lyre) and reassembly included when needed
- Church, school, university, and estate piano relocations handled regularly
- Interstate piano moves to/from California, Montana, Utah, Seattle handled in-house, no brokering
- Tuning-tech coordination — we don't tune but we schedule around your tuner's follow-up visit
- Separate flat-rate or custom quote — not folded into a general hourly move rate
- Licensed and insured — piano moves covered under our standard moving coverage
- Full Inland Northwest coverage — Spokane, CDA, and every city in between at the same rate
Available across our service area.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to move a piano in Spokane or Coeur d'Alene?
Upright and spinet pianos are typically a flat local rate that depends on stairs and distance; grand pianos and moves involving more than one flight of stairs get a custom quote based on the model, weight, and route. Call or text 208-295-MOVE with your piano type and pickup/drop addresses and we'll give you a real number, not a guess. We don't ballpark and then upcharge on move day.
Do you move grand pianos, or just uprights?
Both. Grand pianos require removing the lyre and legs and moving the body on a skid board on its side — our crews are equipped and experienced for that specific process, from small baby grands up to full 9-foot concert grands. We've done everything from Steinway parlor grands in South Hill Victorians to Yamaha C-series grands in Kootenai lakefront homes.
Can you get a piano up or down a narrow staircase?
In most cases, yes. We walk the route first and measure doorways and stairwell turns before committing. Occasionally a piano has to go through a different entrance (garage, deck, sliding door, back staircase) — we'll tell you honestly if that's the case before move day, and we'll tell you if we honestly can't do it safely rather than take the job and damage your instrument or your home.
Do I need to empty the piano bench or attached storage first?
Yes, please remove sheet music and loose items from the bench beforehand — we move the instrument itself, not its contents. If the bench has a hinged lid, tape it shut for the move so it doesn't flop open in transit.
Is piano moving insured?
Yes, our piano moves are covered under our standard licensed and insured moving coverage. We can provide our COI (certificate of insurance) if your building, church, or moving destination requires it — just tell us in advance.
How much does a piano weigh and does that affect the price?
Uprights: 300-500 lbs. Spinets/consoles: 250-450 lbs. Baby grands: 500-700 lbs. Grands: 900-1,200 lbs. Concert grands: 1,200+ lbs. Yes, weight affects the price — heavier pianos need more crew members and more time, and grand pianos need breakdown/reassembly work uprights don't.
Can you move a church, school, or university piano?
Yes, this is a regular part of our piano business. We move sanctuary pianos to fellowship halls, practice pianos between EWU/Gonzaga/Whitworth/NIC buildings, and recital-hall pianos in and out of storage between concert seasons. We can provide a COI for the venue and coordinate around their access schedule.
When can I have my piano tuned after the move?
Wait 2-3 weeks after the move before tuning. Pianos need to acclimate to the temperature and humidity of the new location — tuning immediately after a move usually means paying to tune it twice. We don't tune (that's a separate specialty), but we're happy to schedule around your preferred tuner's visit.
Do you move pianos into storage units?
Only into climate-controlled storage units. Uninsulated or unheated storage will crack the soundboard and warp the case within one Idaho or Washington winter — not a risk worth taking with a valuable instrument. If you need climate-controlled storage recommendations, we're happy to share the local units we've used.
Do you handle interstate piano moves — California, Montana, Utah, Seattle?
Yes, and we do them in-house without brokering. Real driver, real delivery window, real quote. Piano moves across state lines are custom quoted per job and typically require advance scheduling — don't wait until move week to call.
Do you move digital pianos and keyboards?
Yes, but as part of a normal household move at standard hourly rates — not piano-specialty pricing. Digital pianos don't have the internal harp, strings, or soundboard that make acoustic pianos hard to move.
What areas do you serve for piano moving?
All of the Inland Northwest at the same rate: Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Deer Park, Mead, and Nine Mile Falls on the Washington side; Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum, Dalton Gardens, Hauser, and Athol on the Idaho side. No location surcharge across the metro.
How far ahead should I book a piano move?
For a local upright, 3-5 days is usually enough. For a grand piano or a move involving stairs, book 1-2 weeks ahead so we can schedule the right crew size. For interstate piano moves, book 2-4 weeks ahead. Summer (June-August) fills up fastest.
Do you require a deposit for piano moves?
For local upright moves, no deposit — pay on move day. For grand pianos and interstate moves, a small deposit holds the date; the balance is due on delivery. Everything in writing before the job.
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