What a Move in Los Angeles Actually Costs
The real factors behind an LA moving quote: inventory, access, carries, traffic windows and building rules. Written before the truck rolls.
Read the guideA piano is heavy, delicate and unforgiving of shortcuts. The soundboard and finish damage easily without the right technique, and LA housing adds its own obstacles: stairwells, hillside driveways, tight turns and buildings that were not designed around a grand piano. A piano move starts with the route, not the truck.
Know what you are moving
Uprights run roughly 300 to 500 pounds; baby grands and full grands go higher, and they come apart — legs, lid, pedal assembly — before they travel. The type, size and both addresses decide the equipment, the crew and the plan.
The route is measured first
Every doorway, stair turn, landing and hillside grade on the route gets measured before the piano moves. Tight corners are planned — the carrying angles, the padding positions, where the crew stands. HOpefully nothing on the route is a surprise, because surprises with a piano are damage.
The equipment and the carry
Piano boards, straps and dollies do the real work. The instrument is wrapped in thick pads, secured and carried on the planned route — with walls, door frames and floors protected along the way. At the destination, the piano is placed where you want it and set level; tuning afterward is arranged with your technician, because every move knocks a piano out of tune regardless of how well it travels.
What we will tell you honestly
If a route genuinely cannot be made — a spiral stairwell that will not clear, a landing that will not fit the turn — we say so on the estimate and discuss the options, rather than discovering it with the instrument on the stairs.
Frequently asked questions
Do you move grand pianos?
Yes — uprights and grands. The crew is experienced with the weight, balance and logistics of doorways and stairs.
How far ahead should I schedule a piano move?
Piano moves need extra lead time for equipment and crew. Reach out as soon as your dates are set.
Should I do anything to the piano first?
Keep it closed and locked if it has a lock, and share the model and size. Tuning afterward is handled with your technician.
What if the route has tight stairs?
The route is measured before the move. If a turn genuinely cannot be made, we say so on the estimate and plan the alternative honestly.
