Piano Moving in Durham, Raleigh & Chapel Hill
"We moved your antiques when they were new."
Specialized piano moving with the delicate touch these instruments deserve. Grands, uprights, and digital instruments. Trusted to move all instruments, including pianos, for the Duke Department of Music.
Expert Piano Moving Services
With 144 years of experience, Ladd Moving provides professional piano moving services throughout Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and the entire Triangle region.
With 144 years of experience, we deliver the personal touch and accountability that has made us Durham's most trusted moving company since 1882.
What's Included
- Grand & baby grand pianos
- Upright & digital pianos
- Specialized piano equipment
- Climate-controlled transport
- Stairs & tight space expertise
- Duke Department of Music trusted
Get Your Free Estimate
We'll treat your piano moving with the same care we've shown for 144 years.
Get a Free Estimate 919-596-2469
Our team with a grand piano backstage
Our team at work in a concert venue
Piano moving prices in the Triangle
Piano moving is quoted as a flat price for the instrument, not folded into an hourly household rate, because the crew and equipment are different. These are the ranges most Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill moves land in; the estimate turns a range into a firm number.
| Piano and access | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Upright, spinet or console, ground floor to ground floor | $350 to $500 |
| Upright, one flight of stairs at either end | $450 to $700 |
| Baby grand or grand, ground floor to ground floor | $600 to $900 |
| Grand with stairs, a tight turn, or a crane-free balcony lift | $800 to $1,400 |
| Same-room or in-home reposition | $150 to $300 |
Piano moving is quoted as a flat price for the instrument, not folded into an hourly household rate, because the crew and equipment are different. Long carries, spiral staircases, and gravel or steeply pitched driveways are the three things that move a quote toward the top of a range. Long-distance piano moves are priced separately. Four things move a quote inside a range: stair count at each end, whether the driveway is paved and level, how far the truck can get from the door, and whether an elevator needs reserving. Send those with your request and most quotes need no site visit.
Tell us about the piano and the stairs. We'll send a firm price.
Put the instrument type, the stair count at both ends and anything about the driveway or an elevator in the details box. A photo of the staircase and the entry door, sent after we reply, usually settles the quote without a visit.
- Flat price for the instrument, not an hourly rate
- Trusted to move all instruments for the Duke Department of Music
- Full value protection and declared value available
- Licensed North Carolina carrier, NCUC-628, BBB A+
Get a Piano Moving Quote
Piano moving questions, answered
Price, stairs, insurance, tuning: the questions we get on every piano estimate call.
How much does it cost to move a piano in Durham, Raleigh or Chapel Hill?
An upright moved between ground floors in the Triangle typically runs $350 to $500. A grand between ground floors runs $600 to $900. Stairs, a long carry from the truck, or a reserved freight elevator move a quote toward the upper end. Piano moving is priced as a flat figure for the instrument rather than added to an hourly household rate.
Do you charge a deposit to book a piano move?
A modest booking deposit holds the date; the balance is due when the piano is in its new room. The estimate itself is free and the quoted price is a flat figure for the instrument and the access at both ends, so it does not grow by the hour on move day.
Can you move a piano up or down stairs?
Yes. Uprights are walked on ramps and straps with a crew sized to the weight, which for a full upright of around 800 pounds means four people. Grands are a case-by-case answer: a grand can usually come down a straight staircase on its board but often cannot go up to a second floor at all, depending on the turn and the landing. Tell us the stair count and whether there is a turn when you ask for the estimate, and we will tell you before move day rather than on it.
Do I need to have my piano tuned after it is moved?
Yes, but wait two to four weeks. The piano needs to settle into the temperature and humidity of the new room first. Tuning the day after the move means tuning it again a month later. Moving itself does not knock a piano out of tune; the change in environment does.
Is my piano insured while you are moving it?
The legal default in North Carolina is released value, roughly 60 cents per pound per item, which on a 700-pound upright is about $420 and is not what your piano is worth. Full value protection is available to purchase, and for a grand or an appraised instrument you want declared value on that specific piece. It has to be arranged before move day. J.E. Ladd & Son Transfer is a licensed North Carolina household goods carrier, NCUC-628.
Can you move a piano into a second-floor apartment in the Triangle?
Usually yes for an upright, if the staircase is straight or turns on a landing wide enough to keep the case level, or if there is a freight elevator we can reserve. For a grand it depends entirely on the route. Send a photo of the staircase and the entry door with your quote request and we can answer it without a site visit in most cases.
Do you move digital pianos and organs too?
Yes. Digital pianos and stage keyboards are lighter but the keybeds are fragile and they are usually best moved on a padded dolly rather than carried. Church and home organs are closer to an upright in weight and are handled the same way.