What Equipment Do You Need to Move a Piano?

What the equipment actually does

Every piece of piano moving equipment solves one of three problems: rolling the weight, protecting the finish, or controlling the piano when it tips or climbs. Skip any one and the risk moves to the instrument, the floor, or the people carrying it.

Uprights and grands need different setups. An upright rolls on a dolly standing up. A grand has to come off its legs and travel on its side, strapped to a skid board. That difference is why a grand piano is never a DIY job, even with good equipment.

Weights set the stakes. An upright or console is about 300–500 lb (135–225 kg), a spinet about 300 lb, a baby grand about 500–650 lb, and a grand about 650–900 lb. All approximate. Any equipment you use should be rated well above those numbers.

Equipment comparison

Prices below are approximate 2026 US retail and rental ranges, checked against current listings from major retailers and rental outlets. They vary by region, brand, and store.

A few notes on the table:

• Dolly ratings. Many piano and furniture dollies are rated around 800–1,000 lb. That covers an upright but leaves little margin under a heavy grand on a board. Check the rating on the dolly itself.
• Skid boards. Sizes run from about 5 to 9 feet to match the piano. Premium branded boards cost more than the low end of the range. A kit that bundles a board, dolly, and straps can land in the middle of the range.
• Blanket bundles. Truck rental companies often rent pads in small bundles as an add-on to a truck. Prices depend on the location.

Piano dolly

A piano dolly is a low, square or rectangular platform on four swivel casters. The upright sits on it standing up, and two or more people keep it steady while it rolls. The top is usually carpeted or rubber-capped so it grips the piano’s base.

What to check: a weight rating well above the piano, casters that roll cleanly on your floors, and a size that fits the piano’s footprint. Hard casters can mark soft floors, so lay runners or boards on the route.

Skid board (piano board)

The skid board is what makes a grand piano movable. The crew removes the lyre and legs, tips the piano onto its straight side, and straps it to the padded board. The board then rides on a dolly.

This is also the step where most damage happens if the crew doesn’t know the procedure. The weight shifts fast during the tip, and the rim and lid are easy to crack. If you’re weighing a DIY grand move, read how to move a grand piano first. It will likely talk you out of it.

Straps

Two kinds matter. Lifting straps loop under the load so two people can carry it with better posture. Securing straps, often ratchet or E-track straps, lock the piano to the skid board or to the truck wall.

Straps should never press directly on the finish. Pads go between the strap and the case. Ratchets should be snug, not cranked hard enough to stress the cabinet.

Moving blankets and pads

Pads protect the finish from scratches and the corners from dents. A full wrap takes several blankets for an upright and more for a grand. Extra pads go on door frames, banister posts, and the truck wall.

Thicker pads protect better. The cheap, thin ones sold in bulk are fine for padding a door frame but thin for wrapping a lacquered case. Tape the pads to themselves, never to the piano.

Ramps and liftgates

Loading a piano into a truck is one of the riskiest moments of the move. A liftgate is the easiest option. Without one, you need a ramp rated for the piano plus the dolly plus a person, wide enough for the dolly’s wheels.

Many rental trucks come with a built-in ramp. Check its width and angle before relying on it for a piano.

Stair climbers

Stairs are where piano moves go wrong. Manual stair-climbing hand trucks are built for appliances, not pianos. Motorized stair climbers can handle heavy loads, but they’re expensive to rent and take practice to control.

Many professional crews move pianos on stairs by hand, using straps, a set technique, and enough people. Movers usually charge about $5–$15 per step or about $50–$150 per flight (approximate 2026 ballparks). See moving a piano upstairs for how it’s done.

Gloves and small gear

Grip-coated work gloves improve hold on a slick lacquer case and protect knuckles in door frames. Add a screwdriver set for the lyre and legs on a grand, tape for pads, and floor runners.

Equipment by type of move

The gear list changes with the piano and the route. Use this as a rough guide to what a crew, or you, should have on hand.

• Upright, ground floor to ground floor. Piano dolly, four to six moving pads, securing straps, floor runners, gloves, and a truck with a ramp or liftgate. At least three or four people is a sensible floor for a top-heavy upright.
• Upright with stairs. Everything above, plus lifting straps and a stair plan: either a trained crew moving it by hand or a motorized stair climber and someone who has used one. Pad banisters and the wall side of the stairway.
• Baby grand or grand, any route. Skid board sized to the piano, a sturdy dolly, securing straps, a full set of pads, tools for the legs and lyre, and a crew that has done the tip onto the board many times.
• Long distance. All of the above, plus a way to secure the piano to the truck wall and pads that stay on for days. See long-distance piano moving.

If the list for your move looks long, that’s a signal. The gear is only half of it. The other half is people who know how to use it with a 500 lb load.

Should you buy, rent, or hire?

For one local upright move on a flat route, renting a dolly and pads with a truck can work if you have enough strong helpers and a plan. See how to move an upright piano for the steps.

For anything else, compare the gear cost with a quote. A local upright move runs about $250–$600 and a grand about $500–$1,200. These are approximate 2026 US ballparks that vary by region, so get real quotes. The crew brings the equipment, the experience, and some form of coverage for the piano.

Next step

Price your move with the cost calculator, then compare it with quotes from the piano movers directory. If you’re still set on DIY, start with how to move a piano.