Piano Moving · Montreal · 2026 pricing
Piano movers in Montreal, priced before we touch a key
A dropped upright destroys the instrument, the staircase and sometimes a back. Most surprise piano bills come from movers who quote after the piano is already on the dolly. AKA Moving prices piano handling as a flat add-on, in writing, before your move is booked.
Piano handling, on the quote in writing
These are add-ons to the hourly move, from $125/hr for 2 movers. Every piano job is pre-approved by us from your access details, so the number you book is the number you pay.
The real cost
How much does piano moving cost in Montreal?
Piano moving in Montreal is priced two ways: as an add-on to a full move, or as a stand-alone pickup. Both start from the same honest grid.
| Scenario | How it is billed | Piano add-on |
|---|---|---|
| Piano inside a full move | Hourly move from $125/hr (2 movers) + flat piano fee | +$250 |
| Piano up or down stairs, no elevator | Same, with the stairs handled by a 3-person crew | +$350 |
| Grand or baby grand | Disassembly, piano board, padded wrap, quoted to access | $400 to $600 |
| Piano only, nothing else | Delivery option, consolidated with our routes | Quoted from access |
Two things move the number: stairs and access. A ground-floor to ground-floor upright is the flat $250 on top of your move. A 3rd-floor walk-up with a turn in the staircase is the $350 tier, because it takes a third mover and slower, controlled carries. Stairs on a regular move already add about 30 minutes per flight; a piano multiplies the care, not the shortcuts.
An estimate is still an estimate. A doorway an inch too short, a staircase that turns tighter than it looked, a piano heavier than the photo suggested: these are exactly why we pre-approve every piano job from your access details before booking, instead of surprising you at the door. The written quote from your real inventory is the number.
Why pianos are different
What professional piano movers in Montreal actually do
An upright weighs 180 to 350 kg with almost all of it in the top half. That is not a two-friends-and-a-dolly object. Here is what your piano crew shows up with.
The equipment
- Piano skid board with strapping for grands and stair carries
- Heavy-duty piano dolly rated far beyond the instrument’s weight
- Thick padded blankets wrapped and taped, keyboard lid secured
- Floor, wall and stairwell protection on both addresses
- Lifting straps so the weight rides on shoulders, not fingers
The method
- Access check first: doorways, staircase turns, banisters, elevator dimensions
- Grands: legs, lyre and music stand off, boarded on the long side
- Stairs are walked one controlled step at a time with a spotter
- The piano rides against the truck wall, strapped, never loose
- Free double-coverage insurance is in the price, in writing
We have carried enough uprights through Plateau spiral staircases to quote them honestly the first time. One of them took four movers, a removed banister and ninety careful minutes, and it was priced that way before the crew ever rang the doorbell. That is the whole point of pre-approval: the hard staircase changes the quote, never the invoice.
Planning it right
Moving a piano in Montreal: what decides your price
Costs stay at the flat rate when
- Ground floor or working elevator at both addresses
- Clear, measured path: doorways, hallways, elevator cab
- The piano is an upright or console, not a grand
- It travels inside a booked move with the same crew
Budget the higher tier when
- Any stairs without an elevator, in either building
- Staircases that turn, narrow, or have low overhead
- Grand or baby grand: disassembly and boarding time
- Piano-only trips, priced through our delivery option
After the move, give the piano two to three weeks to settle into its new humidity before calling the tuner. Every move knocks a piano slightly out of tune no matter how well it is carried; that part is physics, not handling.
Planning the whole move, not just the piano? Our moving cost calculator prices your full move with the piano fee built in, and the Montreal moving cost guide shows the complete rate grid we quote from.
Straight answers
Piano moving questions Montreal asks us
How much does it cost to move an upright piano in Montreal?
With AKA Moving, an upright piano adds a flat $250 to your move, or $350 if it goes up or down floors without an elevator. The move itself is billed hourly from $125/hr for 2 movers with a 4-hour minimum: 3 hours of work plus 1 hour of transport. Every piano job is pre-approved in writing from your access details.
Do you move grand pianos?
Yes. Grands and baby grands are disassembled, wrapped and moved on a piano board, and priced from $400 to $600 depending on size and access. We confirm the exact number before booking.
Can you move just the piano and nothing else?
Yes. A piano-only pickup runs through our delivery option: we consolidate it with other stops on the same route and quote it from your access details, pre-approved before we book the date.
Why do stairs change the price?
Stairs turn a rolled move into a carried one. A stair carry needs a third mover, slower controlled steps and a spotter, which is why the piano fee moves from $250 to $350 and why stairs on any move add about 30 minutes per flight.
Is the piano insured during the move?
Yes. Free double-coverage insurance is included in the price and written into the quote, along with padded wrap, floor and stairwell protection at both addresses.
Should I tune the piano right after moving it?
Wait two to three weeks. Pianos need time to settle into the new room’s humidity, and tuning too early means paying for a second tuning. The move itself, done properly, does not damage the tuning mechanism.
Your piano, priced in writing before it moves
Tell us the piano, the floors and the addresses. You get one written quote with the piano fee on its own line, pre-approved by us, nothing added at the door. We handle the complexity.