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Piano Movers

Q: How much does it cost to move a piano in Houston?

Most local piano moves in Houston fall between about $150 for a spinet and $900 for a baby grand with normal access. Larger grands and difficult access cost more. Stairs, long carries, and grand piano disassembly are the main things that raise the price. Our piano moving cost guide has the full breakdown.

Q: Do you move pianos long distance?

Yes. Pianos travel with long-distance moves out of Houston to anywhere in the United States, boarded or crated for the trip. Long-distance moves are priced by weight and distance along with the rest of your shipment.

Q: Can you store my piano?

Yes. Pianos can be stored in our climate-controlled Houston warehouse, which protects them from the heat and humidity of a garage or standard storage unit. We deliver it back whenever you are ready.

A piano is heavy, top-heavy, and easy to damage in ways that do not show until someone sits down to play it. Johnnie T. Melia Moving & Storage moves uprights, baby grands, and grand pianos across Houston, Katy, and the surrounding suburbs with trained crews, piano boards, and the right equipment for stairs and tight turns.

We have moved Houston households since 1969, and pianos are one of the specialty items our full-time crews handle every week, whether it is a single piano going across town or an instrument traveling with a full household move.

Experienced Piano Movers Families Trust

Most piano damage happens in the first ten feet: tipping an upright on a threshold, catching a grand’s leg on a door frame, or letting the instrument drop the last inch onto a hard floor. Moving a piano safely is about technique and equipment more than strength.

Our crews wrap the case in heavy pads, strap the instrument to a padded piano board, and plan the route out of the house before anything is lifted. Grand pianos have their legs, lyre, and lid removed and travel on their side, the way they are built to be moved.

Johnnie T. Melia Moving & Storage is family-owned, licensed by the Texas DMV, and staffed by trained full-time employees rather than day labor. The crew that moves your piano is the same kind of crew that moves homes and offices every day.

Trusted Piano Movers By Many

Families, churches, schools, and music teachers have trusted us with instruments they have owned for decades. That reputation comes from careful hands and honest estimates.

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Why Choose Our Piano Moving Company

A piano is not just a heavy piece of furniture. Weight sits high in an upright and off-center in a grand, and the soundboard, action, and finish can all be damaged by a move that looks fine from the outside.

Over 55 Years of Experience

We have moved pianos for families since 1969, from spinets in apartments to grand pianos in River Oaks living rooms.

Licensed & Insured

TxDMV No. 0000005457 and US DOT No. 436264. We explain exactly how your piano is covered before moving day, including options beyond the basic liability level.

Trained, Full-Time Crews

Pianos are moved by our own trained employees, never day labor. Every crew knows how to tip, board, and strap an upright and how to take down and stand up a grand.

The Right Equipment

Padded piano boards, heavy-duty dollies, straps, and moving pads on every piano job, plus stair and ramp equipment when the route needs it.

A Plan for Your Route

We ask about stairs, landings, door widths, and parking before we quote, so the crew arrives with the right number of people and the right gear.

Climate-Controlled Storage

If your piano cannot go straight into the new home, it can wait in our climate-controlled warehouse instead of a hot garage or storage unit.

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Our Piano Moving Services

From a single upright going down the street to a grand piano traveling with a whole household, every piano move is planned around the instrument and the route.

Upright & Spinet Pianos

Spinets, consoles, studio, and full uprights are padded, strapped to a piano board, and moved upright or tipped as the route requires, with extra care on stairs and thresholds.

Baby Grand & Grand Pianos

Legs, pedal lyre, and lid are removed and the grand travels on its side on a padded board. At the new home we stand it back up, reattach everything, and set it where you want it.

Pianos in a Full Household Move

If you are moving your whole home, the piano can travel on the same truck with the same crew as part of your residential move.

Long-Distance Piano Moves

Moving out of the area? Pianos travel as part of a long-distance move anywhere in the United States, crated or boarded for the trip.

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How Much Does It Cost to Move a Piano?

Piano moving is priced by the size and type of the instrument, the distance, and above all the access at both ends. A spinet going from one ground floor to another is a short job. A grand piano coming down two flights of stairs in the Heights is a very different one. The ranges below are typical local industry estimates for a local move with normal access. They are not a JT Melia quote. For the full breakdown, see our piano moving cost guide.

Piano type	Typical weight	Local move, normal access
Spinet (under 40 in. tall)	300 to 400 lbs	$150 to $400
Console	350 to 450 lbs	$200 to $450
Studio or full upright	400 to 800 lbs	$250 to $600
Baby grand (under 6 ft)	500 to 650 lbs	$400 to $900
Parlor or semi-concert grand (6 to 7 ft)	650 to 900 lbs	$500 to $1,100
Concert grand (8 to 9 ft)	900 to 1,200 lbs	$700 to $2,000+

What affects your price

Stairs are the biggest variable, commonly $40 to $100 per flight. Tight turns, long carries from the truck, grand piano disassembly and reassembly, and moving the piano into or out of storage also add time. A piano that cannot fit through a door or stairwell may need a hoist, which is priced separately.

How to get an accurate quote

Tell us the piano type and approximate size, the number of steps and any turns at both addresses, and how close the truck can park. Photos of the piano and the route out of the room are the fastest way to an accurate price.

Moving a piano out of state? Long-distance piano moves are priced with the rest of the shipment by weight and distance. Call 713-683-8585 or request a free estimate.

Our Piano Moving Process

Tell Us About the Piano

Share the type and size of the piano, where it sits in the home, and the route to the door, including steps, landings, and tight turns.

Photos help. From those details we decide the crew size and equipment, and give you a price before the move is booked.

Confirm Your Date

We schedule the piano on its own or as part of your larger move, and confirm whether it is going to the new home or into storage first.

This is also when we go over coverage, so you know how the instrument is protected before anyone lifts it.

Moving Day

The crew pads and wraps the case, removes legs, lyre, and lid on a grand, straps the piano to a board, and moves it out along the planned route.

At the destination the piano is reassembled, set in place, and checked with you before the crew leaves.

Piano Moving Service Areas

We move pianos across the area every week, from Inner Loop townhomes with tight stairwells to large homes in the suburbs.

Popular areas include Katy, The Woodlands, Cypress, Klein, West University Place and Bellaire. See all service areas.

Stairs, Tight Spaces & Difficult Access

Access decides how hard a piano move is. Before quoting, we ask how many steps there are, whether the stairs turn, how wide the doors are, and how close the truck can park.

Uprights go up and down stairs on a padded board with a crew on both ends, moving one step at a time. Grand pianos are taken down to the body first, which makes them narrower than most doorways once they are on their side.

Inner Loop townhomes often have the piano on the second or third floor with a narrow, turning staircase. High-rise buildings need a freight elevator reservation and floor protection in the hallways. We plan both before moving day, not when the crew is already standing at the bottom of the stairs.

If a piano truly cannot fit through the door or stairwell, we will tell you during the quote rather than on the day.

Grand Piano Disassembly & Setup

A grand piano is never moved on its legs. The legs are not designed to take side-to-side force, and rolling a grand across a floor is the most common way they break.

Our crew removes the lid and the pedal lyre, then tips the piano onto its straight side on a padded piano board, removes the legs, and wraps the body completely before it leaves the room.

At the new home the process runs in reverse: the body comes in on the board, the legs and lyre go back on, and the piano is lifted upright and set in the spot you choose, with floor protectors if you want them. Plan on a tuning a few weeks after the move, once the instrument has settled into its new room.

Johnnie T. Melia Moving & Storage Team of Piano Movers

Piano Storage

Heat and humidity are hard on pianos. A garage or a standard storage unit can swing through temperatures that crack soundboards, loosen tuning pins, and damage the finish.

When a piano cannot go straight to its new home, it can wait in our climate-controlled warehouse, wrapped and stored upright or on its board, and delivered back when you are ready.

Piano storage is often useful when:

* Your new home is not ready yet.
* Floors are being refinished or a room is being remodeled.
* You are downsizing and have not decided where the piano will go.
* An estate is being settled and the piano is waiting for its new owner.
* A church or school is renovating the space where the piano lives.

You can read more about our climate-controlled storage.

What Piano Owners Say About Us

For more than five decades families have trusted us with the things that matter most to them, including instruments that have been in the family for generations. Careful handling, clear estimates, and crews who show up prepared are what keep those customers recommending us.

Excellent

4.8

Gilbert Ng

1 day ago

They were so good best moving experience I’ve had. They stayed true to the price, came promptly, worked hard, and were smart and careful(very professional).I will book with them again.

Nancy Cochran

4 weeks ago

Perfect - Isaac and crew were awesome. Very courteous not just to me but to each other. Quite impressive. Obviously they have worked together a very long time. Experts! Highly recommend!

Mia S Wagstaff

2 months ago

We had a great experience with Johnnie T. Melia Moving & Storage. The crew was right on time, fast, efficient, and very careful with our belongings and both homes. They were in good spirits the entire time, friendly and respectful, which actually helped reduce our own stress on moving day. Brandon was also very helpful and responsive throughout the process. Highly recommend! Whole crew is awesome and professional.

Sharon Callender

2 months ago

Very professional crew. Went above and beyond. We have used JT Melia for four moves already and we would use them again!

Michelle Shapiro

3 months ago

Everyone was fabulous. Great team!! Highly recommend.

Joseph Scowden

3 months ago

Unbelievable service!! Super kind and professional.

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Helpful Guides For Your Piano Move

Before you book, it helps to know what a piano move should cost, how your instrument is covered, and what building rules might apply.

What Will It Cost?

Price ranges by piano type, the surcharges to expect, and how mover liability is calculated by weight in Texas.

Read the Piano Moving Cost Guide →

If Something Is Damaged

What happens if movers lose or damage an item, and how to protect yourself before moving day.

Read the Damage and Claims Guide →

High-Rise & HOA Rules

Elevator reservations, loading zones, and HOA rules that affect moving a piano in your building.

Read the Permits & High-Rise Guide →

Piano Moving Questions, Answered

Piano owners usually have the same handful of questions before a move: what it costs, whether the piano will need tuning, and what happens on the stairs.

Here are answers to the questions customers ask most often.

How much does it cost to move a piano?

Most local piano moves fall between about $150 for a spinet and $900 for a baby grand with normal access. Larger grands and difficult access cost more.

Stairs, long carries, and grand piano disassembly are the main things that raise the price. Our piano moving cost guide has the full breakdown.

Do you move grand pianos?

Yes. Baby grands, parlor grands, and larger grand pianos are taken down on site: the lid, lyre, and legs are removed and the body travels on its side on a padded piano board. We reassemble and set it at the new home.

Can you move a piano up or down stairs?

Yes. Stairs are part of most piano moves we do. Tell us the number of steps and whether the staircase turns so we can send the right size crew and equipment. Stairs usually add to the cost, commonly $40 to $100 per flight.

Will my piano need tuning after the move?

Usually, yes. Moving does not normally knock a piano badly out of tune, but the change in temperature and humidity between rooms will. Most technicians recommend waiting two to four weeks after the move so the instrument can settle before it is tuned.

Is my piano insured during the move?

Every move includes basic carrier liability, which in Texas is set by weight and is often far below what a piano is worth. We explain the coverage options during the quote so you can choose the protection that fits your instrument before moving day.

Can you move just a piano, without a full household move?

Yes. Many of our piano jobs are single-item moves, such as a piano going to a new home, a family member, a church, or a school. We also move pianos as part of a full household move.

Do you move pianos long distance?

Yes. Pianos travel with long-distance moves to anywhere in the United States, boarded or crated for the trip. Long-distance moves are priced by weight and distance along with the rest of your shipment.

Can you store my piano?

Yes. Pianos can be stored in our climate-controlled warehouse, which protects them from the heat and humidity of a garage or standard storage unit. We deliver it back whenever you are ready.

How should I prepare my piano for the movers?

Close and lock the lid if it locks, remove photos, lamps, and music from the top, and clear a path from the piano to the door. Measure doorways if you are unsure about the fit. Our crew handles the wrapping, padding, and disassembly.

Are your piano movers licensed and insured?

Yes. Johnnie T. Melia Moving & Storage is licensed by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV No. 0000005457) and holds US DOT No. 436264, and our pianos are moved by trained full-time employees, not day labor.

Ready to Move Your Piano?

Whether it is a spinet across town or a grand piano going to a new home in Katy or The Woodlands, our piano movers will plan the route, bring the right equipment, and give you a price before moving day.

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