Piano and specialty moving services
Pianos, safes, large art, and antiques aren't "just heavy." They need specialty equipment, trained crews, and (usually) a separate liability rider from a generalist mover.
By Ryan Mitchell, Senior moving industry analyst · Reviewed by Amanda Brooks, Licensed relocation consultant · Updated April 2026
Specialty items share three traits: high weight or odd geometry that exceeds standard handling equipment, high replacement value (or sentimental value), and specific environmental sensitivity. Pianos are the canonical example — they combine all three. Gun safes, billiards tables, large art, antique furniture, marble or stone tops, and statuary all share the same playbook.
The right answer for any of these is a specialist crew with the equipment and the liability coverage to handle them, not a generalist mover doing it as a one-off. Most reputable household-goods carriers either have an in-house specialty division or partner with a local specialist they sub the work to.
Pianos
Pianos come in three weight classes that determine pricing and crew composition. Upright pianos (350–500 lb) need a 2-mover crew with a piano dolly and stair plates. Baby grands (500–800 lb) need a 3-mover crew, a piano board (a padded board the piano is strapped to), and often a temporary leg removal. Concert grands (900+ lb) need a 4-mover crew, custom crating for any long-distance move, and often a tuner visit at destination ($150–$300).
Stairs and tight turns add 50–100% to base piano cost. A piano move from a fourth-floor walk-up to a third-floor walk-up is several times the cost of a single-story home-to-home move of the same instrument. Always disclose stairs at quote time — "discovered" stairs at the job double the time and can void the quote.
Gun safes and heavy single items
Gun safes priced 500–1,000 lb are the second most common specialty item. Standard 4-mover crews with a J-hook lift dolly handle these for $300–$800 local. Above 1,000 lb (most rifle-grade or vault-grade safes), a specialty crew with hydraulic equipment is required — pricing climbs to $600–$1,500+ local depending on access. Stairs are the killer: a basement or upper-floor safe move can run 3–5× a ground-floor move of the same unit.
Art, antiques, and high-value items
Original art, large mirrors, marble or stone tops, statuary, and antique furniture should always be packed and crated separately by a fine-art handler — not a household-goods crew. Custom crating runs $100–$500 per piece. The value isn't just protection in transit; it's documentation that supports a claim if anything goes wrong. For pieces above $5,000, request a separate "high-value inventory" addendum to your bill of lading and itemize each piece.
Real 2026 cost guide
| Scenario | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Upright piano (local, ground-floor) | $200–$600 | Crew of 2, piano dolly, no stairs. |
| Grand piano (local, ground-floor) | $400–$1,200 | Crew of 3, piano board. |
| Gun safe 500–1,000 lb (local) | $300–$800 | J-hook dolly, 4-mover crew. |
| Custom art crating (per piece) | $100–$500 | Fine-art handler, foam-lined crate. |
- • Any piano move (uprights, grands, electric pianos with weighted action)
- • Gun safes 400+ lb
- • Original art, large mirrors, marble or stone tops
- • Antique furniture with structural fragility
- • Item is a standard household appliance (refrigerator, washer, dryer) — generalist crews handle these fine
- • Cost of specialty handling exceeds 50% of replacement value (consider selling and rebuying at destination)
What to ask before you book
- Does the carrier have specialty crews in-house, or do they sub it out?
- What's the specific piece-level liability for this item? (Get it in writing.)
- Are stairs, tight turns, and access disclosed and priced into the quote?
- For pianos: is destination tuning included or quoted separately?
- For art and antiques: is custom crating included, or itemized?
- Is the high-value items inventory addendum on the bill of lading?
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