Piano Moving Price Guide for Toronto and the GTA
Pro Tips
A piano is the one thing in your house that movers secretly hope you don’t own.
An upright weighs about as much as three grown adults who refuse to help. It’s top-heavy. It hates stairs. And it’s full of tiny parts that don’t love being bumped.
So how much does it cost to move one? Here’s the quick answer first, then the why.
The short answer
For a local move in Toronto or the GTA in 2026:
Upright piano: $250 to $700
Baby grand: $500 to $900
Bigger grand: $700 to $1,500
Stairs, tight corners and long drives push the price up from there.
Our own local moves start at $525 for an upright. More on what that includes below.
Want your real number? Snap a few photos and get an instant price. We’ll do the math so you don’t have to.
Piano moving prices in Toronto: the cheat sheet
Here’s what a local GTA move usually costs. These prices assume ground floor to ground floor, with a few steps at most.
Piano type | Weight | About as heavy as | Local move |
|---|---|---|---|
Digital piano | Under 200 lb | A big dog | $150 to $350 |
Spinet or console | 300 to 450 lb | Two NHL defencemen | $250 to $500 |
Full-size upright | 450 to 800 lb | A small moose | $400 to $700 |
Baby grand | 500 to 650 lb | A moose in a tuxedo | $500 to $900 |
Grand | 650 lb and up | A bigger moose in a nicer tuxedo | $700 to $1,500 |
Got one of those tall old Heintzmans or Mason & Risches that’s been in the family forever? Beautiful piano. Built like a bank vault. Plan for the top of the range.
Not sure what kind of piano you have? Send us a photo. We’re piano technicians, so we can tell a spinet from a studio upright at a glance.
And if yours is a digital piano, good news. Many are light enough for two careful friends and a blanket. Check the manual first.
Moving a piano out of town
Leaving the GTA? Longer moves add kilometres, gas and crew time. Here’s the ballpark for an upright:
Distance from Toronto | Places like | Upright piano |
|---|---|---|
Under 50 km | Mississauga, Markham, Ajax, Vaughan | $250 to $700 |
50 to 300 km | Hamilton, Barrie, Kitchener, Kingston | $600 to $1,500 |
300 to 1,000 km | Ottawa, Montreal | $1,000 to $2,500 |
Grands cost more at every distance. More on why in a sec.
What we charge at PianoTuners.ca
Those are the going rates around town. Here are ours. These are starting prices for a local move in Toronto and the GTA, ground floor to ground floor, updated November 2026.
Piano | Starting at |
|---|---|
Upright or digital piano | $525 |
Large upright | $550 |
Baby grand | $725 |
Grand, 5’6” to 6’2” | $775 |
Grand, 6’3” and up | $825 |
Piano removal and disposal | $600 |
Stairs, distance and tricky access get added from your photos. Your quote is the price you pay, as long as moving day looks like the pictures. (If a secret staircase appears, we’ll talk.)
We’re not the cheapest piano movers in Toronto. We’re the easiest to book, and the ones who know what’s inside the box. Here’s what’s in the price:
Booking by photo. No in-home estimate, no phone tag.
Real piano movers. Vetted crews with piano boards, skids and the right straps.
A deposit you get back. $100 to lock in your date, credited to your final bill and refundable up to 48 hours before.
Piano technicians in your corner. We’ll tell you if your piano is worth moving before you spend a dime.
Tuning, handled. Add one and we’ll book it for about two weeks after the move.
See your exact price in about two minutes.
5 things that change the price
Almost every piano moving quote comes down to these five. Biggest first.
1. Stairs
Stairs are the boss level of piano moving. Each flight usually adds $50 to $150. Narrow, curved or spiral stairs add more.
A couple of porch steps? No problem. Three storeys up a Leslieville semi with a turn at the landing? That’s a whole afternoon and a lot of grunting.
2. Upright or grand
Uprights move in one piece, strapped to a padded piano board.
Grands need a little surgery first. The legs and pedals come off, and the piano rides on its side on a special board called a skid. More steps, more hands, more time. That’s why a baby grand costs more to move than an upright that weighs the same.
3. Getting in and out
Parking is a big deal in Toronto. If the truck can’t get close, your piano takes the scenic route: down the sidewalk, across the lawn or through the back lane.
In a condo? Book the freight elevator, make sure the piano fits in it, and ask about move times. Your building manager will love you.
This is exactly why we ask for photos. One picture of your front steps saves everybody a surprise on moving day.
4. Distance
Most moves inside the GTA are priced per job. Leave the city, and kilometres, gas and drive time get added on.
5. Timing
Summer and the end of the month are rush hour for movers. Prices can run 15 to 25 percent higher, and good dates disappear fast. Mid-month and mid-week is the sweet spot.
Winter moves? Totally fine. The crew needs a clear, salted path. Your piano needs a little time to warm up indoors before anyone plays it. Keep it away from heat vents while it adjusts, because pianos and dry heat are not friends.
The costs nobody warns you about
The tuning after the move
Almost every piano goes out of tune after a move. Totally normal. It just rode around in a truck, then landed in a room with new heat and humidity. It needs a couple of weeks to settle in.
Tune it the day it arrives and you’ll probably be paying for another tuning a month later. Wait about two weeks instead.
Here’s the nice part. We’re piano tuners who also arrange piano moves, so you can add a tuning right to your moving booking. We’ll schedule it for about two weeks after delivery, and you don’t have to remember a thing. Our tuning prices are right here.
Has it been years since its last tune? It may need a pitch raise first. We’ll tell you before we start, never after.
Hoisting or crane work
Every so often, a piano just won’t fit down the stairs. Older Toronto homes with tight, twisty staircases are the usual suspects. Then it leaves through a window with a hoist or crane, which can add $750 to $1,000 or more.
Dramatic? Yes. Common? Thankfully, no. Your photos tell us early if it’s on the table.
Storage
Closing dates don’t line up? Piano storage usually runs $50 to $150 a month. Mention it in your quote request and we’ll help you sort it out.
The “free” piano
Facebook Marketplace is full of free pianos. The piano is free. The move is not.
Some of those freebies are hidden gems. Others have cracked parts, won’t hold a tune and cost more to fix than they’re worth. Before you pay to haul one home, have a technician take a look. A piano inspection costs a lot less than moving a piano you’ll end up throwing out.
Disposal
Sometimes the kindest thing we can tell you is that your piano isn’t worth moving. We’d rather say it now than after you’ve paid to drag it across town. If it’s time to say goodbye, we handle piano removal and disposal too.
Removal starts at $600. We do the heavy lifting, and you get your living room back.
Can’t I just grab a few friends and a dolly?
You can. People do it every weekend. Some of them also discover new and exciting things about their lower back.
Here’s the catch with uprights. Most of the weight sits high and toward the back, so the second it leaves flat ground, it wants to tip. On stairs, that’s how pianos get dropped and people get hurt.
Grands have their own trap. Roll one on its own legs over a door threshold and a leg can snap right off.
And your floors, walls and door frames? A piano that gets away from you for half a second leaves a little souvenir on all three.
What about a regular moving company?
Regular movers are great with couches. Pianos need different gear: a piano board, a skid, the right straps, and a crew that has handled tricky stairs before.
Before you book anyone, ask:
How many pianos do you move in a typical month?
If my piano gets damaged, what does your coverage actually pay?
Vague answers? Keep looking. (Or skip the homework and ask us. Pianos are our whole thing.)
How to get a quote that won’t change on moving day
Photos. That’s the whole trick.
No measuring tape. No trying to describe the weird turn at the bottom of your basement stairs. Just show us.
Here’s what to snap:
The piano, from the front and the side
The way out: doors, hallways and every set of stairs
The way in at the new place
Where the truck can park at both ends
Then add both addresses and a few dates that work for you. Bonus points for the brand name. It’s usually printed above the keys or inside the lid.
How it works with us
Asking is free. There’s no payment on the quote form, ever.
Small deposit to lock it in. Once your move is confirmed, we ask for $100. It comes off your final bill, and you get it back if you cancel at least 48 hours ahead.
Pros do the lifting. Vetted piano movers handle the heavy stuff. We handle the scheduling, the reminders and all the back-and-forth.
Tuning, sorted. Add a tuning to your booking and we’ll set it up for about two weeks after the move.
Get your piano moving price. Snap a few photos, answer a few questions and see your price in about two minutes. Nobody hurts their back.
Piano moving FAQ
How much does it cost to move an upright piano in Toronto?
Usually $250 to $700 for a local move, before stairs. Small spinets sit at the low end. Tall, heavy old uprights sit at the top. At PianoTuners.ca, upright moves start at $525.
How much does it cost to move a baby grand piano?
Around $500 to $900 for a local GTA move. Grands cost more because the legs come off and the piano travels on its side on a skid. Ours start at $725 for a baby grand.
How much do stairs add?
Usually $50 to $150 per flight. Narrow or twisty stairs sit at the high end.
Should I tune my piano before or after the move?
After. Give it about two weeks to get used to its new room, then tune it. If you move with us, we can book that tuning for you at the same time.
How long does a piano move take?
Most local moves take two to four hours from pickup to delivery. Grands and big staircases take longer.
Is it cheaper to move a piano in the off-season?
Often, yes. Outside the May to August rush and away from month-end, dates are easier to get and peak-season premiums usually don’t apply.
How do I know if my piano is worth moving?
Send a few photos and the brand name with your quote request. If something looks off, we’ll suggest a quick inspection before you spend money moving it.
Do you take away old pianos?
Yes. If your piano isn’t worth moving or fixing, we can remove it for you. Removal starts at $600. Ask us for a quote.
