Can you move an upright piano up a flight of stairs?
Yes. An upright with a flight of stairs at either address gets 4 movers ($235/hr); with no stairs, 3. Normal minimum, no stair fee.
Do two flights cost more than one?
There is no stair fee. More stairs only mean more time on the clock.
What if only the new home has stairs?
A flight at either address is enough to make it a four-mover job.
Is a spinet or console handled like an upright?
Tell us the model and size when you book, and David will confirm the crew for it.
Yes, with a bigger crew
Yes. When there is a flight of stairs at either the pickup or the delivery, we send 4 movers for an upright piano. Without stairs, 3 movers handle it. Stairs never add a fee, only time, and the job keeps its normal minimum.
Crew and rate for an upright
| Access | Crew | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Flight of stairs at pickup or delivery | 4 movers | $235 |
| Ground floor or elevator both ends | 3 movers | $175 |
Unlike grand pianos, uprights do not have a special 4-hour minimum. The standard 3-hour minimum applies, then 15-minute increments. See the piano movers page for more.
Why stairs call for a fourth mover
An upright is tall, top-heavy and concentrated in a small footprint. On flat ground three people can steer it, but on a staircase the weight shifts toward whoever is below. A fourth mover shares that load and steadies the piano at the turns, which is safer for the instrument, the walls and the team. Going down is just as demanding as going up, which is why the rule covers stairs at either address. The extra person also means the job moves at a steady pace instead of stopping to rest on every few steps.
If the upright is one item in a full household move, the same crew that carries the piano handles your furniture and boxes too, so the fourth mover is working the whole day, not standing by.
Tell us before the move
- How many flights, and at which address.
- Whether the stairs are straight or have a landing or turn.
- The width of the narrowest door or hallway.
- Whether the piano is moving alone or with a full home.
With that, David can confirm the crew. Our local moving and residential moving pages cover the rest of the job.