Moving an upright piano in the Montreal area costs around $300 to $800. Moving a grand piano costs around $500 to $1,500. The gap between those two figures is not arbitrary: it comes from the size of the instrument, the access at both addresses and the distance, and this guide shows exactly how each factor moves the number.
The average cost you will read online is rarely the price you will pay, because most published prices describe the simplest possible move. Below are the real prices practised in Quebec and in Ontario, the factors that change them, and how to get a firm figure for your own instrument.
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| Piano type | Weight | Movers needed | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright | 150 to 250 kg | 2 to 3 | $300 to $800 |
| Baby grand | 250 to 400 kg | 3 to 4 | $500 to $1,000 |
| Grand | 400 kg and above | 4 | $800 to $1,500 |
| Any type, long distance | add $1 to $2 per km |
These figures cover a move between two ground floors, within the same city, with normal access. Everything below explains what pushes them up.
We checked what other movers publish for the same service in 2026.
| Source | Upright | Grand |
|---|---|---|
| Déménagement DMAX | $300 to $800 | $500 to $1,500 |
| Montreal piano specialist | from $300 | from $400 |
| Toronto specialist | $250 to $500 | $600 to $1,000 and up |
| Toronto general mover | $290 to $1,200 | $500 to $2,000 |
| North American average | $406 | $200 to $2,000 flat rate |
Two things stand out. Quotes that start very low usually cover a ground floor to ground floor move under 15 km, nothing else. And the upper figures are not padding: a grand piano carried down a spiral staircase genuinely costs twice a straightforward one.
| Factor | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Stairs, no elevator | $50 to $150 per floor |
| Narrow doorways, basement, spiral staircase | 3 to 5 movers instead of 2 |
| Beyond 160 km | $1 to $2 per km |
| May to August | availability shrinks, book earlier |
| Temporary storage | charged by volume and duration |
| Additional insurance on a high-value instrument | quoted separately |
A 300 kg upright carried up to a third floor without an elevator needs four movers instead of two. That single condition can double the labour on the job.
An upright piano stands on its own and rolls on its casters. Two or three movers strap it, protect it and load it upright.
A grand piano cannot travel the way it stands. The legs and the lyre come off, the body is laid on its side on a padded skid board, and everything is wrapped separately. That is an extra hour of work before the instrument leaves the room, plus reassembly on arrival. The weight difference is real too: a grand can pass 600 kg where an upright rarely reaches 250 kg.
Every piano move with Déménagement DMAX covers:
Tuning after the move is not included. A piano needs a few weeks to settle into its new humidity level before it is worth tuning.
Beyond the move itself, three additional services come up regularly on a piano job.
| Additional service | Typical market price |
|---|---|
| Packing and custom protection | $300 and up |
| Temporary storage | $100 per month and up |
| Additional insurance on a high-value instrument | $100 and up |
Storage matters more often than people expect. When the sale of one home and the purchase of the next do not line up, the piano has to wait somewhere climate-controlled, and a garage is not that. These services are quoted with the move, never added afterwards.
Déménagement DMAX operates from Saint-Jérôme and Laval, and moves pianos across Montreal, Laval, Terrebonne, Mascouche and the Laurentians every week. Our piano moving service uses the same crews and the same equipment on every job.
For a move beyond 160 km, the trip becomes a long-distance move. Apply the per kilometre rate to your route: a Montreal to Trois-Rivières trip runs about 140 km, Montreal to Ottawa about 200 km, and Montreal to Toronto about 540 km.
Yes, and more than the brand or the age. Size drives weight, weight drives the number of movers, and movers drive the bill.
| Instrument | Typical size | What it means on site |
|---|---|---|
| Spinet or console | under 110 cm tall | the lightest upright, two movers |
| Studio upright | 110 to 130 cm | three movers, straps required |
| Baby grand | 150 to 180 cm long | legs and lyre come off |
| Concert grand | over 210 cm long | four movers, skid board, planning |
Two pianos of the same height will not always cost the same to move. An older instrument with a cast iron plate and solid wood case will outweigh a modern one of identical dimensions, and the crew will size the job on what it actually weighs.
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Assessment and protection on arrival | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Disassembly of a grand (legs and lyre) | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Loading | 30 to 60 minutes depending on access |
| Transport | route time |
| Placement and reassembly | 30 to 60 minutes |
A local upright move is a half-day job for most crews. A grand piano with stairs at both ends fills a day. That time is what you are paying for: the rates you see quoted are labour, equipment and risk, not distance alone.
Piano moving is a specialized service, and the gap between companies is wider than on a standard move. The best piano moving company for a spinet in a bungalow is not necessarily the best one for a concert grand on a fourth floor. Four things are worth checking before you commit to any professional mover.
Read the inclusions carefully. Some companies advertise a low base rate that covers a ground floor to ground floor move under 15 kilometres, with every stair, every extra mover and every protection billed on top. Professional piano movers will ask about access before giving a number, and that question is itself a good sign: it means the price you are given will hold.
Beyond 160 km, distance becomes the main factor and the rates change structure. Instead of a flat local price, the trip is quoted on the route.
| Route from Montreal | Approximate distance |
|---|---|
| Trois-Rivières | 140 km |
| Sherbrooke | 150 km |
| Ottawa | 200 km |
| Quebec City | 250 km |
| Toronto | 540 km |
Applying the $1 to $2 per kilometre rate gives you the order of magnitude for the distance portion. A Montreal to Ottawa piano move sits well below a Montreal to Toronto one, and the Toronto route usually involves an overnight and a dedicated truck rather than a shared load.
Most piano damage happens in the first three metres, not on the highway. The instrument tips on a threshold, a caster snaps, a leg catches a door frame.
The equipment required to prevent that is specific: a skid board that takes the full weight of a grand, straps rated for the load, and enough movers that nobody is carrying beyond their share. Padded blankets and floor protection ensure the case and your floors survive the trip. Humidity is the other risk on a long transport, which is why a piano travels in the truck body and never in an open trailer.
Get your piano moving estimate
The questions below come up on almost every piano estimate we prepare.
Between $300 and $800 for an upright and between $500 and $1,500 for a grand, on a local move with normal access. Anything below $300 usually describes a ground floor to ground floor move under 15 kilometres.
At $1 to $2 per kilometre, 1,000 miles is about 1,600 kilometres, so expect the distance portion alone to run into four figures. On that range we quote the full route rather than a per kilometre rate, because the trip involves an overnight and a dedicated truck.
A 500 pound instrument is a heavy upright or a small grand. It takes three to four movers, lifting straps, a dolly and a skid board. It is not a job for a rented truck and a few friends: the risk is to your back, your floors and the instrument itself.
Two to three for an upright, three to four for a grand, and up to five when the access is difficult.
Yes. Our civil liability covers up to $2,000,000, with $100,000 per transport unit. For an instrument of unusual value, mention it when you request your estimate so the protection matches it.
Yes, but not immediately. Let it sit two to four weeks in its new room so the wood and the strings settle into the humidity, then book the tuning.