Piano Moving Services in Chicago, IL
Uprights and baby grands moved by a uniformed Chicago crew that wraps every leg, boards the weight properly, and treats your instrument like it has to play in tune tomorrow.
- Licensed & Insured
- Uniformed Crews
- Local & Interstate
- Equipment Included
- MC #087428 · DOT #3120049
- 5-Star, Customer-Focused
Piano Moving in Chicago
A piano is the heaviest, most awkward, most expensive thing in your home, and a walk-up staircase does not care. One bad turn on a landing, one slip on a hand truck that was never built for a 600-pound upright, and you are looking at a cracked leg, a gouged stairwell, or a soundboard that will never hold a tune again. Most general movers will load your piano right alongside the boxes and hope for the best.
That is exactly how instruments get hurt. A baby grand has to come off its legs and ride on its side on a piano board. An upright is top-heavy and wants to tip the second you tilt it on a stairwell. The tight doorways in a Logan Square greystone, the half-turn landing in a Lakeview three-flat, the narrow freight elevator in a River North high-rise are all places a piano can get stuck or damaged if the crew has not done it a hundred times before.
We move pianos the way they are supposed to be moved. Uprights and baby grands, wrapped in moving blankets and stretch, secured to a padded piano board, strapped down, and rolled on the right dollies by a trained crew that knows how to control weight through a doorway and down a flight of stairs. One of our customers told us we took better care of her baby grand than the piano company did when she bought it. That is the bar. Take care of people. Period.
Pro tip from our crew
Before we quote, tell us the piano type and the stairs on both ends. An upright (console, studio, spinet) is a different animal than a baby grand or a 7-foot concert grand, where the legs and lyre come off and the body rides on its side on a padded piano board. A Chicago two-flat or a third-floor walk-up with a tight 90-degree turn at the landing is where the real cost lives, not the mileage. If the front stairs are too narrow, we plan for it up front rather than discovering it at the door.
Who This Service Is For
- Owners of upright, console, or spinet pianos moving across town or into a new Chicago home
- Baby grand owners who need the instrument disassembled, boarded, wrapped, and reassembled with care
- Households moving a piano up or down walk-up, greystone, or three-flat stairs with tight landings
- Condo and high-rise residents who need the piano routed through a freight elevator and loading dock
- Music teachers, churches, and schools relocating an instrument across the Chicago area
- Anyone who tried to price a piano into a general move and realized it needs a crew that does this on purpose
What's Included
- Trained crew that handles uprights and baby grands as a planned, separate part of your move
- A padded piano board and the right dollies sized for the instrument, not a generic appliance cart
- Full wrapping in moving blankets and stretch to protect the finish, lid, keys, and corners
- Furniture straps and rope or tie-downs to secure the piano on the board and inside the truck
- Careful weight handling through doorways, around corners, and down or up stairs and landings
- Floor and stairwell protection so the route stays clean and the instrument never drags or scrapes
- Baby grand leg and lyre disassembly and reassembly so it rides safely on its side
- Equipment included at no extra fee, the same as every Melendez move, with no surprise add-ons
When to Book Piano Moving
Book your piano move as early as you can, especially around month-end and mid-summer when lease turnovers crowd the calendar. If the piano lives in a condo or high-rise, you will likely need a Certificate of Insurance on file and a freight-elevator and loading-dock slot reserved, and Chicago buildings often want those locked in two to four weeks ahead. Tell us up front that a piano is part of the move so we can plan the route, the crew size, and the equipment around it instead of finding out on move day.
If the piano is the only thing you are moving, we can still handle it as a standalone job. Either way, the earlier we know the make, the size, the staircase, and the building rules, the tighter and more accurate your quote will be.
How Your Move Works
- 1
Tell us about the piano
Send us the type and size, upright or baby grand, plus the make if you have it, and a quick description of the stairs, doorways, and building access on both ends. The more we know, the better we plan the lift.
- 2
Get a clear quote
We give you an honest estimate built around the instrument and the route, including stairs, elevators, and any COI or permit your building requires. No vague piano surcharge dropped on you the day of the move.
- 3
Confirm the details with a direct call
Before move day we follow up by phone to walk through landings, tight turns, freight-elevator times, and parking so the crew arrives ready for your exact building.
- 4
Wrap, board, and protect
On move day the crew wraps the piano in blankets and stretch, disassembles a baby grand's legs and lyre as needed, sets it on the padded piano board, and lays down floor protection along the path.
- 5
Move the weight safely
We strap the piano to the board, control it through doorways and around corners, and take stairs or the freight elevator with the crew and dollies it actually takes to keep the instrument and your home unharmed.
- 6
Place and reassemble
At the new spot we set the piano exactly where you want it, reassemble a baby grand, remove the wrapping, and clear out so you can get back to playing.
Why Choose Melendez Moving
- A real Chicago crew that has moved pianos through greystone stairwells, three-flat landings, and high-rise freight elevators across the city
- Uniformed, trained movers who wrap, board, strap, and carry the weight the way an instrument requires
- The right equipment included at no fee, from the padded piano board to the proper dollies, straps, and tie-downs
- Honest, careful handling backed by our brand promise to take care of people, with owners Lauren and Kevin Melendez standing behind every move
- We help coordinate the building paperwork a piano move often needs, including your COI and freight-elevator and loading-dock reservations
- Fully licensed and insured: City license 70318261, MC #087428, DOT #3120049, IL license 220206, insured by Progressive with workers comp through Pinnacle Point
- Local and interstate piano moves, so the same careful crew can move your instrument across Chicago or across the lower 48
We Handle the Building Headaches, Not Just the Boxes
In Chicago, the furniture is rarely the hard part. The freight elevator is booked, the condo board wants a Certificate of Insurance before the crew gets past the lobby, and there's nowhere legal to park the truck. We plan all of that before move day.
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
Many high-rises and condo associations require a COI on file before move day, and some won't let the crew past the lobby without one. Send us your building's requirements and we coordinate the paperwork with property management.
Freight Elevators & Loading Docks
We help reserve your freight-elevator window and loading-dock time slot, then plan the move around them so your slot is never lost.
City Permits & Parking
On blocks without a dock, the truck needs a legal spot. We walk you through Chicago's moving-truck permits and posted signage so you're not circling on move day.
Walk-Ups & Vintage Stairwells
Tight greystone staircases and narrow doorways are our normal. We measure first, protect woodwork and floors, and disassemble whatever needs to come apart.
Not sure what your building requires? Tell us about it and we'll handle the paperwork and scheduling.
Honest, Transparent Pricing
The number one fear when hiring movers is a final bill that blows past the quote. We explain exactly how pricing works and confirm the details with a direct call before move day, so the number you hear is the number you pay.
Hourly Pricing
Best for most local moves. You pay for the crew and truck by the hour, with a clear estimate up front of how long your move should take based on your home and access.
Flat-Rate & Binding Estimates
Best when you want one locked number, common for long-distance moves or moves with tricky building access. We assess your inventory and access up front and hold the price.
What Drives Your Final Cost
- How much you're moving (your inventory volume)
- Access on both ends: stairs, elevators, and carry distance
- Packing help and specialty items like pianos or antiques
- Storage needs between closings
- Timing, since month-end and summer are the busiest
Our No-Surprises Promise
- No surprise stair or long-carry fees
- No last-minute truck or fuel charges
- No inflated materials upsells
- Standard equipment included at no fee
Related Moving Services
All servicesAreas We Serve
We provide piano moving across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, within about 50 miles of our Northwest Side base.
- Chicago, IL
- Mount Prospect, IL
- Naperville, IL
- Evanston, IL
- Oak Park, IL
- Plainfield, IL
- Aurora, IL
- Schaumburg, IL
- Elgin, IL
- Arlington Heights, IL
- Bolingbrook, IL
- Saint Charles, IL
- Wheaton, IL
- Des Plaines, IL
- Crystal Lake, IL
- Barrington, IL
- Lombard, IL
- Orland Park, IL
- Palatine, IL
- Downers Grove, IL
- Joliet, IL
- Tinley Park, IL
- Skokie, IL
- Kenosha, WI
Piano Moving FAQs
Yes. We move uprights, consoles, and spinets as well as baby grands. Uprights are top-heavy and get wrapped, set on a piano board, strapped, and rolled on the right dollies. A baby grand comes off its legs and lyre, rides on its side on a padded piano board, and gets reassembled at the new home. We handle the wrapping, weight, and protection for both.
That is a big part of what we do here. Walk-ups, greystone stairwells, and three-flat landings with tight half-turns are everyday Chicago piano moves for our crew. We send enough movers to control the weight, protect the stairs and walls, and take the turns slowly. The key is telling us about the staircase ahead of time so we plan the crew size and route before move day.
Most Chicago condo and high-rise buildings want a Certificate of Insurance on file before move day and a reserved freight-elevator and loading-dock time slot, often booked two to four weeks ahead. We help coordinate the COI and the elevator and dock reservation so the piano moves on schedule instead of getting held up in the lobby. Let us know your building and we will sort out the paperwork with you.
We wrap the instrument in moving blankets and stretch to guard the finish, lid, keys, and corners, then secure it to a padded piano board with furniture straps. The piano rides strapped down and braced inside the truck with rope or tie-downs, and we lay floor protection along the carry path so nothing drags or scrapes on either end.
Most pianos benefit from a tuning after any move, because the change in location, temperature, and humidity can shift the strings slightly even when the instrument is handled perfectly. That is normal and not a sign of damage. We recommend letting the piano settle in its new spot for a couple of weeks, then scheduling a tuning with your technician.
Either works. We can move your piano as a standalone job or fold it into a full local or long-distance move. We are based in Chicago and serve within about 50 miles for local work, and we also handle interstate moves across the lower 48, so the same careful crew can take your instrument across town or across the country. Reach out for a quote either way.
Three things, in order: the type and weight of the piano, the stairs and turns on both ends, and access. An upright on a ground floor with a wide doorway is straightforward; a baby grand coming down a narrow greystone staircase with a hairpin landing takes more crew, more time, and a piano board. Long carries from the alley or street, no nearby parking, and freight-elevator buildings that require a COI all add to it. We give you a clear estimate after we know the piano model and see photos of both the pickup and the destination.
Book a piano move a week or two out when you can, especially around the end of the month and on weekends when our crews fill up fast. Winter is fine, we move pianos year-round, but cold and salt matter: we lay runners so the piano board and dolly do not track slush across your floors, and we keep the instrument wrapped and padded against the temperature swing between a heated home and the truck. If you are moving a grand in January, give the piano a day to acclimate before you have it tuned at the new place.
What Customers Say
This is the 20th time I've moved in my adult life, and Melendez Moving is, hands down, the most professional and meticulous moving company I've ever used. They took better care moving my baby grand than the piano company did when I bought it. I couldn't recommend them more highly.
From start to finish, Melendez Moving exceeded my expectations. I had a long out-of-state move (Chicago to Dallas) and they delivered all my belongings without a scratch within 48 hours. Prompt, knowledgeable, and very friendly.
I've moved many times, both long haul and local, and this was by far the best small moving crew I've ever hired. They treated my property as if it were their own. My final cost was exactly as estimated; nothing was damaged or broken.
Need Piano Moving in Chicago?
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