After more than 15 years in the piano business, one reality has become impossible to ignore: many people claim they can move a piano safely, and very few actually can.
A piano is not just heavy. It is delicate, top heavy, and unforgiving when mistakes are made. One wrong move can cause damage that is costly, or sometimes impossible, to repair. When you hire a piano mover, you are placing an extraordinary amount of trust in people you may have never met.
Unfortunately, it has become harder than ever to tell who truly has the experience to do this work. With how easy it is to build a website and create a Google business listing, reviews alone no longer tell the full story. Some companies look professional on the surface but lack the training, manpower, or insurance required to safely handle a piano.
Experience in piano moving is not something that can be improvised. It is earned through years of handling real instruments in real homes, navigating stairs, tight spaces, uneven floors, and unexpected complications.
Below are five red flags to watch for before choosing who you trust with your piano.
The Piano Moving Business: Let the Buyer Beware
The piano moving industry is largely unregulated, which means there is no formal barrier to entry. In practical terms, almost anyone with a truck can claim to be a piano mover, regardless of training or experience.
While there are highly skilled professionals in this field, there are also many operators who lack the background required to safely handle an instrument of this size and complexity. Online reviews and polished websites often make it difficult for a homeowner to tell the difference.
Unlike most household items, a piano presents unique challenges during a move. Its weight distribution, size, and construction require careful planning, proper equipment, and experienced hands. Small mistakes in balance, support, or coordination can quickly lead to damage to the instrument or the surrounding property.
Understanding how this industry operates helps explain why knowing what to look for in a piano mover matters.
Red Flag 1: They Claim to Be Insured but Cannot Clearly Show Proof
Any legitimate piano moving company should be able to provide proof of insurance quickly and without hesitation. This is a routine request, and experienced companies deal with it regularly.
What matters most is not the name of the policy, but whether the company can clearly explain what is covered and what is not. A professional mover should be upfront about the scope of their coverage and willing to explain how it applies to your piano in plain language.
In some cases, movers will say they are insured when the only coverage they carry is commercial auto insurance for their truck. That type of insurance does not necessarily cover damage to your piano during handling or transport. If a company cannot clearly explain how their insurance applies to your instrument, that lack of transparency should give you pause.
If a mover struggles to provide documentation or gives vague or evasive answers when asked about coverage, that is a serious warning sign.
Red Flag 2: They Rely on a Piano Moving Machine to Do the Work
Piano moving machines are often misunderstood. While they can be useful in very specific situations, they are extremely limited in what they can actually handle.
These machines typically only work on straight staircases with ample clearance and no turns, which is rarely the reality in most homes. They are expensive, cumbersome, and often impractical. There is also legitimate concern about their large tracks causing damage to flooring surfaces.
Most experienced piano movers rely on skilled manpower rather than machines. Safe piano moving requires strength, coordination, and the ability to adapt in real time to obstacles and changing conditions. When a mover’s entire plan depends on a machine, it raises the question of what happens when that machine cannot solve the problem.
Red Flag 3: They Cannot Easily Provide References or a Verifiable History
Creating a Google business listing takes only a few minutes. Because of this, many inexperienced operators appear legitimate online without having a meaningful track record. In the Dallas market there are some Google listings that are actually owned by a marketing company and they sell the leads to the highest bidder.
Ask how long the company has been moving pianos. Ask who they have worked for. Ask for references. Established piano movers can answer these questions easily and confidently.
If a company cannot provide basic information about their history or past work, that lack of transparency should give you pause.
Red Flag 4: Scheduling Is Disorganized or Constantly Changing
Difficulty locking in a date or frequent rescheduling can be a sign that someone is trying to fit piano moves around another job or struggling to assemble the manpower needed for the move.
Piano moving is inherently risky. A 600 plus pound instrument can cause serious damage to floors, walls, or even people if something goes wrong. This is not work that should be rushed or improvised.
Reliable piano movers run organized schedules and show up with the proper crew prepared to complete the job safely.
Red Flag 5: They Are Primarily Furniture Movers
Furniture moving and piano moving are not interchangeable skill sets. Pianos behave very differently than typical household items, and small mistakes in balance or handling can quickly lead to tipping or impact damage.
Furniture moving companies often have high employee turnover and limited instrument specific training. In my shop alone, I see pianos that have been damaged or dropped by furniture movers at least once a month, who claimed they could handle the job.
If a company primarily moves furniture and only occasionally moves pianos, that is a significant risk.
Piano moving is specialized work, but it is not nearly as expensive as repairing a damaged piano. In most cases, hiring experienced professionals costs far less than people expect, especially when compared to the long term expense of structural repairs, action damage, or tuning instability caused by improper handling.
If you would like to understand what professional piano moving typically costs and what factors influence pricing, you can learn more on our cost of piano moving page.
If you are looking for experienced, piano only movers who handle instruments safely every day, you can also learn more about our piano moving services here.
Author Bio
Holt Deniger is a piano technician with over 15 years of experience in the piano industry. His work has included servicing and supporting Grammy award winning artists, Steinway artists, colleges and universities, Steinway dealers, recording studios, and broadcast news organizations.
Before becoming a piano technician, Holt worked as a professional piano mover at Steinway Hall, where he gained hands on experience moving high value instruments in demanding environments. Today, he continues to work closely with pianos that have been damaged during improper moves, giving him a unique perspective on what separates qualified piano movers from everyone else.