Piano Movers in Modesto

A piano is not a heavy piece of furniture. It is a heavy piece of furniture with its weight in the wrong place. An upright carries most of its mass high and toward the back, behind the plate and the strings, so it wants to tip in a direction you are not expecting. A grand carries most of its weight over three legs that were never designed to be pushed sideways.

The numbers are part of it. Spinets and small consoles start around 300 pounds. Full uprights run 400 to 500 and up. Baby grands and grands run from around 500 pounds to well over 1,000. That is enough weight that a slip does not end with a scuff.

The risk runs two ways. The instrument can be damaged — a snapped leg, a cracked case, a bent pedal lyre, a gouged finish — and none of that is cheap to put right. And people get hurt. A piano that starts to go on a staircase cannot be caught by hand. Enough hands, the right straps and a planned route are the whole job.

Straps. Proper piano straps let the crew carry with their legs and keep control of the instrument on stairs and thresholds instead of wrestling it.

Piano dollies. Built to take the load and roll it without twisting the case. Grands go onto a dolly on their side, on a board — never rolled on their own legs and casters, which are decorative more often than people think.

Skid boards. A grand comes off its legs and lyre, gets wrapped and strapped to a skid board, and moves on its long side. That is how a grand is meant to travel, and reassembly at the far end is part of the job.

Padding. Blankets and wrap over the case, the corners, the lid and the keyboard, plus protection on your door frames, banisters and floors. We would rather spend ten minutes padding than an hour explaining a mark.

A planned route. We measure doorways, look at turns and landings, and decide the path before the piano moves an inch. Most piano damage happens because someone found the tight spot halfway through.

Upright pianos of every height, from the short ones to the old tall uprights that weigh far more than they look. Spinets and consoles. Studio uprights. Baby grands, parlor grands and full grands. Player pianos, which carry extra weight in the mechanism.

We also move organs and other awkward instruments, and we handle the furniture that goes with them — benches, stools and cabinets. Piano work and furniture work have shared a shop here since 1991, so a move can be combined with refinishing, cleaning or storage if the instrument needs it.

Local moves. House to house, house to church or school, or across town to a new owner. Most of our moves are inside the Central Valley and done in a day.

Into and out of storage. We store pianos as well as move them, wrapped and kept off the floor, so a remodel, a sale or a move between houses does not mean leaving an instrument in a garage.

Moves within a home. Remodeling, new flooring, or you simply want the piano in the other room. It is a short job and a common one, and it still needs the right equipment.

Stairs. Routine for us with enough crew and the right gear. Tell us how many steps, whether there is a turn, and how wide the landing is, and we will plan for it before the truck arrives.

A note worth saying: a piano should be tuned after a move once it has settled into the new room. We will tell you when to have it done.

Nixon's Oak Tree House is at 301 Maze Blvd, Modesto, CA 95351. We move pianos in Modesto, Ceres, Turlock, Riverbank, Oakdale, Salida, Manteca and Stockton, and throughout the northern San Joaquin Valley.

You can see our work on the Before & Afters page, and there is more on furniture repair if you have other pieces that need work. Call (209) 524-6349 or request an estimate.

How much does it cost to move a piano?

It depends on the instrument, the distance and the access at both ends. An upright going from one ground-floor room to another is a small job. A grand coming down a flight of stairs and across town is a bigger one. Tell us the type of piano, both addresses and any stairs, and we will give you a real number.

Can regular movers move a piano?

Most should not. A piano carries its weight high and unevenly, and general movers usually do not have piano dollies, skid boards or the training to keep one under control. That is where people get hurt and instruments get damaged. It is a specialist job.

Do you move pianos up and down stairs?

Yes. Stairs are routine for us, with the right crew size, straps and a skid board. Tell us how many steps, whether there is a turn, and how wide the landing is when you call, and we will plan for it.

Do you move pianos into storage?

Yes, and we store them too. Pianos in our care are wrapped and kept off the floor. Ask about storage when you call at (209) 524-6349.