Piano moving in Valencia: how it works and what drives cost
Moving a piano in Valencia has no flat fee: it is priced like any other job, with a van and driver at €50/h (two-hour minimum) plus €20/h for each mover. What changes is the crew and the time. An upright piano weighs between 150 and 300 kg and usually needs 3–4 people; a grand weighs from 250 kg to over 500 kg, and its legs have to come off before it travels on a piano board. The carrier gives you the final price based on photos of the piano, the staircase and the entrance.
MoveValencia does not move the piano itself: we help you estimate the job and match you with an authorised carrier from our network with experience in piano and valuables transport. Below: what each type of piano weighs, what adds time, how to prepare the instrument and when to have it tuned.
How much a piano weighs and what crew it needs
Weight decides how many people are needed, and the number of people drives much of the price. The figures are approximate: two pianos of the same height can differ by 50 kg depending on the maker and age.
| Type of piano | Approximate weight | Usual crew | What makes it harder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small upright (up to ~115 cm tall) | 150–220 kg | 3 people | Narrow stairs and turns |
| Large or antique upright with iron frame | 220–300 kg | 4 people | Concentrated weight, short landings |
| Baby grand (up to ~170 cm) | 250–350 kg | 3–4 people + board | Removing legs, lyre and pedals |
| Parlour or concert grand | 350–500 kg or more | Specialist carrier | Access, sometimes a lifting platform |
| Digital piano | 20–60 kg | 1–2 people | Nothing special: it moves like furniture |
A digital piano needs none of what follows: it goes as ordinary furniture transport, well wrapped and kept upright.
How the price is worked out
The formula is the same as for any job within the city:
Price = hours × €50 (van with driver) + hours × number of movers × €20
For example, if the carrier estimates 2 hours with 3 movers, the sum would be 2 × 50 + 2 × 3 × 20 = €220. That illustrates the formula; it is not a piano price. Your figure depends on the hours and the number of people the carrier judges necessary from your photos. Stairs carry no per-floor surcharge; they add time or call for one more person. If you only need extra hands and no vehicle, the hourly rate is on the loaders in Valencia page.
What adds time (and therefore cost)
- The staircase. A straight flight is one thing; a spiral staircase or short landings where the piano cannot turn is another. In the older buildings of Ciutat Vella, Russafa or the Cabanyal, narrow stairs are what adds the most time.
- The lift. A piano often fits by size but not by weight: a 250 kg upright plus two people can easily exceed the rated load of a residential lift. Check the maximum load plate inside the car before counting on it.
- Doors and corridors. An upright is about 55–65 cm deep; measure the narrowest door on the route, including the street door.
- Distance to the entrance. You cannot “stroll” 80 metres with a piano the way you can with a box. If the van cannot stop close by, allow more time and sometimes a reserved space on the street.
- The façade. If the piano will not go down the stairs, the alternative is a lifting platform through a window or balcony. That usually needs permission from the town hall to occupy the street; the carrier will tell you whether it applies in your case.
How to prepare a piano for the move
- Measure the piano and the route. Height, width and depth of the piano, plus the width of the door, hallway, lift and stairs at both addresses.
- Send photos on WhatsApp or through the website form. The piano from the front and side, the staircase including turns, the entrance, the inside of the lift and the spot where it will stand. From those the carrier decides crew and time.
- Clear it on top and inside. Remove sheet music, metronome, photos and anything stored in the bench or inside the case.
- Close the keyboard lid. If it locks, lock it and keep the key; if not, the crew will secure it when wrapping.
- Do not push it yourself. The decorative castors on many pianos are not built to roll 250 kg: they scratch floors and can snap.
- Let the crew wrap and secure it. Padded blankets, stretch film, straps and a dolly or platform for an upright; for a grand, legs, lyre and pedals off, and the body on its side on a piano board.
- Choose the spot in your new home. An interior wall is best, away from sunny windows, radiators and air-conditioning vents. The crew will place and level it; moving it again later is another job for several people.
Tuning after the move
Almost any piano goes out of tune after a move, less from knocks than from the change in temperature and humidity. In Valencia’s humid coastal climate, the difference between an inner-block flat and one near the sea is noticeable to both wood and strings.
The usual advice is to wait around 2–4 weeks for the piano to acclimatise, then call a piano tuner (afinador). Tune it on day one and you will be doing it again a few weeks later. In the meantime, try to keep the room’s humidity steady (many technicians suggest roughly 45–60%) and avoid placing the piano directly under the air conditioning. Tuning is quoted and done by the tuner; the carrier is responsible only for the move.
Grand pianos, antiques and difficult access
An upright in a building with a reasonable staircase is well within the reach of a good crew with the right kit. Some cases call for going a step further:
- large parlour and concert grands;
- antique instruments or ones with high sentimental value, where it is worth asking about cargo insurance;
- access where the only way out is through the façade;
- moves outside the province, which are also priced per kilometre, as explained in our guide to moving from Valencia to Madrid.
In those cases we help you find a carrier in our network who specialises in pianos, and they set the price after seeing photos or checking the access.
If the piano is part of a full house move
If you are moving home and the piano is one item among many, mention it from the start when you ask for a quote for your flat move. Moving the piano within the same job is usually cheaper than a separate trip, because the van and the minimum hours are already paid for; you just need to plan for more hands on the day. For how it all adds up, see the full breakdown of what a move in Valencia costs.
Message us on WhatsApp or through the form with photos of the piano, the stairs and both entrances. We will help you estimate the job and match you with an authorised carrier who confirms the price before work starts.
