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A piano always ships as freight: no LetterAgent label or standard parcel service can take one, since LetterAgent's labels cap at five kilograms and cover Canada-only Xpresspost. Professional piano movers or freight carriers crate or pad-wrap the instrument, often on a skid, and climate matters for real wood and felt. Get a quote from a mover that specifically handles pianos, not a general courier.
| Piano type | What shipping involves | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Upright / console | Pad-wrapped, strapped to a skid or piano board, moved by a crew | Stairs and tight doorways; measure every turn |
| Baby or full grand | Legs and pedals removed, body wrapped and crated on its side | Must be reassembled and tuned after delivery |
| Digital piano | Can sometimes go as a large parcel in its original box | Remove the stand and pack it separately |
Weight and fragility, in that order. Even a modest upright weighs several hundred pounds, far beyond any parcel limit, and a grand piano's size makes it a freight shipment by dimensions alone. But weight is only half the story. A piano is thousands of moving parts under tension: strings, hammers, felts, and a soundboard that responds to humidity. Dropping it, tipping it, or baking it in a hot trailer can cause damage that does not show up until the next tuning. Freight carriers and piano movers have the equipment for this: skid boards, ramps, liftgates, and crews trained to keep the instrument level. A parcel network has none of it.
The standard method is pad-wrap and crate. Movers wrap the piano in thick moving blankets, strap it to a piano board or skid, and for long distances build a wooden crate around it. Grands travel on their side with the legs, pedals, and music desk removed and packed separately; every screw and small part goes in a labeled bag. Climate matters more than people expect: real wood and felt swell and shrink with humidity and temperature swings, so for valuable instruments ask about a climate-controlled truck rather than a standard trailer. And plan for the piano to need tuning after the move. Any piano that travels needs to acclimatize to its new home for a few weeks, then be tuned. That is normal, not a sign of damage.
First, do they move pianos specifically, or just furniture? Piano moving is its own trade, and a general mover without piano experience is a gamble. Ask whether crating is included or extra, how they handle stairs and elevators at both ends, and what their insurance valuation covers: standard carrier liability is often far below a piano's value, so ask about declared-value coverage. Get the pickup and delivery windows in writing, and confirm who is responsible if the piano has to sit in storage between homes. For a grand or any instrument worth real money, the cheapest quote is rarely the right one.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
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