Piano Removal in Minneapolis — Any Size, Any Floor
Uprights, grands, consoles, spinets — we remove them all. Stairs, tight doorways, upstairs bedrooms. We've done it hundreds of times.
Call or text: (651) 373-6627
Real Reviews From Real Customers
Very professional and astute. I'm recommend their services to everyone I know!
Thanks for the help! Friendly and great services!
The gentlemen showed up yesterday evening and were so quick and professional. Anyone needing removal service, I strongly recommend Alpha Haulers!
Great people great experience!
I had a great experience with Alpha Haulers Junk Removal, especially Jose. He was efficient, kind, and really understanding throughout the whole process.
Very professional and astute. I'm recommend their services to everyone I know!
Thanks for the help! Friendly and great services!
The gentlemen showed up yesterday evening and were so quick and professional. Anyone needing removal service, I strongly recommend Alpha Haulers!
Great people great experience!
I had a great experience with Alpha Haulers Junk Removal, especially Jose. He was efficient, kind, and really understanding throughout the whole process.
Pianos Are Heavy, Awkward, and Dangerous to Move Wrong
An upright piano weighs between 300 and 500 pounds. A console upright runs 350 to 450. A baby grand sits in the 500 to 600 pound range, and a full grand can push past 1,000. The weight is not the only problem — it is the weight combined with a narrow, top-heavy shape, delicate internal mechanics, and feet that will punch holes in drywall the instant you lose control on a staircase.
Most people cannot move a piano safely. Not because they are not strong, but because they do not have the right equipment. A proper piano move uses piano skids, heavy-duty straps, four-wheel dollies, and a crew that knows how to pivot 500 pounds of cast iron and hard maple through a doorway without scratching the jamb.
Alpha Haulers has the dollies, the straps, the blankets, and the experience. We disassemble what needs to be disassembled — grand piano legs, the lyre, the lid — and reassemble at the destination if you are relocating. We do not scratch floors. We do not gouge walls. We do not leave you with a damaged banister or a dented refrigerator on the way out. And when the piano is headed to disposal, we recycle what we can and donate what still has life in it.
Every Piano Type, With the Weights to Prove It
Upright Pianos
300-500 lbs. Full-size upright, console upright, studio upright. Most common piano we remove.
Console Pianos
350-450 lbs. Shorter than a full upright, often with decorative cabinet.
Spinet Pianos
250-350 lbs. Smallest of the vertical pianos. Easiest to remove.
Baby Grand Pianos
500-600 lbs. Requires partial disassembly (legs, lyre, lid).
Grand Pianos
700-1,200 lbs. Full disassembly for tight spaces. We have the crew.
Concert Grand Pianos
1,000-1,400 lbs. Rare in homes but we've moved these out of churches and performance halls.
Digital Pianos & Keyboards
Significantly lighter (50-200 lbs). Still awkward — we haul these too.
Player Pianos
Often heavier than standard (500+ lbs). The mechanism adds weight.
Broken or Damaged Pianos
Don't care about saving it? We haul-away pianos as junk removal — cheaper than restoration moves.
Our Piano Removal Process
Tell Us About the Piano
Call or text with the type (upright, grand, etc.), the current location (main floor, basement, upstairs), and where it's going (disposal, donation, another home). We'll give you an upfront price.
We Arrive Prepared
Dollies, piano skids, straps, furniture blankets. For grands, we bring the disassembly tools. We protect your floors and doorways before we even touch the piano.
We Disassemble If Needed
Grands get legs, lyre, and lid removed. Uprights usually go out whole. Tight doorway? We can remove the piano's outer cabinet temporarily if needed.
Safe Removal & Disposal
We load into our trucks, haul to disposal or donation. Working pianos go to local charities when possible — broken pianos are recycled (wood, metal, felt, strings all separated).
Why Minneapolis Chooses Us for Piano Removal
We Handle Any Size
From 250-lb spinets to 1,200-lb concert grands. If it's a piano, we can move it. We don't shy away from the big jobs like some companies do.
Stairs Pricing Is Upfront
Most companies hide a "stair surcharge" until the invoice. Ours is included in the quote: $75 per flight of stairs for most pianos, $125 for grands. You know before we start.
Disassembly When Needed
Grand pianos often need partial disassembly to fit through doorways. We know how to remove legs, the lyre, and the lid without damage, and reassemble at destination if requested.
Removal OR Moving
If you're disposing of the piano, we haul it as junk removal (cheaper). If you're relocating it, we move it carefully like a moving company. Just tell us which.
Piano Weights & What They Mean for Removal
Not all pianos are created equal. The size and weight of your piano directly affects the crew we bring, the tools we use, and the time required. Here's a quick breakdown of what we typically see in Minneapolis homes — and what each one means for removal day.
Spinet
250–350 lbs
Smallest vertical piano, typically under 40" tall. Easiest removal — usually handled by 2 crew members on a single dolly.
Console
350–450 lbs
Slightly larger vertical, 40–44" tall. Still manageable by 2–3 crew with piano dollies.
Studio Upright
400–500 lbs
Common teaching piano, 45–48" tall. Requires 3 crew members minimum.
Full Upright
500–800 lbs
Pre-1930s or professional uprights. Extremely heavy — 4 crew minimum, specialized equipment.
Baby Grand
500–600 lbs
4'6" to 5'6" long. Requires partial disassembly (legs, lyre, lid removed).
Medium Grand
600–750 lbs
5'7" to 6'4" long. Full disassembly typical.
Concert Grand
900–1,400 lbs
8'+ long. Specialized removal — we plan each job individually.
Digital / Stage Piano
50–200 lbs
Weighted-key electronic keyboards. Light work compared to acoustic.
Player Piano
600–900 lbs
Contains pneumatic or electronic playback mechanism adding 100–200 lbs over a standard upright.
Not sure what kind of piano you have? Text us a photo at (651) 373-6627 and we'll identify it. Most people don't know the difference between a console and a studio upright — that's our job.
The Disassembly Process — What Actually Happens
For grand pianos and some large uprights, safe removal requires partial disassembly. This isn't destructive — it's how pianos are designed to be moved. Here's exactly what we do when the job calls for it, step by step, so there are no surprises on removal day.
Remove the lid and music stand
The top lid lifts off the grand piano frame. On uprights, the top and fallboard come off separately. This reduces height by 4–12 inches and makes the piano maneuverable through standard doorways.
Unbolt and remove the legs and lyre
On grand pianos, three legs support the body. We carefully tilt the piano onto a heavily padded piano skid, remove each leg, and the lyre (the pedal assembly). Everything gets wrapped separately.
Wrap and strap the body
The piano body (now called the "case") sits on the piano skid. We wrap it in heavy moving blankets and strap it down. This is how it travels — on its side, on a padded skid, strapped secure.
Navigate the exit path
Narrow doorways, tight turns, stairs — the disassembled piano is still 300–500 lbs but much more manageable. We use skid boards for stairs and clear walking paths for wall protection.
For most upright pianos, we don't disassemble at all — just protect, tilt onto the dolly, and move. Disassembly is reserved for grands and extreme access situations.
Stair Surcharge Transparency — Here's What You'll Pay
Most piano removal companies hide stair pricing until they hand you the invoice. We don't play that game. Here's our exact pricing structure so you know what to expect before we ever pull up to your house.
Why the difference between uprights and grands? Grand pianos are not only heavier, they're awkward on their side and require more crew to safely navigate each step. A 600-lb upright going down 12 stairs is one thing. A 1,000-lb grand on a padded skid going down the same stairs needs four people, slow careful work, and backup safety equipment.
Real Jobs We've Done
Piano removal is never routine. Here are a few recent jobs that show the range of what we handle.
Baby Grand from a Finished Basement
Edina family wanted to convert their finished basement into a home gym. The 1970s Baldwin baby grand had been in the basement for 20 years — nobody played it anymore and the family didn't want to sell it (they wanted a professional to handle disposal). The basement had a finished staircase with a 90-degree turn at the top. We disassembled the piano on-site (legs, lyre, lid), carried the case up the stairs on a padded skid (took 4 crew members), and hauled everything away. Total job: 3 hours. Customer was shocked how efficiently it went.
Upright from a Third-Floor Apartment
Macalester-Groveland renter was moving out and didn't want to pay to relocate the old upright that came with the apartment. The building had no elevator and a narrow staircase. We brought 4 crew and two piano dollies, rigged a pulley-assist system for the final flight, and had the 450-lb piano out in under 90 minutes. Donated to a local music school because it was still in playable condition.
Concert Grand from a Downtown Minneapolis Penthouse
A downsizing client needed a 1920s Steinway concert grand removed from a penthouse condo. This one was a puzzle — the piano had been hoisted in through the balcony decades ago, and wouldn't fit through the hallway. We coordinated with building management to reverse-engineer the original installation (balcony hoist), disassembled the piano fully, and lowered it in sections via a boom truck. Specialized job, specialized pricing — but we got it done without damaging the building or the piano.
What Happens to Your Piano After Removal
We don't take pianos to the dump by default. Every piano that comes through our trucks gets evaluated first, and we do our best to find a second life for the instrument.
Donation (playable pianos)
If the piano still plays and holds reasonable tuning, we connect it with local partners — music schools, community centers, churches, and families. You can even request a tax receipt from the receiving organization.
Parts recovery (damaged but salvageable)
Piano action assemblies, keys, and hammers are valuable to restorers and piano technicians. Cast iron harps and strings go to specialty recyclers. Even a non-playable piano often has parts worth saving.
Full recycling (beyond-repair)
The cast iron plate, strings, and hammers are separated and recycled. Wood cabinets are broken down and recycled through local wood recovery programs. Felt, ivory key tops (old pianos only), and paper are handled appropriately. Minimal landfill.
DIY vs. Hiring Us
Can you move a piano yourself? Maybe. Should you? Almost never. Here's the honest trade-off.
DIY Piano Removal
- You need 4–6 strong friends
- Rental truck: $80–$150
- Piano dolly rental: $30–$50
- Moving blankets and straps: $50
- Risk of injury (pianos are top-heavy, 300–1,000+ lbs)
- Risk of damage to piano, floors, walls, doorways
- Disposal fees at landfill or transfer station: $50–$200
- Full day of your time
Real cost: $200–$500 plus your weekend plus injury risk
Hiring Alpha Haulers
- We bring the crew, dollies, skids, straps, and trucks
- Upfront flat-rate pricing
- Full insurance — damage is our responsibility
- Usually 1–3 hours on site
- Donation or proper recycling handled
- No injury risk to you or your friends
- No truck rental or equipment returns
- Minneapolis-based, local crews
Real cost: $200–$600 — comparable to DIY with zero hassle
We're not going to pretend we're the cheapest option for a ground-floor spinet — you could probably wrangle that with a friend and a pickup truck. But for anything larger, anything with stairs, or anything you care about not damaging, professional removal pays for itself.
Common Questions About Piano Removal
Upright piano removal typically starts at $200-$400. Baby grands are $350-$600. Concert grands can be $500-$900+. Stair flights, long carries, and disassembly add to the price — but we quote upfront so there are no surprises. Text us a photo and the floor location for the fastest quote.
Removal = we take it away (disposal, donation, or recycling) — lower cost because we're not protecting it for long-term use. Moving = we transport it to a new location carefully — higher cost because of protection, climate control, and tuning considerations. Tell us which you need.
Yes, stairs add to the price because they require more crew and more time. Our rates: $75 per flight for uprights, $125 per flight for grands. Flights are counted by continuous staircases. We quote this upfront — no surprises at the end.
We handle both. Digital pianos and keyboards are lighter (50-200 lbs) but still awkward to move. We haul digital pianos, stage pianos, weighted keyboards, and organs — same scheduling as acoustic.
For grand pianos, yes — we remove legs, the lyre (pedal assembly), and sometimes the lid to fit through doorways. Uprights typically go out whole. For extremely tight access (narrow basement stairs, for example), we can partially disassemble uprights too.
Playable pianos in good condition go to local music schools, community centers, or families through our donation partners. Pianos beyond repair are recycled — wood goes to wood recycling, cast iron harp to metal scrap, strings and felt to appropriate facilities. Nothing goes straight to landfill if we can avoid it.
Same-day and next-day service is available most days. Pianos take more coordination than smaller junk jobs (we bring specific equipment and extra crew), so same-day isn't always possible — but we'll always tell you the earliest available slot when you call.
More Ways We Can Help
Ready to Finally Move That Piano?
Upright, grand, or digital — we have the crew, the equipment, and the experience. Upfront pricing including stairs. Same-day service available most days. Call now or text a photo of the piano.
CALL FOR A PIANO QUOTE →