Piano Board

A grand piano cannot be moved upright through a normal doorway because the soundboard, legs, and pedal lyre would catch on every frame. The standard process: remove the legs and pedal lyre, lay the piano on its straight (bass-side) edge onto the padded piano board, strap it down, and roll it on a piano dolly to the truck. The piano board distributes the weight across the case so no single point bears the full load, and the padding protects the finish during transit. At the destination, the process reverses — the legs and lyre are reattached after the piano is righted in place.

Pianos are dense, asymmetric, and finish-sensitive. A grand piano can weigh 500-1,000 pounds; a concert grand can exceed 1,200. Without a piano board, moving the piano requires either carrying it whole through doorways large enough to accommodate it (rare) or laying it on a moving blanket on the floor (high risk of finish damage and structural stress). The piano board is the standard tool for this work, and the crew’s familiarity with using it is what separates a clean piano move from a damaged one. Upright pianos use different techniques — typically a 4-wheel piano dolly without a board — but grand pianos almost always require a board.

Muscleman Elite carries piano boards and 4-wheel piano dollies on every truck used for piano work. Our piano crews are trained on grand, baby grand, upright, console, and player pianos. We remove and re-install the legs and pedal lyre at origin and destination, blanket-wrap the case, and secure the piano in the truck so it cannot shift in transit. Full Value Protection and crating are available for high-value pianos.

Do you use a piano board for every piano?

For grand and baby grand pianos, yes — it is the standard tool. Upright, console, and spinet pianos are typically moved on a 4-wheel piano dolly without a board, blanket-wrapped and strapped. The piano type determines the technique.

Can a piano be moved without removing the legs?

Grand and baby grand legs must be removed — they are designed to be installed and removed for transport. Upright legs are part of the case and stay attached. The crew handles all disassembly and reassembly as part of the move.

How heavy is a grand piano?

Baby grand: 500-650 lbs. Standard grand: 650-900 lbs. Concert grand: 900-1,200+ lbs. Plus weight of the bench and any music stand. Piano moving requires a trained crew and the right equipment — not a job for a standard crew to improvise.