Piano moving in Ottawa: tell us the piano, a local crew calls with a quote
Uprights, grands and digital pianos each need a different crew and plan. Describe the piano and the stairs, and a local crew calls to price it.
In short
- 01A Canadian price guide puts a local upright move at $250–700 and a baby grand at $500–900.
- 02Stairs usually cost extra: guides cite $50–150 per flight.
- 03Local piano moves are usually quoted as a flat rate, with a crew of 2–3 and 4 or more for a grand.
- 04Budget for a tuning after the move: $100–200 in the same guide.
Typical ranges
Source Canada-wide ranges from HomeStars, Piano Moving Costs in Canada: 2026 Price Guide (updated August 2026, checked October 2026). We found no reliable Ottawa-only price source. The company that calls you quotes its own price.
What to ask before you book
- Q1Is the price a flat rate for the whole move, and what would change it on the day?
- Q2How many people come for my piano, and what equipment do you bring: piano board, straps, padding?
- Q3What do you charge per flight of stairs at each address, and does a turn in the stairs change it?
- Q4For a grand: what do you take apart, how do you carry it, and do you level it at the new place?
- Q5How is the piano covered if it is damaged in transit, and up to what amount?
Before the visit
- Measure every door, hallway and stair turn on the path, at both addresses.
- Count the steps outside and inside, including the ones to the porch.
- Note the make, model and type of the piano; a photo helps the crew plan.
- Clear the path and take down pictures and lamps along it.
- Choose the spot in the new home away from heat vents, radiators and outside doors.
What sets the price
Piano moves are usually quoted as a flat rate, and the rate comes from five things:
- Type and size. A digital piano weighs little. A full upright is tall and heavy. A grand is the biggest job, with the biggest crew.
- Stairs. Each flight adds people, time and risk. Guides cite $50–150 per flight.
- The path. Tight doors, a turn on the stairs, a long walk from the truck.
- Distance. A move across Ottawa is local. Montreal is about 198 km away and Toronto about 449 km, so they fall in different distance bands.
- Extras. A wooden crate, storage, a crane through a window, tuning after the move.
The price table above comes from a Canada-wide guide. We found no reliable Ottawa-only source for piano prices, so treat the table as a reference point for the call.
Uprights
Console and studio uprights are shorter and lighter; full uprights are taller and heavier. The price guide puts the crew for most pianos at two or three people. Ask what equipment they bring for your stairs.
Before you call, look at where the stairs turn. A straight flight is one problem. A landing with a 90-degree turn is a different one, and the crew needs to know about it.
Grands and baby grands
Grands need four or more people, according to the same guide. Ask the crew to walk you through their plan before the day: what comes apart, how the piano travels through the house, and how they put it back together and level it at the new place.
Measure the narrowest door on the path and give the crew the number. It decides whether the piano goes through the door or out a window.
Digital pianos and keyboards
A digital piano can go with the rest of the household move. Keep the original box if you have it, or wrap the keyboard in blankets. If the stand comes apart, bag the screws and tape the bag to the back.
Ottawa winters and your piano
Cold and dry air are hard on a piano. On a winter move, ask the crew to load the piano last and unload it first, so it spends the least time in a cold truck. In the new home, keep it away from heat vents, radiators and outside doors.
Tuning after the move
A move and a new room with different heat and humidity can pull the piano out of tune. Let it settle for a while in its new spot, then book a tuner. Your tuner will tell you how long to wait. The guide puts a tuning at $100–200.
Moving a piano out of Ottawa
For Montreal, Toronto or farther, the price follows the distance. The same guide lists $600–1,500 for an upright moved 50–300 km and $1,000–2,500 for 300–1,000 km. Pick Piano moving in the work order and write both cities in the details.
What to write in the work order
Name the type, and the make and model if you know them. Count the steps at each address, inside and out, and say where the stairs turn. Give the narrowest door width on the path. Add both postal codes and the date. A photo of the piano in place helps the crew plan the equipment before it calls you.
See also: moving cost in Ottawa, Ottawa Moving Desk home.
Questions
01How much does it cost to move a piano in Ottawa?
We found no reliable Ottawa-only figures. A Canadian 2026 price guide puts a local move at $250–500 for a console upright, $400–700 for a full upright and $500–900 for a baby grand, plus stair charges. The company that calls quotes its own price.
02Who moves my piano?
Pick Piano moving in the work order and describe the piano, the stairs and both addresses. We pass the request to a local company that takes piano jobs.
03How much extra are stairs?
The 2026 price guide says most piano movers charge $50–150 per flight. Narrow turns and outside steps count too, so describe both addresses in the request.
04Should I tune the piano after the move?
Plan for it. The price guide lists retuning after a move at $100–200. Let the piano settle in the new room first, then book a tuner.
05What if the piano does not fit through the door?
Some jobs go through a window with a crane. The guide puts that at $750–1,000. Measure first, and tell the crew the tightest point on the path.