Getting a Piano Into an Upstairs Condo

People buy a condo, then wonder whether the piano can come. It is a fair question and the answer depends on things that can be checked in advance rather than discovered on the day.

Just-In-Time Moving is locally owned and works throughout St. George and Washington County.

The lift is the first question

If there is one, measure it properly: width, depth and, critically, the door opening, which is usually smaller than the car.

An upright will often go into a lift standing. A grand on its board is long, and length is what a lift rarely accommodates.

Ask whether the lift must be booked, whether it can be padded, whether there are permitted hours, and what its load limit is. A piano plus a crew plus equipment is a real load.

If it is stairs

Possible for an upright to a second floor with a competent crew and a suitable staircase. Beyond that it depends entirely on the specifics.

What we assess: the number of flights, whether there is a turn or a landing, the width, whether the handrail can come off, headroom through the whole run, and how tight the doorway is at each end.

A straight run is far better than a winder. Going up is harder than going down. And an upright is top-heavy, which on a staircase is the thing that matters most.

There are staircases where the honest answer is no, and we would rather say so at the quoting stage.

The building's rules

Check before you commit. Many complexes here restrict move-in hours, require booking, and want a certificate of insurance from the mover. Some HOAs have rules about heavy items on upper floors.

Ask about the floor structure too. An upper floor is joisted, and while most pianos are within what a residential floor handles, positioning against a load-bearing wall is better than mid-span. If the instrument is heavy, that is a question for somebody qualified.

Then think about the neighbours

Not a moving question, and worth raising before the instrument arrives rather than after a complaint. Ask what the rules say about noise and hours, and consider where the piano sits relative to shared walls.

An interior wall away from the shared boundary is better for the neighbours and better for the instrument, since it keeps it off an exterior wall.

Send photographs

The stairwell from top and bottom, any turn, the lift with its door open, and the doorway. That is what we quote from, and it is what prevents a crew arriving to a job that cannot proceed.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.