A piano that is shipping a long way, going overseas, or sitting in storage for months needs more than padding and a strap; it needs a proper crate. Wrapping handles a move across town, but a multi-week haul, an ocean container, or a year in a warehouse calls for a rigid skid crate built around the instrument so the case, the soundboard, and the action ride through it untouched. Mt Auburn Piano Movers crates pianos in the Watertown shop, sized to the exact piece, whether it is an upright headed to a relative across the country or a concert grand bound for a hall overseas.
How a piano gets crated
Crating bears no resemblance to draping blankets over the case. A grand is tipped onto a skid board, the legs, lyre, and pedals come off and are wrapped and boxed separately, the keyboard lid is secured, and the case is padded and shrink-wrapped before the crate is built around it. For long-term or export work we frame a wooden skid crate to the instrument’s measurements, brace the interior so the case cannot shift, and seal it against dust and moisture, because a piano hates the humidity swings of a long voyage as much as it hates a hard knock. The lyre, legs, and pedal assembly travel in their own padded compartment so nothing fragile rides loose. Crating runs $300 to $700 per piano depending on size and whether it is export-grade.
New England’s climate is the reason the crate matters as much as the carpentry. A piano that leaves a humid Boston summer for a dry winter destination, or sits through freeze-thaw swings in transit, can crack a soundboard or loosen a pin block if it is only blanket-wrapped. The crate holds the instrument steady and slows the change in air around it, and on arrival the piano still wants two to four weeks to acclimate to the new room before a technician tunes it. Hand us a single grand to crate for shipping, or a full studio of uprights bound for storage, and each one is wrapped, prepped, and crated to survive the trip.
The crating materials and prep our shop brings
- Rigid wooden skid crates framed to the exact instrument, export-grade on request
- Heavy moving quilts, shrink wrap, and corner protection over the case before the crate goes on
- A separate padded compartment for the legs, lyre, and pedal assembly
- Interior bracing and a sealed shell against dust and the humidity swings of a long haul
Crating a piano for an interstate or overseas trip? Pair it with our long-distance piano transport so one crew crates, loads, and drives it. Just moving a crated instrument across town? Our local piano moving crew carries it. Get a free quote and we will respond within one business hour.
What’s Included
- A rigid wooden skid crate framed to the exact instrument, export-grade on request
- A grand tipped onto a skid board with legs, lyre, and pedals off, wrapped, and boxed separately
- Heavy quilts, shrink wrap, and corner protection over the case before the crate goes on
- A separate padded compartment so the legs, lyre, and pedal assembly never ride loose
- Interior bracing so the case cannot shift inside the crate on a multi-week haul
- A sealed shell against dust and the humidity swings of a long voyage or warehouse
- Crating priced at $300 to $700 per piano, stated by size and whether it is export-grade
- The whole job from one piano to a full studio of uprights, each crated to survive the trip
What Does It Cost?
Per-piano flat pricing — uprights from $220, grands by the room
Two trained piano movers, the truck, the piano boards, and all the pads and dollies are part of the price.
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