Specialty Item Moving

Specialty items are anything that's too heavy, too fragile, or too complicated for a standard moving crew to handle safely. Pianos are the most common. An upright piano weighs 300–500 pounds and has a high center of gravity; a baby grand is 500–800 pounds and has to be disassembled (legs off, lid secured, wrapped, then loaded on a piano board). We use a four-wheel piano dolly and at least three people. If there are stairs involved, we add a fourth person and sometimes a ramp or a winch system.

Gun safes are the other big one. A loaded safe can weigh 600–1,200 pounds. We use an appliance dolly rated for the weight, and if it's going down to a basement or up to a second floor, we'll usually bring a motorized stair-climbing dolly. Some safes won't fit through standard doorways, so we measure ahead of time. If it doesn't fit, we'll take the door off the hinges or, in rare cases, remove a window.

“A loaded safe can weigh 600–1,200 pounds. We use an appliance dolly rated for the weight, and if it's going down to a basement or up to a second floor, we'll usually bring a motorized stair-climbing dolly.”

Pool tables get disassembled: felt removed, slate separated (usually three pieces on a standard 8-foot table, each weighing 200+ pounds), frame and legs labeled and packed. Reassembly at the destination includes leveling the slate and re-stretching the felt. Most moving companies subcontract pool table work to a specialist, but we handle it in-house if the job is local and the access is straightforward.

Antiques, chandeliers, and large artwork usually get custom crating if they're high-value. We'll build a wooden crate on-site, pad the item, and secure it inside. That's billed separately — materials plus labor. For most artwork and mirrors, heavy-duty blankets and corner protectors are enough.

Specialty items are quoted separately from the main move. Pricing depends on the item, the weight, the access, and whether disassembly is required. If you've got a piano or a safe and you're not sure whether we can move it, send us photos of the item and the access points (doorways, staircases, hallways) and we'll tell you what's possible.