Piano & Fragile Item Removals

Specialist handling for pianos, antiques, fine art and anything else where the replacement cost is the whole problem.

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4.8/5

335 Google reviews · Read them

AFS Removals movers moving a blanket-wrapped piano

Meet the moversDan, Finn, James and 4 more

Lines open seven days a week, 8:00am – 10:30pm.

Crews: Our own team; Employed by AFS, never subcontracted
Quote: In writing within 24 hours; Itemised from our published rates
Cover: Included as standard; Goods in Transit & Public Liability
Coordinator: One named contact; From the quote to the last box

Best for: Pianos, antiques and artwork, wrapped and moved with extra care.
Included: Goods in Transit and Public Liability cover, our own crew and a named coordinator.
Pricing: See the rate card

Practical moving information

Some items are not a question of weight but of consequence. Pianos, antique furniture and framed art are wrapped, braced and moved as their own job within the job.

Goods in Transit cover applies to these items exactly as it does to the rest of the load — they are not treated as an exclusion because they are valuable.

Wrapped before it moves

Fragile items are wrapped and protected where they stand, before anything is lifted, and loaded so nothing can shift against them in transit.

Priced with the rest of the move

Specialist handling is built into the crew and time allowed for the job rather than sold as a separate product — tell us what needs this kind of care when you get a price, and it is accounted for in the vehicle, crew and time we quote.

Common questions

Are pianos and fragile items covered by insurance?

Yes. Goods in Transit cover applies to them in the same way it applies to the rest of the load.

Do you need extra people for a piano?

Often, yes — the crew size is matched to what is moving, and a piano is exactly the kind of item that changes that. Tell us about it when you get a price.

Can this be booked alongside a full house move?

Yes. Specialist handling for a piano, antique or artwork is planned into the same job as the rest of the move rather than run as a separate visit.

How much does piano & fragile removals cost?

The main factors are the vehicle and crew, loading and unloading time, and the distance between your two addresses. Access and any packing or furniture work help us build the rest of the quotation.

Vehicle, crew and time: For hourly moves, the rate depends on the vehicle and number of movers. Hours are billed as worked, subject to a 2- or 3-hour minimum depending on the vehicle. Tell us what is moving so we can confirm a suitable team and allow realistic loading time.
Distance and access: A vehicle-specific per-mile charge is added. Stairs, parking and the walk from the vehicle to each front door also matter: a short local journey can still involve a long loading day. Tell us about working lifts and any loading restrictions at both addresses.
The work you need us to do: Furniture dismantling and reassembly are priced per item. Packing requirements and any additional collection or delivery stops should be agreed before the move, so the quotation reflects the whole job.

A driver-only rate is not a fully crewed price. Your written quote confirms the vehicle, crew and scope of work — and the price is the total, with no VAT added on top.

Published prices to help you plan

Priced by the hour from the same vehicle and crew rate card as every other service we offer, plus mileage for the distance covered.

Separately priced work

Stairs: £10 per person on the crew, per flight of stairs, for each hour at that address — a floor is 2 flights, so a first floor is 2 flights and a third floor 6. Only the ground floor is free; a working lift means no stair charge.
A single or double bed: £50 to dismantle, £90 with reassembly at the other end. Every dismantling or reassembly booking has a £90 minimum; other furniture has its own per-item rate.

Get a written quote See the full rate card

What size removal van and crew will I need?

Property size is only a starting point. The volume of furniture and boxes, access, parking and unusually large items also affect the vehicle and crew we recommend.

A starting point for your inventory

Small Transit (SWB)
350 cu ft
Just a few items / Studio flat
2-hour minimum booking
Transit LWB
500 cu ft
1-bedroom
2-hour minimum booking
Luton Box Van
700 cu ft
2-bedroom
3-hour minimum booking
5.5 Tonne Lorry
1,000 cu ft
3-bedroom house
3-hour minimum booking
7.5 Tonne Lorry
1,300 cu ft
4-bedroom or larger
3-hour minimum booking

The capacities and minimum bookings are from our fleet data. Property suggestions are guidance, not a guaranteed vehicle allocation.

How many movers will attend?

The rate card offers 2 movers, 3 movers, 4 movers, as well as driver-only bookings. Bedroom count does not decide the crew: tell us about the furniture, stairs and any heavy items, and confirm who will handle loading and unloading when you book.

Access can change the vehicle: Narrow roads, low entrances and restricted parking may make a smaller vehicle more practical. Share height restrictions and loading rules before a vehicle is allocated.
Volume matters more than bedrooms: Include the loft, shed and garden furniture in your inventory. A lightly furnished three-bedroom house can have less to move than a full two-bedroom flat.
Large items and longer journeys need a plan: Flag pianos, heavy furniture and oversized pieces early. If the load may need more than one vehicle or journey, discuss that before booking, especially when the destination is a long way away.

Explore our vehicles

How your move works

01Tell us about your moveOnline, by phone or on WhatsApp.
02Get your written quoteItemised, within 24 hours.
03Your coordinator takes overDate, vehicle and crew confirmed by one named contact.
04Packed and loadedHome protected, everything wrapped, loaded in order.
05Unloaded and rebuiltRight rooms, furniture rebuilt, final walkthrough.

AFS crew carrying a chest of drawers out to the van on moving day

What happens on a piano or fragile item job?

Access is measured and the right equipment brought for the specific item, which is protected, secured and placed exactly where you want it.

1
Confirm the item and access in advance
The specific item and any access constraints — stairs, tight turns, doorway width — are confirmed before the day.
2
Arrival with the right equipment
Straps, blankets and trolleys suited to the confirmed item, not general moving equipment.
3
Protection and securing
The item is protected and secured before it moves at all.
4
Careful transport
Padded and secured in position for the journey, rather than loaded like general furniture.
5
Careful placement
Positioned exactly where directed at the destination.
6
Check before sign-off
The item is checked and confirmed settled correctly before the crew leaves.

What is included with piano & fragile removals?

Cover, our own crew and a named coordinator come with every move. Packing, materials and furniture dismantling are priced separately, so you only pay for what you need.

Included as standard

Goods in Transit coverIncluded on every move, not sold as an add-on.
Public Liability coverIn place on every job, at home or at work.
Our own crewEvery mover is employed by AFS. We never pass your move to a subcontractor.
One named coordinatorYour single point of contact, from the quote to the last box.

Added when you need it

What changes from one move to the next?

Two moves of the same property size can run very differently. These are the things that most often change the vehicle, the crew or the time — and the details worth telling us when you enquire.

Stairs or tight turns need to be measured for a large piano
Worth measuring and telling us in advance — the equipment and crew size for a piano depend on the exact route it has to travel, not just the item itself.
The item needs more than two people to move safely
Confirmed when you book, based on the specific item — this is priced and crewed differently from general furniture for good reason.
Fragile-item transport is combined with a wider house move
Can be booked alongside a full move — the item still gets the specialist handling, just as part of the same job.
The item is going into storage rather than directly to a new address
The same careful handling applies regardless of where it's ultimately headed — tell us the storage address and any access details there too.

These are planning examples, not records of particular jobs.

Prepare for your move

Packing fragile things so they survive the van
Most breakages do not happen in a drop. They happen slowly, over a hundred miles of vibration, to things that were packed with room to move.

How should I prepare for a piano or fragile item move?

Measure doorways, stairs and turns in advance and tell us, confirm exact placement at the destination, and clear a path before the crew arrives.

Before the day

Measure doorways, stairs and any tight turns, and tell us.
Confirm the exact placement location at the destination.
Clear a path from the entrance to the current location of the item.
Flag any other fragile items travelling in the same job.

On the day

Keep the route clear of obstacles and other traffic.
Confirm final placement before the crew leaves.

Packing takes longer than almost anyone expects.

Why customers choose AFS Removals

Each one is something you can check before you book.

4.8 out of 5 on Google
From 335 reviews. Checked 2 September 2026.
Read the reviews
Our own crews
Every mover is employed by AFS. Your move is never passed to a subcontractor, even in the busiest weeks of the year.
A written quote within 24 hours
Itemised from our published hourly, mileage, stair and furniture rates, so every line can be checked.
See the rate card
One named coordinator
The same person handles your move from the quote to the last box, and is who you call if a completion time slips.
Cover as standard
Goods in Transit and Public Liability cover are included on every move, not sold as an add-on.
20+ years in removals
AFS Removals Limited (company no. 12460159) is run by a team with more than 20 years of moving homes and offices. Lines open seven days a week, 8:00am – 10:30pm.

Moving tips

Practical guides for the parts of a move that catch people out.

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