We're a family-owned and operated piano moving business with over 37 years experience. We take great pride in our ability to provide a personal and professional experience for you, Rick, known as "The Piano Mover" takes great care to ensure that your piano is handled with the utmost care. As the saying goes, no job is too big or too small.
From a small Spinet to a 9'1 Concert Grand, one-story to multi-story locations, we've handled some of the most challenging piano moves you can imagine. Local or Long Distance, small or large, we do it all. We'll even store your piano or remove old pianos. We're always happy to discuss your specific needs and provide a quote.
In some cases, a site visit is essential. Pricing is primarily dependent on the size of your piano, but the distance traveled, stairs, multi-story buildings, and difficult maneuvers such as tight corners also affect the cost to move your piano. I own the sole piano dealership in Monterey County and Rick Howard is the professional I trust to move my pianos and those of my clients.
From a small Spinet to a 9'1 Concert Grand, one-story to multi-story locations, we've handled some of the most challenging piano moves you can imagine. Local or Long Distance, small or large, we do it all. We'll even store your piano or remove old pianos. We're always happy to discuss your specific needs and provide a quote.
In some cases, a site visit is essential. Pricing is primarily dependent on the size of your piano, but the distance traveled, stairs, multi-story buildings, and difficult maneuvers such as tight corners also affect the cost to move your piano. I own the sole piano dealership in Monterey County and Rick Howard is the professional I trust to move my pianos and those of my clients.
Services
Serving Santa Cruz and San Jose's piano moving needs since 1982, Howard's Piano Moving is an owner operated business licensed by the State of California and fully insured to protect your valuable instrument and your home during the moving process. Rick Howard - The Piano Mover - will personally ensure that your piano moving experience is stress-free and uneventful.
Rick Howard started moving pianos in his hometown of Watsonville California in 1978 while still in high school and started Howard's Piano Moving in 1981. His story was the subject of an article in the Santa Cruz Weekly entitled "The Piano Mover". In that article it was described how Rick becomes "utterly immersed in thought" during a move, or when he's previewing a location to plan a move.
We can professionally move the piano to a new location in your home or business. We can also temporarily relocate the piano in the event of a construction job, or possibly for a party. We service the complete bay area. From Maine to Florida and all points in between. We can even assist in a longer distance, such as Southern California, Arizona, even cross country.
I own the sole piano dealership in Monterey County and Rick Howard is the professional I trust to move my pianos and those of my clients. He is the best! Rick was 100% wonderful, moved a piano from my friend's house in Happy Valley near Santa Cruz to my place in San Jose. He was prompt, excellent. WOW - What an awesome job Rick Maurice Howard and Lonnie did this week, moving my granddaughter's Spinet piano across the bay to her home!
Reviews (18)
Brian B.
Aug 28, 2021
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Rick arrived and was fully prepared to move our piano, on his own! He knew exactly what to do to navigate our steps and carefully load it. I can't say enough about his professionalism & manner. When he delivered it to our daughters he took the time to completely blow out the dust that had accumulated in it over the years. Highly recommend him!!
Tin L.
Apr 25, 2021
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Reached out to Rick Howard last week, we kept missing each other's phone calls. No big deal, called him Saturday (yesterday) afternoon, he was in Petaluma finishing up a job. I told him I needed someone to move my baby baby grand from one room to another due to upcoming renovation. He asked if today (Saturday afternoon) was convenient - I said YES! He said, he'll be there in 1.5hrs. He rocked up by himself, huge truck, tools, was masked and got straight to work. Less than 30min later he was done. Piano was pulled apart, moved and restored in another room. It was like magic! Definitely
Mira A.
Feb 06, 2021
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Rick was 100% wonderful, moved a piano from my friend's house in Happy Valley near Santa Cruz to my place in San Jose. He was prompt, excellent communication, and phenomenal attention to detail on both ends. He noticed that the music stand had been previously attached backwards and took it apart and reattached it to the piano facing the right way so I could use it properly. Friendly, kind, and highly skillful, smooth, gentle job. very grateful, and we'll definitely use him again. Thank you!
Mary M.
Nov 20, 2020
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WOW - What an awesome job Rick Maurice Howard and Lonnie did this week, moving my granddaughter's Spinet piano across the bay to her home! Timely, friendly, competent.. Rick had several dollies, blankets, straps.. clearly experienced in moving pianos!! And very communicative.. he called back within 2-days to schedule the job, called when he was 15-min out from arriving to load it and then called again on his way to deliver. And very fairly priced.. $350!
I can't thank you enough, Rick.. We are so appreciative of you and your outstanding piano moving service! And thank you to the other
I can't thank you enough, Rick.. We are so appreciative of you and your outstanding piano moving service! And thank you to the other
Chris F.
Jul 18, 2020
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Lettie S.
Jun 11, 2020
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Zachery C.
Mar 09, 2020
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Our experience with Howard's moving was exceptional. This was our second time having Rick move our Piano. I would heartily recommend him for any piano move, big or small. Very gentle, very smooth. This piano is my daughters and she would have been heart broken if anything happened to it. I'm so glad that we trusted it to Howard's. On time and efficient work.
Jennifer C.
Mar 05, 2020
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Barry W.
May 13, 2019
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Totally Professional Service! Moved my Priceless (and very delicate) 1890's Bosendorfer Large Baby Grand over 150 miles from a City Church to my Home here in Santa Cruz. Everything about the way Rick Howard did the moving was perfect, from the time of arrival to the meticulous wrapping, padding and strapping in the truck, to the delivery and set-up. The Piano was so carefully handled, that it stayed in tune. He has the right equipment and has a flawless procedure. Great Guy, very knowledgeable and stuck to his estimated original price. 100% Awesome!!!
Margaret E.
Jun 22, 2018
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Rain K.
Mar 01, 2018
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I used Howard's again to move my piano out of my house. It was a beast to get into the house and I was POSITIVE that there'd be no way to get it out. As previously stated, my house has 13 STEEP stairs.
They showed up on time. There were only 2 men so I was afraid to watch. But after 20 minutes of staging and placing the piano on crazy piano moving specific tools and dollies, they walked it out my door and created and kind of slow controlled slide down the steps like it was nothing. 20 minute setup, 5 minute extraction. Easy! Pure pros!!! A great resource to the piano laden community
They showed up on time. There were only 2 men so I was afraid to watch. But after 20 minutes of staging and placing the piano on crazy piano moving specific tools and dollies, they walked it out my door and created and kind of slow controlled slide down the steps like it was nothing. 20 minute setup, 5 minute extraction. Easy! Pure pros!!! A great resource to the piano laden community
Drue M.
Oct 24, 2017
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Lisa N.
Jun 20, 2017
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Five years ago I hired Rick to move my piano into my new house and today I hired him again to move it out. The man is like a combination of a wizard, bodybuilder, and physicist. He singlehandedly moved my upright piano out of a room that required a very tight turn, and he did it without damaging the piano or my walls, and in about 15 minutes. He even took the time to tighten a screw that had previously come lose on the music stand. I will continue to hire him if I move again in the future and highly recommend him.
Catherine O.
Apr 07, 2017
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Highly recommended! We had such a positive experience with Rick Howard. He did such a great job moving the piano that I have just purchased at the Salvation Army. He came through on a very last minute request, I called him around 3pm from the store and he was quite willing to move it for us that very evening!
He gave me a very reasonable estimate over the phone based on our info which turned out to be completely accurate. He was very reliable, explained his timings, let me know roughly how long his current job would take and called me when he'd loaded our piano and was about to leave for
He gave me a very reasonable estimate over the phone based on our info which turned out to be completely accurate. He was very reliable, explained his timings, let me know roughly how long his current job would take and called me when he'd loaded our piano and was about to leave for
John C.
Nov 22, 2016
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Chris B.
Sep 27, 2016
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Great, great great, guys helped out last minute, moved us 20 miles and had to drive back too. Only 2 guys but had the piano wrapped and tied down like it was a china teapot and same the other end, even gave me some coasters for future positioning. Very skilled and know their stuff. Well worth a good tip as such a hard job but obviously piano jedi's!
Linda K.
Aug 26, 2016
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Rick and his assistant moved our small upright piano to an apartment with 30 stairs and some challenging maneuvers. They were friendly and helpful and skilled, and I felt that they charged us a fair price. They even came back into the apartment 10 minutes later - luckily they were still in their truck in the parking lot - to put coasters under the piano (that we originally didn't think we needed). We would hire them again. Thank you!
R. S.
Oct 14, 2015
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I am debating between 1 -2 stars. The upright Kawai piano was moved from Oakland to Sacramento. $200 flat fee for moving piano, $400 for transportation, and $5/step, with ~30 steps, comes to $150. that's $750 (although he never stated this number, he stated $650 and "a little more for the stairs"... there may have been miscommunication and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, lets call the quote $750...). I called Howard's piano moving because it is a licensed company with insurance, and in the website the mover seemed thoughtful.
However, I was quoted ~$650 on a Friday
However, I was quoted ~$650 on a Friday
