How to Get Rid of a Piano
The hardest thing in the house to give away, and why.
Most old upright pianos have no resale value and are difficult to donate, because schools, churches, and charities are already turning them down. An upright piano weighs roughly 300 to 500 pounds and a grand runs 500 to 1,200, with the weight concentrated in a cast iron plate. Pianos are not ordinary curbside bulk items and should be moved by people with piano boards, straps, and a dolly rated for the weight.
Almost everyone who calls about a piano opens with the same sentence: nobody wants it. That is usually accurate and it is not your imagination. Here is the honest picture on value, donation, and how one actually leaves a house.
Quick Facts
- Upright weight
- About 300 to 500 lbs
- Grand weight
- About 500 to 1,200 lbs
- Heaviest component
- Cast iron plate
- Typical resale value
- Often zero
- People needed
- 3 or more
Your Options, Start to Finish
1.Try to donate it, with realistic expectations
A piano that holds tune, has no cracked soundboard, and has all its keys is occasionally welcome at a church, community center, or school music program.
Most will say no, and it is not personal. They already have one, the moving cost exceeds the instrument's value, and an out-of-tune upright costs them money. Ask before you promise it to anyone, and understand that the donor usually pays the move.
2.Sell it or give it away free
Name-brand instruments in genuinely good condition do sell. A free listing sometimes finds someone with a truck and three friends.
Ordinary 1960s and 1970s uprights routinely sit unsold at any price, including free, because the buyer inherits a 400-pound moving problem. Set a deadline on the listing so this does not eat two months.
3.Have it broken down
A piano taken apart separates into wood, felt, wire, and a cast iron plate that scraps. This is what happens to most end-of-life uprights.
It is loud, messy, and the plate is genuinely dangerous to handle unsupported. This is not a first-time DIY project in a finished living room.
4.Hire a crew that has moved one before
Three or more people, a piano board, proper straps, and a dolly rated for the weight. It comes out without taking the door frame or somebody's foot with it.
Ask specifically whether they have moved pianos, not just furniture. The price depends on the type, the floor it is on, and the stairs. Get the number before anyone tips it.
Why nobody wants your piano
The supply of used uprights vastly exceeds demand. Digital keyboards cost a fraction, never need tuning, and fit in an apartment. Meanwhile a used acoustic needs a professional move, an initial tuning, and often several hundred dollars of regulation work before it is pleasant to play. That math means the instrument is worth less than the cost of accepting it, which is why churches and schools that used to take donations now decline them. If yours is a recognizable brand in good shape, it is worth one honest appraisal. Most are not, and that is the normal answer, not a failure.
Why a piano is not a curbside item
The City of Pittsburgh collects two bulk items per week with regular residential refuse pickup, but a piano is far outside the size and weight of ordinary household bulk and should not be assumed acceptable. Call Pittsburgh 311 at 412-255-2621 before you plan around the curb. Beyond the rules, there is a practical problem: a piano parked on a sidewalk in the rain absorbs water, gains weight, and becomes harder for anyone to deal with.
The stairs are the whole job
The cast iron plate inside an upright holds the string tension and carries most of the weight, and it sits high, so the instrument is top-heavy and wants to tip. On stairs, that means it has to be controlled from below by people who know it will try to run. Grands come apart first: legs and lyre off, the body onto a piano board on its side. This is the point where the honest advice is to stop and call someone, because a piano that gets away from you on a staircase is a serious injury.
How to Get Rid of a Piano FAQs
Is my old piano worth anything?
Probably not, and that is the common answer rather than a bad one. Ordinary uprights from the mid twentieth century generally have no resale value because the cost of moving, tuning, and regulating them exceeds what a buyer will pay. Recognized brands in genuinely good playing condition are the exception and are worth one appraisal before you decide.
Will a church or school take a donated piano?
Sometimes, but expect a no. Most already have an instrument, and accepting a donated piano means paying for a professional move plus tuning and often regulation work. Ask the specific organization before you promise it to anyone, and be prepared for the donor to cover the moving cost.
Can I put a piano out at the curb in Pittsburgh?
Do not assume so. The City collects two bulk items per week with regular residential refuse pickup, but a piano is well outside the size and weight of ordinary household bulk. Call Pittsburgh 311 at 412-255-2621 for a determination on your address before you move it out there.
How much does a piano weigh?
A typical upright runs about 300 to 500 pounds and a grand about 500 to 1,200, depending on size. Most of that is the cast iron plate that holds the string tension, and because it sits high in an upright, the instrument is top-heavy and tips easily. That is why it takes three or more people and a piano board rather than a regular appliance dolly.
Can you get a piano out of a second-floor apartment?
Yes, with the right crew and equipment. Tell us the type, the floor, and how many turns are in the staircase when you call so the right number of people and the right gear show up. Call (412) 226-4500 for an arrival window and a quote.
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Getting rid of a piano in Pittsburgh, PA. Most old upright pianos have no resale value because moving, tuning, and regulation cost more than a buyer will pay, which is why churches and schools commonly decline donations. An upright weighs roughly 300 to 500 pounds and a grand 500 to 1,200, with most weight in the cast iron plate, making the instrument top-heavy. Options: donate to a church, school, or community center if it holds tune, sell or list it free, have it broken down for wood and scrap iron, or hire a crew with piano boards and rated dollies. A piano should not be assumed acceptable as ordinary curbside bulk; call Pittsburgh 311 at 412-255-2621. Steel City Cleanouts removes pianos across Pittsburgh. Call (412) 226-4500 for a free quote.
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