By Gabriel Torres, Discard Junk Removal
Getting rid of a piano in Sacramento, at a glance
STRAIGHT ANSWERS IN 10 SECONDS
- Know what you have
- Spinet, console, upright or grand? Check the condition by playing every key, and measure the doorways and steps between the piano and the street.
- Try a new home first
- Well-known brands in good shape can still sell or be given away. If nobody wants it, it gets taken apart and the metal is recycled.
- Don’t drag it out
- A piano is too heavy to move without the right equipment and at least two people. Please don’t try to drag one to the curb.
- What we charge
- Upright pianos start at $249, and grand pianos are priced by quote. You pay after the job, fuel is included, and there are no travel surcharges.
- How fast
- Same-day pickup is often available for uprights. We’re open 24 hours, 7 days a week, so call early.
- Reviews
- ★ on Google across 506+ reviews.
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An old piano is one of the hardest things in a house to get rid of. It’s too heavy to move without the right equipment and at least two people, it usually has little resale value, and most donation centers won’t take one. But it can be done, and there’s a right order to try things in. Here’s what we tell families in the Sacramento area who call about a piano nobody plays anymore.
The short version: if the piano is in good shape, try to find it a new home first. If it isn’t, or nobody wants it, have it removed by people who move pianos, and the metal gets recycled. Please don’t try to drag it to the curb.
First, find out what you have
Before you list it or call anyone, it helps to know three things: what kind of piano it is, what condition it’s in, and how hard it will be to get out of the house.
- Type. Spinets and consoles are short uprights, usually under about 44 inches tall. Studio and full uprights are taller and heavier. Grand and baby grand pianos lie flat on three legs.
- Condition. Play every key. Sticking keys, buzzing, cracked wood, loose tuning pins and water damage all lower the value. A piano that hasn’t been tuned in decades may not hold a tune anymore.
- The route out. Measure the doorways and look for stairs, turns, porches and thresholds between the piano and the street. This affects every option below.
The maker’s name is usually on the fallboard above the keys, and a serial number is often stamped on the plate inside the lid. A piano technician can tell you from those whether it’s worth restoring.
Option 1: Sell it or give it away
Well-known brands in good condition can still find buyers, especially newer uprights and grands. Most older pianos, though, sell for very little or nothing at all, because the cost of moving, tuning and repairing them is more than they’re worth. If you list it, be upfront about its condition and make it clear that the buyer arranges the move.
Schools, churches, community centers and music teachers sometimes accept donated pianos, but usually only ones that play well and have been tuned recently. Call before you promise anything; many already have more pianos than they need.
Option 2: Move it yourself
We don’t recommend it unless you have experience, the right equipment and several strong people. An upright typically weighs between 300 and 500 pounds, most of it in a cast-iron plate set low inside the case. Uprights are top-heavy and tip easily on a slope or a step. The casters on the bottom are decorative on many older pianos and can snap if you roll it across a floor or a threshold.
If you do try, use a piano dolly or a heavy-duty furniture dolly, strap the piano to it, keep the keyboard facing the person guiding it, and never stand on the downhill side on a ramp or stairs. Protect floors with plywood or thick moving blankets.
Option 3: Curbside bulky pickup
City bulky-item programs are built for furniture, mattresses and boxes, not a 400-pound instrument. In the City of Sacramento, for example, everything has to be on the street by 6:00 a.m. on your appointment day and fit within a 4 by 4 by 9 foot pile, and crews load by hand. Getting a piano to the street on your own is the hard part, and it may not be collected once it’s there. Check with your city first. Our guide to City of Sacramento junk pickup covers what the city does take.
Option 4: Have it removed
This is what most people end up doing, and it’s what we do every week. We bring the right equipment, plan the route before we lift anything, and carry the piano out to the truck. Upright piano removal starts at $249. Grand and baby grand pianos are quoted after we know the size and the route. Stairs, tight turns and long carries are part of the quote, not a surprise at the end. See piano removal in Sacramento for the details, and commercial piano removal for churches, schools and venues.
Some recent piano jobs from our records, labeled with the customer’s city:
- Woodland, September: a piano that took about half the truck.
- Sacramento, August: a larger piano that took about three-quarters of the truck.
- Sacramento, June and July: two upright pianos from two different homes.
- Winters, May: an upright piano and a recliner.
- Rocklin, March: a baby grand piano.
- Citrus Heights, May and August 2025: two upright pianos.
Comparing your options
| Option | Cost | Effort | Works when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sell or donate | Free, or you’re paid | Listing, calls, showings | The piano plays well and is from a known maker |
| Move it yourself | Dolly rental, a trailer and helpers | High; real risk of injury and damage | You have experience and a flat route |
| Curbside pickup | Free where allowed | You get it to the street | Rarely practical for a piano |
| Piano removal crew | From $249 for uprights; grands quoted | Point to it | Most situations, especially stairs or grands |
What happens to a piano after removal
A piano is mostly wood, felt and a heavy cast-iron plate strung with steel wire. When a piano can’t be reused, the plate and strings are separated and go to metal recycling, and the wooden case and action go to disposal. If a piano still plays well and someone wants it, donation is always the better path, and we’ll ask about that before we haul it.
Pianos in estates, moves and remodels
Many of our piano calls come from families clearing a parent’s home. The piano was the center of the living room for decades, and it’s often the hardest thing to decide about. It’s fine to take your time. Some families keep the bench or a framed piece of sheet music and let the instrument go; others ask a relative first. If you’re clearing the whole house, the piano can be part of the same visit and the same estimate as everything else.
Moving to a smaller home is the other common reason. Movers charge extra for pianos, and a piano that nobody plays isn’t worth that cost. If you’re remodeling, remove the piano before the floors are refinished or the walls are painted, so it isn’t moved twice.
Getting the room ready
- Clear a path from the piano to the front door, including rugs, plants and furniture.
- Take photos, music and anything on top of the piano off before the crew arrives.
- Tell us about stairs, landings, porch steps and gravel or lawn between the house and the street, and send a photo of the piano and the doorway if you can.
- If the piano bench is staying, set it aside; if it’s going, it goes in the same load.
“Gabriel and Christian came in and removed several large pieces from the house and yard. They were friendly, courteous, and professional. I’ll have them back for other work I have planned. Their prices are very reasonable.”
Penelope T., Google review
Frequently asked questions
With us, upright piano removal starts at $249. Grand and baby grand pianos are quoted after we know the size and the route out of the house. Stairs, tight turns and long carries affect the price.
Sometimes. A well-kept piano from a known maker that has been tuned recently may find a home with a school, church or family. Most older pianos that need repair don’t, because tuning and restoring them costs more than the piano is worth.
In practice, no. A piano weighs hundreds of pounds and would have to be moved to the street by the morning of your appointment. That’s far heavier than the furniture curbside programs are built for, so check with your city before you try.
Most uprights weigh somewhere between 300 and 500 pounds, and larger studio uprights can weigh more. Most of that weight is the cast-iron plate inside. Grand pianos are heavier still.
Yes, including baby grands. The legs and lyre come off, the piano goes on its side on a board, and it’s moved out that way. Grands are quoted before we come.
If it’s in good shape and someone wants it, it can be donated. Otherwise the cast-iron plate and strings go to metal recycling and the rest goes to disposal.
Ready to let the old piano go? Call Discard Junk Removal at (916) 866-1152, or see piano removal. We answer 24/7.
