What to do if your piano is damaged during a move

If your piano arrives damaged after a move, the most important thing to do is act quickly and in the right order. The steps you take while the crew is still with you, and the documentation you gather in the first few hours, will determine how well any insurance claim proceeds. This guide walks through exactly what to do, in sequence.

For future moves, get a fixed price from a specialist at book.pianospeed.com. Piano moves start from £125, and every PianoSpeed move is fully insured to the instrument's value.

Step one: inspect the piano before the crew leaves

Once the piano is in place at the destination, inspect it carefully before the crew packs up and leaves. Remove the transit covers if they are still on and look at the case, the lid, the legs on a grand, and any decorative elements on an older upright. Open the fallboard and check the keys. Where it is safe to do so, lift the lid and look at the action.

Do not wait until the crew has left to do this. Once they have gone, establishing exactly when damage occurred becomes harder, and a mover is entitled to challenge whether the damage happened during their job or after they left. Two minutes of inspection while a crew member is present is worth considerably more than a phone call made an hour later.

Step two: photograph everything

If you notice any damage, photograph it before anything is touched. Take wide shots that show where the piano is in the room and close shots that capture the specific damage in detail. If a leg is cracked, photograph the leg. If there is a scratch on the case, photograph it under good light from two angles. If the lid has shifted in the hinge, photograph that.

These photographs need a timestamp, which the metadata of any smartphone photo provides automatically. Do not crop or edit the originals. Save them somewhere you can retrieve them quickly when speaking to the mover's claims team.

Step three: note the damage on the delivery paperwork

Most specialist movers will ask you to sign a completion form or job sheet when the piano has been placed. If the piano is damaged, write the damage on that form before you sign it. Be specific: not 'piano damaged' but 'hairline crack to the lower right leg, approximately 5 cm, discovered on inspection before crew departed'. Keep a copy of the signed form with your photographs.

If the mover does not use a paper form, send an email or text message to the mover's contact number immediately while the crew is still present. The time and date stamp on the message matters. State what you have found and that you are reporting it now, before the crew leaves.

Step four: contact the mover's claims team without delay

Call or email the mover's office as soon as the crew has left. Do not wait to see whether the damage is as bad as it looks. Transit insurance claims typically require the damage to be reported within a set number of days of the move, and some policies have short reporting windows. Check the paperwork you received when you booked for the claims notification period.

In writing, state the date of the move, your name, the collection and delivery addresses, and a description of the damage with your photographs attached. Ask for written confirmation that the claim has been registered, and keep a record of who you spoke to and when.

Step five: get the damage assessed by a piano technician

Once you have reported the damage to the mover, book a visit from a qualified piano technician. The technician can confirm what is damaged, whether it is a structural issue or a cosmetic one, and give a written repair estimate. This estimate is what the insurance claim will be assessed against.

For cosmetic damage to a polished case, the repair is often a question of cabinet work rather than piano mechanics. For damage to the action, the soundboard, or the pinblock, the technician can advise whether the instrument needs a regulated repair or, in serious cases, whether it is a total loss. Either way, a written report from a qualified technician is the document that makes a claim proceed.

How transit insurance claims work

Transit insurance covers accidental damage that occurs during the move itself. If the piano is damaged by the crew during loading, in transit, or during unloading, the transit policy responds. The claim is assessed against the declared value of the piano and the repair estimate from the technician.

The insurance does not cover pre-existing damage that was not caused by the move. It does not cover damage that occurs after the crew has left and the piano is in your care. It does not cover the cost of a tuning after the move, which is a standard maintenance step and not the result of damage. If you are unsure whether a specific issue is covered, ask the mover's claims handler directly.

If the piano was not given a declared value when you booked and the mover carries a blanket policy rather than an instrument-specific policy, the payout may be capped at a standard goods limit rather than the full instrument value. This is a reason to confirm cover before the move, not after, which is covered in detail in our guide on piano moving insurance.

If the mover disputes the damage

A reputable specialist mover will not dispute damage that is clearly documented, reported promptly, and supported by a technician's report. If there is a dispute, the points that will be tested are: whether the damage is documented in the delivery paperwork, whether it was reported within the required notification window, and whether the repair estimate from the technician is reasonable.

If you reach a point where the mover or their insurer is not responding, the Financial Ombudsman Service handles complaints about insurance claims in the UK. For the underlying dispute with the mover, a letter before action and, if needed, a claim via the County Court Online Service are the appropriate routes for amounts under the small claims threshold. For higher-value instruments, a solicitor who handles goods-in-transit claims is worth consulting.

What if the damage is not obvious immediately?

Some damage to a piano is not visible the day of the move. A crack in the soundboard may only show itself when the instrument is played. A shifted action may not be apparent until a technician examines the regulation. An internal mechanical issue may appear only after the piano has settled and been tuned.

If you discover possible damage after the initial inspection, report it to the mover in writing immediately when you notice it, even if several days have passed. Explain when you first noticed the issue and what your inspection at delivery showed. Whether this can be linked to the move will depend on the specifics and on the mover's policy, but reporting promptly remains the first requirement.

When you report delayed damage, a technician's report is particularly important. A report that describes the nature of the damage and explains why it is consistent with a transit incident, rather than pre-existing wear, strengthens the claim considerably.

How to avoid damage on the next move

The most reliable way to avoid a damaged piano is to use a specialist crew from the start. A specialist piano mover uses padded skid boards, fitted triple-thickness transit covers, padded stair-climbing equipment, and a van with a tail lift rated for piano weights. The crew is trained specifically for piano moves. None of this is standard on a general removals job.

On a grand piano, a specialist crew removes the legs and lyre before the body goes onto the skid board, wraps each component separately, and stows the legs in padded bags in a crate. The piano travels on its straight side with the keyboard end uppermost. The lid is closed and secured. None of this is improvised on the day; it is a practiced sequence that the crew carries out the same way on every job.

Stairs are chargeable with any specialist mover. That charge exists because stairs require additional crew, specialist stair-climbing equipment, and more time. It is a fair charge, and it is calculated in the online quote at book.pianospeed.com when you enter the access details for both addresses.

Frequently asked questions

What if I signed the delivery form before noticing the damage?

A signature on the delivery form is not the end of a claim. If you signed before inspecting and discovered damage shortly afterward, report it to the mover in writing immediately and explain when you noticed it. The mover's insurer may still accept the claim, particularly if the damage is severe and the technician's report confirms it is consistent with transit handling.

How quickly do I need to report damage?

Report it on the day, before the crew leaves if possible, and to the mover's office the same day. Most transit policies require written notice within 48 to 72 hours. Some require notification on the day of delivery. Check your booking confirmation or the mover's terms for the exact window.

Does transit insurance cover the full value of my piano?

It should, if you declared the correct value when you booked. If you did not declare a value, the insurer may apply a standard limit. For any piano worth more than a few thousand pounds, confirm the insured value when you book, not on the day.

Do I need a specialist to assess the damage?

Yes. A piano technician can distinguish between cosmetic damage and structural or mechanical damage, and can confirm whether the damage is consistent with a transit incident. This written assessment is what the insurer uses to settle the claim. A general builder, joiner or furniture restorer is not qualified to assess piano damage for an insurance purpose.

What if the mover was a general removals firm and not a specialist?

The same steps apply: document, photograph, report in writing, and get a technician's report. The key difference is that a general removals firm may carry lower goods-in-transit limits or may exclude instruments above a certain value from their policy. Check the policy details in writing before pursuing a claim. If the firm cannot demonstrate adequate cover, a solicitor's letter may be appropriate.

Will my home contents insurance cover this?

Most home contents policies do not cover items in transit unless you have specifically taken out an all-risks extension that includes goods outside the home. Read your policy carefully, and if you are uncertain, call your insurer before the move and ask them directly whether the piano is covered during transit. If it is not, confirm that the mover's own transit cover is adequate for the instrument's value.

Moving a piano again after a damage incident

If a piano has been damaged and repaired, tell the next specialist mover when you book. A repaired soundboard, a reglued joint, or a restored case may be in excellent condition but it is worth noting so the crew knows to take particular care of that area. A detailed handover note from the technician who carried out the repair is useful context for the booking team.

For a fixed price on your next piano move, go to book.pianospeed.com and enter the access details for both addresses. You can also call 020 7164 0000. PianoSpeed London Limited, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 77 reviews.