SpecialtyMoveCost is an independent estimator, not a moving company. We don't have access to every mover's private pricing, so instead we model a typical price range from three inputs:
Each item (piano, pool table, gun safe, hot tub, home safe, aquarium, home gym equipment, heavy appliance) has a base local-move price and a per-mile long-distance rate, calibrated from publicly published rate ranges for specialty movers and general moving-industry cost guides for 2026, then sanity-checked against the item's typical weight and handling complexity.
Within each item type, subtypes (for example "upright" vs. "grand" piano) carry a multiplier reflecting their relative weight and handling difficulty, since heavier and more fragile items take more movers, more time and more specialized equipment.
Local moves (under each item's local radius) use the flat base rate. Longer moves scale by distance using a banded per-mile rate that decreases as distance grows — mirroring how long-haul specialty transport is typically priced (a dedicated short trip costs more per mile than a longer haul that can share a truck route). We also apply a small regional multiplier (roughly ±10–15%) based on each metro's general labor-cost tier, since mover labor is the biggest input cost and it is not uniform across the country.
This is a planning estimate, not a quote. Actual prices depend on exact access (stairs, elevators, doorway widths, parking distance), disassembly/reassembly needs, insurance, and mover availability at the time you book. Always get a real quote from a specialty mover before booking. We disclose our full formula above rather than hiding behind a "request a quote" form, because we think an honest range is more useful than none at all.
Have a correction or better data source? We're always refining these numbers as new published rate data comes out.