• I will need access to the inside of your piano. Clearing everything off the top ahead of time will help with that process, and please make sure the room the piano is in is well lit. Minimal background noise is appreciated but not mandatory; the quieter it is, the better job I can do tuning your piano.

• If there are any issues with the piano (stuck keys, keys not working, notes ringing out, etc.) please take the time to make note so that I am aware of what I need to focus on. With every piano tuning I go each though each note/key to make sure it is working properly, but pointing these problems out ahead of time will help me fix them more efficiently.

• Price includes piano tune, one Pitch Adjustment, a quick key clean, and any minor adjustments the piano may need.

• A Standard Piano Tuning takes (on average) between one and 1.5 hours. This is depending on the current condition of the piano, the overall quality of the piano, and the last time (and how frequently) the piano was serviced by myself or another competent technician.

• For a first time visit from me, I typically allot two hours to give the piano a thorough once-over.

A “pitch adjustment” is a preparatory piano tuning before a standard tuning can begin. When pianos go out of tune, they do not do so evenly. Depending on the location of the piano, age, and weather, some pianos or sections of pianos are more susceptible to going out of tune unevenly. Ideally a piano should always be maintained at what is called “concert pitch”, or A440Hz. A pitch raise is needed when the piano is below the concert pitch of A440. A pitch lower is needed when the piano is above the concert pitch of A440. Simply put: a pitch adjustment brings the piano relatively in tune with itself before a fine-tune can occur.

This is why I always include the first pitch adjustment for FREE. Even if the piano is on the newer side and regularly tuned, more often than not each piano needs a pitch adjustment, however slight or significant. A pitch adjustment can also known as a “pitch correction”.

Sometimes a piano that has not been tuned in a very long time can be extremely below concert pitch, and it may take several pitch raises to bring it back up to A440Hz. If there is no immediate rush to bring a piano up to A440 in one sitting (which can take several hours and several pitch raises, with precarious and tedious work) a client can slowly and incrementally have the piano brought back up to pitch over several years with regular tunings and singular pitch raises.

• $175 if scheduled (ahead) with a Standard Piano Tuning.

• Depending on the extent of work needed, a Deep Clean can take approximately 1.5, but occasionally upwards of, three hours.

• Highly recommended for any piano newly acquired NOT from a piano shop (i.e. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, a neighbor, family or friend, taken out of storage [climate controlled or not], taken out of a garage or basement, etc.).

• A Deep Clean must be scheduled ahead of time, as it takes approximately 1.5, but occasionally upwards of, three hours.

• Includes: Removal of action (not spinet piano), minor action work, vacuum, debris removal, individual key clean, exterior wood clean, scratch touch-up/removal, and polish.

• An Express Deep Clean may not necessarily need to be scheduled ahead (depending on availability), as it takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour, but is recommended.

• Includes: Vacuum, debris removal, a quick key clean, exterior wood scratch touch-up/removal, and polish.

• For minor repairs beyond what is included in the Standard Piano Tuning cost.

• Cost fluctuates depending on work needed, and time spent.

• For major work beyond what is included in the Standard Piano Tuning cost.

• This price may or may not include the cost of any materials used, depending on the extent of the work provided and the availability of said materials.

• Partial or Full Piano Action Regulation

• String Repair/Refurbishment

• Piano Action Voicing

• Piano Action Repair/Replacement

• Key and Key-Top Recovery/Replacement

• Removal of buzzing, rattling, sluggish keys, and other oddities

• And more!

• Major Repair Rate, plus cost of materials/supplies (prices vary).

• Recommended for any piano or piano action repair/regulation work of two hours or fewer.

• Major Repair Rate, plus cost of materials and/or supplies needed.

• Prices of materials and supplies can vary, and assessments can be procured and produced. Estimates will also include a gauge of the approximation of hours needed to complete project at hand. Significant variations of hourly approximation will be discussed with client before extra work is continued.

• Recommended for any piano or piano action repair, replacement, or regulation work that is estimated to exceed two hours.

• For extensive work, taking the piano action or piano parts needing repair to shop will ensure undivided attention and care of materials being worked on.

• A $125 transport fee will help ensure the piano action or piano parts are as carefully transported to and from client’s home/place of business or worship as possible, and this fee will cover the cost of any incidental problems that may need attention from the transport.

• If work needed is extensive enough to exceed eight hours of work, materials are typically included or partially reduced.

• If work needed is extensive enough to exceed 12 hours of work, transport fee is typically waved.

• Treble String: $35 per string

  • Stainless steel Treble Strings can typically easily be removed, measured, and replaced on sight as needed. Piano action removal may be required, and may take additional time.

• Bass String: $40 per string, plus $25 reinstallation fee

  • Copper wound Bass Strings must be removed, sent to supply company for string duplicated, and then shipped back for replacement. This requires postage and a follow-up visit, hence the reinstallation fee.

Keeping a consistent level of humidity inside your piano will extend its life and its overall interior “health”. If you live in a climate where the weather forecast is all over the place (ahem…New England!) this is a constant battle. If your piano is in a location in your home/place of work where it’s always humid or always dry, your piano’s interior humidity may be higher or lower than is good for the piano. Keeping a piano on an exterior wall can also greatly impact the fluctuation in temperature and humidity of the piano, furthering altering the piano’s humidity levels.

Humidity control matters because the thousands (yes, thousands!!) of wood, felt, buckskin, and steel parts in your piano can weaken, become unaligned or act incorrectly, and eventually break if the humidity levels are not carefully regulated. High humidity causes the piano’s wood to absorb the moisture and swell, then shrink, dry out, and possibly crack when the humidity is too low. The steel and copper parts inside the piano can rust and corrode over time, too. This will result in your piano going extremely flat (typically in the winter) or extremely sharp (typically in the summer). The overall structure and body of your piano will eventually lose its integrity.

The Dampp-Chaser system includes both a humidifier and a dehumidifier: the pads inside the water tank wick water to the humidifier to add moisture while the dehumidifier blows dry air through the piano to clear it away. Best of all, it’s smart enough to know the difference. A special pad treatment is also added to the tank (whenever water is) to help further conditioner and rejuvenate the wood of the piano.

• Spinet, Console, and Upright Piano Dampp-Chaser system: $575

• Grand Piano Dampp-Chaser (5′ 11″ and under) system: $625

• Concert Grand Piano Dampp-Chaser(6′ 0″ and above) system: $750

• Steinway Upright Piano Dampp-Chaser system (designed specifically for installation on the backside; different from standard Spinet/Console/Upright unit): $765

• Dampp-Chaser Maintenance: $35 (includes 16oz pad treatment bottle, two sets new pads, and routine system cleaning and inspection)

All Dampp-Chaser prices include the purchase of the system for the supplier, the shipping, and the labor for assembly and installation. This price also includes a one-year assembly warranty by the technician (me!), and a five-year limited warranty by the manufacturer. These two warranties ensure the product is installed in the ideal location in your piano, and that all the parts in the system assembly are working as intended. After initial system installation, the Dampp-Chaser unit is certified and the serial number is registered with the Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Warranty Registrar.