Specialty items I trust to one crew
Silas Whitmore has led piano and specialty moves at North Desert Moving since 2016. Uprights, baby grands, gun safes running 600 to 1,400 pounds (common on the larger high-desert lots out toward Camp Verde and Rimrock), slate-bed pool tables, and the occasional wine-cellar rack that needs custom crating. The calls I take most are Jerome hand-carries — a piano coming down Cleopatra Hill’s near-vertical streets is a different job than a ground-floor Cottonwood living room.
Specialty work doesn’t fit a simple hourly meter. We quote it flat, based on item, floor, stairs, and driveway or switchback approach. Cargo coverage rides up to $1,000,000 per shipment, with $0.60/lb released-value standard, backed by our Arizona household-goods carrier permit.
Verde Valley specialty flat-rate examples
| Item | Crew | Typical flat rate |
|---|---|---|
| Upright piano — ground floor to ground floor | 3 movers | $410 – $600 |
| Upright piano — stairs at one end | 3 movers | $560 – $820 |
| Baby grand — disassembled and crated | 3-4 movers | $860 – $1,320 |
| Gun safe 600-900 lbs, mesa-lot ranch to ranch | 3 movers | $490 – $750 |
| Jerome switchback hand-carry (piano or safe) | 4 movers | $1,450 – $2,100 |
Hourly basis is $209/hr for the 3-mover specialty crew if a job runs long, but flat-rate is what you’ll sign.
What the Jerome calls teach us
A baby grand coming out of a Cleopatra Hill lot needs the legs and lyre off before it makes the turn, then a shuttle down to the nearest wide street. A 1,200-pound gun safe on a Rimrock gravel drive needs plywood tracks the whole way. We’ve run ten years of these calls, and we book specialty separate from the rest of the household when timing matters. Pair with residential moving or long-distance on the same job.
What is folded into your Cottonwood, AZ flat rate
- Piano board, four-wheel dolly, and custom strapping for uprights and grands
- Disassembly of baby grand legs, lyre, and pedal assembly with custom crating
- Gun safe dolly rated to 1,500 lbs and stair climbers for tight approaches
- Slate-bed pool table breakdown and reassembly on request
- Jerome switchback shuttle staging for hand-carry-only lots
- Floor runners and corner guards through both houses
- Up to $1,000,000 cargo coverage per shipment, full-value option available
- Arizona household-goods carrier permit plus US DOT and MC authority
What will it run?
Two polos plus the rig running the clock at $159/hr, or shut the meter down entirely with a countersigned Verde Valley flat figure that folds the whole job onto one page
Both rates already cover pads, dollies, shrink film, hand-carry gear for Jerome's switchback streets, and whatever Certificate of Insurance a Sedona-corridor or Verde Santa Fe building wants on file. Add a third mover and the crew rate becomes $209/hr.
Get my exact Cottonwood price
