HOW TO HIRE · LESSONS & TUTORING

How to hire a piano tuner in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register lists piano tuners. Here is what to ask, what a fair quote includes, and when a pitch raise is needed.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a piano tuner in five steps

  1. Say what the piano is and when it was last tunedUpright or grand, make if you know it, and roughly when it was last tuned. A piano tuner prices a yearly tune and a long-neglected piano differently.
  2. Ask about experienceHow long they have tuned, and whether they work on grands, old uprights or concert instruments like yours.
  3. Get the price in writingThe standard tune, a pitch raise if needed, call-out or travel, and VAT if they are registered.
  4. Agree what happens if repairs are neededA sticking key or broken string should be priced and agreed before the piano tuner does it, not added to the bill afterwards.
  5. Book a time with the room quietTuning needs about an hour to ninety minutes of quiet; the piano should be where it will stay.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to piano tuners in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and anyone may advertise piano tuning. Training, years of work and references are things you ask about, not things you can look up.

Ask the piano tuner how long they have tuned, where they trained, and for two customers with a piano like yours.

Basic criminal record check

No law requires a piano tuner to hold a criminal record check. A tuner who works in people's homes can request their own basic check and show it: a basic DBS check in England and Wales, a Level 1 disclosure from Disclosure Scotland, or an AccessNI basic check in Northern Ireland.

If it matters to you, ask the piano tuner whether they hold a basic check and its date. gov.uk →

Insurance

No register requires insurance. Public liability insurance is what pays if a tuner damages the piano, the floor or something nearby while working.

Ask the piano tuner whether they hold public liability insurance and the insurer's name.

Written quote under the Consumer Rights Act 2015

A piano tuner working as a trader must do the work with reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; if it falls short you can ask for it to be done again or for a price reduction. Agreed at your home or online, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give 14 days to cancel a piano tuning booking, and you pay for any part done if you asked the piano tuner to start sooner.

Get the piano tuner's price for the tune, any pitch raise and any repair in a message before the visit. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Piano tuning is standard-rated at 20%, pitch raises and repairs included. Above the £90,000 registration threshold that business has to charge VAT and show it separately, next to its VAT number.

Ask the piano tuner for a VAT number if they add VAT, and for the tuning and the 20% on separate lines. gov.uk →

“How long have you been tuning, and on what kinds of piano?”

A good answer: Years of work and the instruments — uprights, grands, older pianos. A piano tuner who also repairs actions can say so.

“Will my piano need a pitch raise?”

A good answer: If it has not been tuned for years, probably; a good piano tuner explains it and prices it before starting, not after.

“What is included in the tuning price?”

A good answer: The tune itself, a check of keys and pedals, and travel — with anything extra named.

“What if you find a repair is needed?”

A good answer: They stop, tell you, price it, and only go ahead if you agree.

“How soon after a house move should the piano be tuned?”

A good answer: Usually a few weeks after, once it has settled in the room.

“How often should it be tuned?”

A good answer: Most home pianos once or twice a year; more for a piano played professionally.

“Do you charge VAT?”

A good answer: A clear yes or no; a VAT-registered piano tuner adds 20%.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends to tune the piano — the piano tuner named, or an apprentice, employed or subcontracted
  • The standard tuning price for an upright or a grand
  • A pitch raise priced separately, and only if needed
  • Call-out or travel for a rural address shown separately
  • Any repair — sticking keys, broken strings — priced and agreed before it is done
  • In writing: a Locufy message counts
  • The VAT number if the tuner is registered, with VAT on the tuning shown separately

Walk away if

  • Repairs added to the bill that were never agreed
  • "Your piano needs a full restoration" before they have opened it
  • No written price before the visit
  • Cash only, with no receipt
  • Pressure to sell you a piano or buy one through them
LOW
£55
TYPICAL
£90
HIGH
£200

What a piano tuner costs: £55–£200 per tune

Piano tuners charge per tune; a grand, a pitch raise or repairs add to the price, and rural call-outs may too. Piano Tuner price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Piano tuners near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look and listenThe tuner plays the piano, opens it and checks the action, strings and pins.
  2. ExplainIf the pitch is far off or repairs are needed, they say so and price it before carrying on.
  3. Pitch raise if neededA rough tune to bring the strings up to pitch, then the fine tune.
  4. TuneEach note tuned by ear or with an electronic aid, unison by unison.
  5. Check and adviseThe piano played through, minor adjustments made, and advice on where it stands and how often to tune.

Pitch raise
Extra work to bring a piano far below pitch back up before the fine tune.
A440
The standard pitch: the note A, just above middle C, at 440 vibrations a second.
Regulation
Adjusting the action so every key feels and repeats evenly; priced separately.
Voicing
Adjusting the hammers to change the tone.
Action
The keys, hammers and moving parts inside the piano.
Tuning pins
The pins that hold string tension; loose pins can stop a piano holding its tune.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receiptThe date, what was done, and the piano tuner's notes on the piano's condition.
Play itPlay across the whole keyboard, including octaves and chords; sticking keys and odd notes should be raised at once.
Know what the work coversA tune holds for months, not for ever — a house move, heating or damp will move it. Repairs should come with a note of what was done.
Leave the reviewOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy; if something went wrong, the make-it-right step sends it to the piano tuner first.

STEP 1Tell the piano tuner, in writingSay what is wrong — notes out, a key sticking after the visit — and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a piano tuner must use reasonable care and skill, and you can ask for the work to be done again or for a price reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyLeave under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the piano tuner first; we follow it through, then the review is published.
STEP 3Get help from Trading StandardsNo regulator covers piano tuners, so a consumer complaint goes to Trading Standards through your nation's helpline: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeSmall claims handle a dispute with a piano tuner without a solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales (small claims track), £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland. Keep the piano tuner's quote and receipt.

Hiring a piano tuner: questions people ask

No. Piano tuning is unregulated across the UK, with no licence or register. Ask about training, years of work and references.

No law requires one. A tuner can request their own basic check — DBS in England and Wales, Disclosure Scotland in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland — and show it to you.

£55–£200 a tune, with £90 typical for a standard upright tune; grands and pitch raises cost more. The piano tuner price guide breaks it down; search your town above to see piano tuners who work near you.

Piano tuning is at the 20% standard rate if the tuner is VAT-registered; a tuner under the £90,000 threshold charges none.

Most home pianos once or twice a year; after a move, wait a few weeks for it to settle.

Extra work for a piano left untuned for years, bringing it back up to pitch before the fine tune — usually priced on top.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in lessons & tutoring

How to hire: Piano LessonsHow to hire: Guitar LessonsHow to hire: Violin LessonsHow to hire: Singing LessonsHow to hire: Music TheoryHow to hire: Drum LessonsHow to hire: Music Production LessonsHow to hire: Dance LessonsAll 701 hiring guides →

Piano tuners near you

Piano tuners in LondonPiano tuners in ManchesterPiano tuners in BirminghamPiano tuners in GlasgowPiano tuners in BelfastAll piano tuners on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — basic DBS check
  2. mygov.scot — Level 1 (basic) disclosure
  3. nidirect — apply online for a basic check (AccessNI)
  4. gov.uk — VAT rates
  5. gov.uk — VAT registration thresholds
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  8. Citizens Advice — deciding whether to make a small claim (England and Wales)
  9. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — guide to simple procedure
  10. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register