Piano restoration from your garage

Families, music teachers, small churches, schools and hobbyists who want a good piano for less than the price of a new one, plus owners of family heirloom pianos.

Profit on each restored piano sold (sale price minus purchase, parts, moving and tuning costs), plus fees for restoration jobs on pianos clients already own.

• Woodworking and finishing
• Patience and fine hand work
• Basic knowledge of piano action and tuning
• Spotting good pianos worth restoring

• Check home occupation rules, zoning and HOA or lease restrictions before running a workshop at home
• Check general liability insurance, including cover for pianos in your care and for customer visits
• Moving pianos is heavy and risky, so use proper equipment and get quotes from professional piano movers
• Some old pianos have worn soundboards or cracked pin blocks and are not worth restoring, so inspect before you buy
• Check rules on finishes, solvents and dust, and on selling ivory-keyed pianos, which has legal limits that can vary
• Check your state's sales tax registration rules for selling goods

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on tools, workshop setup and how many pianos you buy to restore. Inspect pianos carefully before buying, since some are not worth restoring.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many pianos you restore and sell and any restoration jobs you take for owners. This is revenue before purchase and moving costs.

Check home occupation rules, zoning and HOA or lease restrictions before running a workshop at home. Also check insurance for pianos in your care, rules on finishes and solvents, limits on selling ivory-keyed pianos, and your state's sales tax registration.