With the recent talk on another thread about piano tuning, I got to wondering what everybody around here pays for their piano tuning.
My piano tuner charges me $60.00. (48-Euro, I think) He dusts the insides, and then sets up a computer lap top with some kind of tuning sensor/program.

My piano tuner is Sam Whitmire. If you are in the Lafayette, Louisiana area, he's the best. He charges me $90 American for a perfect tuning and thourough inspection, cleaning and graphite lubing of the piano action. He's the piano technitian for ULL, I believe. He's much more than just a tuner, he builds pianos too.

Sixty bucks sounds pretty decent. I pay 210 euros for a year (3 times), which must be about, what, 85 dollars a time. My tuner is also a very accomplished technician and builder/restorer, and will take whatever time he needs to get things right. Also does maintenance and small repairs without extra charge. If you live in the center of Holland, I can recommend him http://www.henkhupkes.nl/

I pay 60 Euro , around $73 (US) for a normal tuning. If there are other maintenance things to do, this costs extra.
For intonation, I take someone who needs to travel 85 km for that, but has life long experience especially for Steinway intonation works. That costs more, but I don't know how much, because the last time he came it was within the guarantee time after a complete acoustic restauration.

Chris: you let your piano tune 3 times a year? And that although you have a humidity controling system installed what should help to enlarge the tuning intervals?

Without humidity contolling system (but with a humidifier for the heating period, what takes about 1o liter water per day!!!) I need 2 tunings per year, usually autum and spring. It's now about time for a new tuning in my case.

Yes I think it does that. But still after 4 months it is out of tune enough to start irritating me. I find I have more pleasure of it for having it tuned more often. Damn expensive hobby we have !

With age the tuning pins get looser, because of number of tunings, but more important, because the wood shrinks a bit- it simply wears out. If you spent anytime new strings, one should go for a set of next larger tuning pins, then they will be firm again for the next decades. Maybe that contributes too for the time a tuning holds. Also the quality of the piano frame and the iron frame counts, as someone told me.

Yes new strings and pins, that could be an option to consider. I am a bit concerned though that it will affect the sound which I rather like as it is.

I used to pay 120 Australia dollars..tuned by the people for the consevatorium. If the the piano condition is bad (others piano)it would cost 200. Now days I tune my own and NO CHARGE..haaaa.

It theory the piano is detunning straight after tuned. I do mine every 2 months, but only few keys...eg 2-4 keys rest is fine. But for general piano player would not notice. Sometime, i wonder the advantage of a digital piano.....but not much the touch.

Yes, it affects the sound but I am sure you like the change from more thud in the bass area towards more clear (more overtones). That is almost the same as if you listen to a guitar with old or new strings. They sound different, but better. The treble strings don't change much in the sound. In general however the sustain gets better for all strings - the strings vibrate longer, mostly because there is no dust or rust on the surface.

After restringing the tuning must be repeated several times a year, but that is finished after a year or so.

Beside the larger tuning pins you should check whether there are loose pins on the other side of the strings (towards the end of the piano). Those pins could be battered deeper in the wood or replaced by next bigger ones too (that is what they did on my piano). If those pins are loose, it rattles a bit while playing (often only a subtile sound change).