Space Needed for A Pool Table

Congratulations on finally deciding to have a pool table at your home! 

It might be brand new, custom made, inherited from a pal, or something you’ve had all along - and you’re finally deciding to give it a rightful spot.

Having a pool table at home can give you additional hours of bonding time with your family and friends. Less time being sedentary with eyes glued to your television or phone - learning a flashy skill that sharpens both your hand-eye coordination and mental fitness. 

With this new change happening, have you thought about the space needed for a pool table?

How to Approach Pool Table Placement?

To ensure that you have a convenient set-up, you need to get the room size to place the pool table. You can’t just put your gaming table anywhere so long as it fits because there are other things worth considering.

You will need to have more than enough space so you and the rest of the players can shoot from all sides of the table without bumping into the wall or any other fixtures. This means at least two feet of room on either side of your pool table, so you don’t need to worry about your shots.  

Besides the required space around the table, you also have to consider the distance between your pool table and the ceiling. Cue sticks are about 5ft 8” in length and can result in damaged light fixtures if used irresponsibly.

The Pool Size Ideal for My Room

‘Bigger is always better is a mentality many have when it comes to pool tables. However, you’d rather have a smaller table in a bigger room than a humongous pool table in a cramped space. 

Here is a summary of pool table sizes considering the standard cue lengths:

Pool Table Size and Recommended Playing Area	Required Room Size using a 58” cue	Required Room Size using a 52” cue
7 feet | 78” x 39”	16’2” x 12’11”	15’2” x 11’11”
8 feet | 88” x 44”	17’ x 13’4”	16’ x 12’4”
9 feet | 100” x 50”	18’ x 13’10”	17’ x 12’10”

Note that you can always use a shorter cue stick if you don’t have much space to go around, but the table above should give you an idea of the right space constraints for a comfortable game.

The Space of The Pool Table Away from The Wall

You can’t push a pool table against a wall. 

Pool tables need to be at the center of your playing area, with uniform space in all four corners.

This game requires constant and free movement for all the players. You will constantly go around the table and tweak positions and angles as needed for the shot.

When you take a shot, you extend your pool cue back from behind, thus the need and importance of adequate space. 

Aim for a minimum of 5’ of space on all four sides of the table. Lesser than this, and you will have some challenges in positioning your cue stick and achieving the correct angle for your shot without hitting a wall. Going beyond 5’ is recommended.

If you can only afford the bare minimum, then consider making adjustments to your cue stick. Instead of using a 58” cue, settle for a shorter 52” instead.

For this reason, most will decide to settle their cue table in their basement as this gives adequate space to move things around. Alternatively, many home players use spare bedrooms as a game room.

Height Requirement Between Your Pool Table and The Ceiling

This is an important consideration that is often forgotten because the focus is on the space around the pool table - not above it. It is imperative to understand the height difference between your ceiling, including your lights and the gaming table. 

All the players should have clear visibility on the balls, especially angles, without any glare and shadows. This is the primary purpose why overhead light fixtures are matched with pool tables. Understand that these lightning fixtures are not intended to light up the entire room but only provide enough illumination on the playing surface of your pool table.

The recommended guideline when it comes to space needed for a pool table and the height of the lighting fixture is at least 66”. This measurement is from the floor and depends on your choice of a lighting fixture. If this might be a little challenging to achieve, then the canopy of light should be around the player’s nose level when playing. 

Part of the height requirement is the actual ceiling height of your gaming area. High ceiling areas can cause some hesitation because lights can be pretty difficult to hang from greater heights, while spaces with low ceilings can cause the pool table’s illumination to be off. This can result in harmful glares and shadows, which can be distracting while playing.

The best solution is to work with whatever ceiling you have in your pool table appointment room and let your light fixture do the adjusting. You can do that by buying fixtures with adjustable chains.

After Thoughts

A pool table requires plenty of space and not just for the table itself but for you to get the full advantages of this investment. 

It won’t be so much fun having a pool table but not being able to play with it because you can’t even stretch from your behind to hit with the right angle and force. It will be a real drag knowing that you can’t even hold your cue stick straight up because of the risk of damaging something.

With meticulous planning for the room and space, you can enjoy your pool table, and your family and close buds will now declare your home as their favorite hang-out spot.

What kind of room are you looking to set up a pool table in? Do you have any plans to decorate or customize the space? Tell us in the comments below!