What is the ideal room size for a pool table? Use our calculator

You know exactly the new pool table you want. You know the construction material, the style, the colour of the cloth, everything. But before you go ahead and order it, there’s one other, very important detail to consider: your pool table room size. 

The last thing you want to happen is to go through with a purchase only to realize when it arrives that it doesn’t fit. Or, just as bad, getting it in your room but realizing there’s no space for pool table play.

To help you avoid these scenarios, we’ve put together a pool table room size guide. As a family-owned business celebrating 35 years of offering the best in billiards, games, and lifestyle equipment, we’ve honed choosing the right table for your needs down to a science.

By following the tips and steps outlined below, and in our pool table buying guide, you’re guaranteed to end up with the perfect pool table dimensions for your space.

What pool table size is right for my room? Use our calculator to find out

How our pool table size calculator works

Simply select the cue length you intend to use and the length and width of the room you intend to play in (in centimetres or inches), and our calculator will tell you the largest-sized American pool table that will fit in your room.

How far should a pool table be from your wall?

The short answer is that your pool table should be at least five feet from your wall. More specifically, the distance between each side of your pool table and the wall should accommodate general movement around the table while playing, as well as cue pull backs.

If you’ve ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Kramer plays pool in George’s father’s cramped apartment, you know just the kind of damage pool tables can cause in tight quarters.

Comfortable play means not having to squeeze in beside the table, suck your stomach in, or generally contort your body in any uncomfortable way while standing between your table and the wall.

Secondly, you need to also be able to have enough space to pull your cue back without it hitting your wall. 

How far should a pool table be from your ceiling and light fixtures?

To be safe, the playing surface of your pool table should be at least three feet (~1 metre) from your light fixtures, and even farther from your ceiling. This will give most people more than enough space for even the most angled shots.

To avoid leaving holes or scuffs, or breaking light fixtures above your table, it’s important to make sure that at full draw during these more angled shots, there is still ample space between the back of your cue stick and your ceiling. 

Figuring out the right room size for the most common pool table dimensions

With everything above in mind, how do you actually determine your ideal playing space, or how much room for a pool table you need?

For the DIYers out there, you can:

1. Take measurements of the room in which you plan to place your table

2. Get yourself in front of a table you’re interested in buying (or create fake 6, 7, and 8-foot tables in your room using something like cardboard)

3. Grab a cue that is the length you plan to use

4. Take measurements while taking shots at different angles and sides of the table

5. Compare these measurements to the dimensions of your room and decide which table size works best 

How much room do you need for a pool table?

At a minimum, you will need a room that is 11’3” x 14’6” or 3.43m x 4.42m to fit a pool table. If you are looking for a bigger table or longer cue, you can simply turn to our room size recommendations below, which illustrate minimum room sizes for the three most common pool table sizes, depending on the cue you plan to use.

Note: All dimensions below assume an approximate table height (floor to playing surface) of 30 inches (~0.75 metres).

What room size is needed for a 7-foot table?

For a typical 7-foot pool table with a playing surface of 39” x 78”, you’re going to need a minimum room size of:

• 48 inch cue: 11’3” x 14’6” or 3.43m x 4.42m
• 52 inch cue: 11’11” x 15’2” or 3.63m x 4.62m
• 58 inch cue: 12’11” x 16’2” or 3.94m x 4.93m

Check out our wide selection of 7-foot tables here!

What room size is needed for an 8-foot table?

For a typical 8-foot pool table with a playing surface of 44” x 88”, you’re going to need a minimum room size of:

• 48 inch cue: 11’8” x 15’4” or 3.56m x 4.67m
• 52 inch cue: 12’4” x 16’ or 3.76m x 4.88m
• 58 inch cue: 13’4” x 17’ or 4.06m x 5.18m

Check out our wide selection of 8-foot tables here!

What room size is needed for a 9-foot table?

For a typical 9-foot pool table with a playing surface of 50” x 100”, you’re going to need a minimum room size of:

• 48 inch cue: 12’2” x 16’4” or 4.06m
• 52 inch cue: 12’10” x 17’ or 3.91m x 5.18m
• 58 inch cue: 13’10” x 18’ or 4.22m x 5.49m

Check out our wide selection of 9-foot tables here!

Different ways to find the best room size for pool tables

There are also other tried-and-true methods for finding how much space you need for pool tables, each suiting different preferences and playing styles. 

Using the Rough Rule of Thumb method to determine pool room size

Most pool players use a 58-inch pool cue, which is about five feet (this is also about as big as pool cues get). With this in mind, an easy, quick way to determine the most accommodating pool room size is by adding five feet to each side of your pool table. 

So, if you’re playing on a standard 8' pool table which measures 4’ (44") x 8’ (88") or 1.2192 metres by 2.4384 metres, you would need a room with dimensions of 160” (44 + 58 + 58) x 204” (88 + 58 + 58) or 4.064 metres x 5.1816 metres.

Using the Cue Length Plus method to determine pool room size

The method above, while useful, is rough, catering to a more general, popular playing style. The Cue Length Method is more precise, taking into account both the size of your table and the length of your specific cue.

Plus, if you’re looking for maximum manoeuvrability—uncramped movement and the freedom to position yourself and the cue however you want—the Cue Length PLUS makes sure you end up with a wider berth around your table. 

This method states that:

• Room width equals: the width of the table + twice the length of the cue
• Room length equals: the length of the table + twice the length of the cue

For example, if you intend to play on a 4’ (44") x 8’ (88") or 1.2192 metres by 2.4384 metres table with a 48-inch cue, you would need a room with dimensions of 140” (44 + 48 + 48) x 184” (88 + 48 + 48) or 3.556 metres x 4.6736 metres.

Pool table room layout

While the dimensions recommended above will help you pick a table that allows you to comfortably play, it’s important to remember that they are still minimum room size recommendations. 

If you plan on placing other things in your pool room, such as furniture, a bar setup, entertainment centers, or anything else that may eat up a lot of space, you may want to go beyond these recommended dimensions. 

Or, at the very least, you’ll want to make sure that the placement of any extra elements is done in such a way that it doesn’t affect play. 

Working around beams, support columns, and other load-bearing elements

You have the perfectly-sized room but there’s one problem: there’s a fixed obstruction somewhere in the room currently making it unusable. 

If this sounds familiar, the first step is checking to see if it’s safe to tamper with; if it is (it’s a decorative piece, for example), the fix may be as simple as removing it—or at least altering it enough to make room for your table. 

If the obstruction is load-bearing, however, removing it will negatively affect the structural integrity of your home (DON'T DO THAT). Minus major construction, the only things you can do here are to play with shorter cues, choose a different room, look at pool tables that require less space, or play around the obstruction.

In the case that playing around the obstruction is an option, position your table so that the obstruction is at the head of the table. Generally, this will affect your playing the least.

Putting this pool table size guide to practice 

Whether you know exactly what you want, are still looking around, or simply want a professional opinion, we at Home Billiards are ready to help you pick the perfectly-styled and sized pool table for your needs.

What are the benefits of buying from a retailer vs Wayfare? The biggest benefit to buying from a retailer like Home Billiards is the peace of mind of knowing that we control everything end-to-end. This means verified transactions, reliable quality assurance, and prompt customer service, which you won’t find on marketplaces. 

Send us a message, give us a call, pay us a visit, or check out our wide selection of slate pool tables for sale to get the ball rolling today!