How to Move a Pool Table

Pool tables are bulky, heavy, and are a hassle to get from place to place but sometimes, they have to be moved.  You might be moving into a new home, bringing back a used one you bought from a friend, or just trying to get it to a new spot.

No matter how far you’re bringing it, moving a pool table is a task in itself.

However, in this article, you will be able to find out what you need to do, step-by-step, to safely transport your pool table as well as a few mistakes to avoid during the process.

Can You Move a Pool Table by Yourself or Should You Hire Professionals?

You can move a pool table by yourself but it is not an easy task by any means. As such, if you don’t have a few helping hands, it will likely take you a few trips and be a very tiring task.

If you have moved a pool table before or are comfortable lifting heavy and bulky things you can probably handle it DIY provided you know the right steps. If this doesn’t sound like you, it may be better to hire a professional.

Movers that specialize in moving pool tables will typically cost you around 500 dollars for having them break down, pack, move, and re-assemble your table. The price will depend on a variety of factors including your table’s size, the distance it needs to be moved, and so on.

So if you have the extra cash, it will save you a lot of effort to just hire a professional.

Can You Move a Pool Table Without Taking It Apart?

If you don’t plan on moving your table too far and you have some helping hands you don’t necessarily have to take it apart. Make sure you can fit it through the spaces you are trying to move it through and be careful. You could easily damage your table if it bangs into walls or drags along the ground.

However, if you plan on moving it over a long distance or can’t fit it through tighter spaces you will have to disassemble the table. This is certainly the safer and absolutely more recommended method of moving a pool table.

How to Move a Pool Table

With the two big questions out of the way, let’s move on to the actual process of moving the table.

Step 1: Gather the Right Tools

If you want to move your pool table on your own you will need a screwdriver, power drill, socket wrench, and a few thick blankets to protect your table from dings while moving. Also, you’ll have to use a staple remover if you want to change the table’s felt.

Step 2: Measure the Hallways/Doors You’ll Be Moving Through

The last thing you want is to start moving your table and realize it can’t fit through the door you need to move it through.

Use a tape measure to not only measure your hallways and doors but your table as well so that when you disassemble it, you know if it can fit through before you begin moving. Measuring your pool table will also help you figure out how far you have to go with the breakdown process.

Step 3: Disassemble the Table

This is going to be the step that requires the most work and is best done with a few extra helpers if possible.

First, take off the pockets by removing the staples that hold them to the table underneath with your staple remover. If the pockets are held in by screws, use a screwdriver instead to take off the pockets.

Next, use a socket wrench to take off the table’s rails. Once you unscrew the bolts, the side rails should come off easily. Be sure to hold onto these bolts in a place you will remember, for you will need them to reassemble the table later.

Most people will remove the table’s felt as well so they don’t have to worry about it getting damaged and having to replace it anyway. Once again, use your staple remover to carefully take out each staple holding the felt in place to successfully take off the felt.

Next, it is time to take on the table’s slates. A pool table’s slates are going to be very heavy, so if you can enlist some help, now is certainly the time to do it. Most slates are going to be screwed in and you will need to use your power drill to get them out. Once you get the screws out, you can pick up the slates but be careful, as they will be heavy, and dropping them is very dangerous.

The above part will be easier if you have an MDF table.

Now that all of these parts have been removed, move the legs and body of your pool table. The legs should come out fairly easily as they are not screwed on or anything of the sorts but you might have to turn the table upside-down or on its side to make this task easier.

Step 4: Wrap Up All the Parts and Transport Carefully

Once you’ve disassembled everything, wrap up the individual parts in bubble wrap or thick blankets  After this, load the pieces into a truck or van large enough to hold everything if you plan on driving your table to its destination.

If you are just carrying the parts by hand to somewhere close, take them one at a time, and be especially careful with the slates. If anything, use two or three people to help carry them as they can easily break despite how heavy they are.

Step 5: Reassemble the Table

Essentially, you just have to remember how you disassembled the table and work backward from there. Attach the legs back onto the table. Then, add the slate and attach the pockets and rails using new staples and the bolts you saved from earlier.

If you took the felt off of your table, putting it back on or getting a new felt is a particularly tricky process and should be left to professionals if possible.

Without going into too much detail, if you wish to put new felt on yourself, make sure it does not have any pockets or air or tears in it and that it is the right side up when you put it on.

Mistakes to Avoid, Tips & Tricks

There can be a lot of screws and bolts you need to hold onto when moving your table, so be sure to label these to differentiate them. Use different colored bags or boxes to keep things organized and easier to find when reassembling.

Also, be sure to cover any sharp edges with foam bumpers or towels so you do not damage any walls or chip the table itself when moving large parts of the pool table through tight hallways.

Also, it is possible to move a table by yourself, but it is highly recommended you do this with some help. This is a very difficult one-man job and will require a lot of heavy lifting.

Summary

Hopefully, you now have all the steps you need to know to move your pool table without too much sweat and frustration.

This operation can be a difficult one but, with a little bit of know-how and some helping hands, it can be much quicker and easier than it is made out to be.

Always keep in mind the mistakes to avoid and, if you feel you can’t do it the right way, don’t be afraid to call a professional to handle this and save you all kinds of headaches while moving your pool table.