How to move a pool table

 If your move requires moving a pool table, you may be surprised to find that one piece of furniture taking up most of your effort, and patience.  Pool tables can’t be moved like all other furniture, even if you are willing to get parts of it scratched.  Truth be told, even a used pool table can cost around $1000, and the price of new ones can skyrocket from there.  They are also heavy, weighing between 500 to 1000 pounds.  Ironically, they are very fragile when it comes to transporting them.

The risks of moving a pool table incorrectly include damaging a leg, cracking the slate, popping seams, and ending up with an unleveled (and thus useless) slate.  On top of that, many pool table companies will render your warranty void if you try to move it without  professional pool table movers .  In general, pool tables can’t be carried by any less than four people, plus a flat dolly and sometimes detailed disassembly too. 

If you do decide to move a pool table yourself, keep these steps in mind:

• 1) First measure your pool table, and measure any doors it might have to pass.  If you are moving it from one end of a pub to another, still measure any bolted tables, chairs or bars it will have to weave its way through.  Likewise, if it is going up and down stairs, measure the width of the staircase, taking into account how much room will be left for arms and fingers when moving the pieces.  You may have to remove doors or railings to have enough room.

• 2) If your pool table is too wide, and is going too far to be simply rolled to its destination safely, you will need to disassemble it.  To do this, you will need a staple remover, a screwdriver (both flat heads and Phillips are standard when building pool tables), a socket wrench and a drill.  Start by taking out staples around the pockets and removing screws and bolts out of the railings and legs.  When you remove the slate, you will also need to remove the felt.  Remember to mark all your pieces or you may end up having to hire a professional anyway to be able to put it back together.  

• 3) If you chose not to disassemble the pool table before moving, find a flat dolly that is as level and sturdy as possible.  Use one with a carpeted surface, or otherwise use a rug to avoid scratching the legs of the pool table.  Never slide the pool table.  If you don’t have a jack lift, use your four or five helpers to lift each corner together and place on the flat bed dolly in sync, so that no leg is given more pressure over another.  Leaning the pool table on one side can damage the legs.  Slowly roll the billiards game to its new spot, or onto a trailer or pickup.

• 4) If you are carrying pieces of a disassembled pool table to a new location, always remember to carry the slate vertically, and never horizontally, to avoid cracking.  Also, remember that each piece is going to be very heavy (the slate alone is about 150 pounds), so lift with your legs, not your back, and preferably get someone to help with each piece.

• Finally, remember that renting moving equipment for a pool table can end up costing more than simply getting  professional pool table movers to do it.  Also, you’ll need to re-level the table and possibly reattach the felt for playing again.  Since a billiards seller will likely forfeit any guarantee on the pool table if it is moved unprofessionally, you can save risk by having insured movers do it for you, who will have all the equipment necessary to keep it safe and in one piece.