Moving A Pool Table Yourself: The Pros & Cons

At this time of year, we often receive many calls for pool table service work. People are buying a new house and want to move their pool table, they’ve bought a new house and want to sell their current table because they don’t have space, they want to move their table to the cottage; so many different types of services are available.

Lately I’ve heard many customers tell me they want to move their pool table themselves (or have their moving company move it) and just have us put new cloth on and re-level the table. Here is what is involved in dismantling and moving your pool table yourself:

1. Labeling all of the parts and keeping track of all of the screws, nuts and bolts. When our installers come out to dismantle a pool table, they have a system so they don’t loose any parts and so the table will go back together, they will often label the pieces as they come apart. We once had a customer who had to purchase all new hardware for her pool table because the moving company she used discarded all the screws, nuts and bolts for her pool table. This was incredibly frustrating for her since we had to order a few things in that couldn’t be found at the local hardware store.
2. It is important to wrap all of the pieces to ensure that nothing gets scratched or damaged during transport. Our installers have large blankets which they roll up the rails and legs in and also protect the frame itself.
3. Removing the cloth can be tricky – especially if you want to re-use it when the table is re-assembled. Our installers can remove the cloth in such a way that it can be re-used when the table is put back together. Installers that simply cut the cloth off the table only do that if it is in really bad shape or they are too lazy to remove the staples. There is no need to replace the cloth unless you no longer like the colour or it is not in good condition. If you are planning to replace the cloth, now is the time to do it since the table is already apart and will need to be re-leveled anyway.
4. Properly dismantling a pool table requires not only the legs to come off the bottom and the rails to be unscrewed from the slate, it also requires the slate to be unscrewed from the frame and removed a piece at a time. Most standard 8 ft or 9 ft pool tables have 3 pieces of slate which are joined by either wax or putty and are attached to the frame of the table in some way. You will damage your pool table or the slate if you try and move it with the slate still attached.

Some 10 ft and 12 ft tables will have up to 5 pieces of slate and each piece will weigh anywhere from 250 to 350 lbs. If it is one piece of slate, it could weigh anywhere from 800 lbs and up. All of these factors effect the price of moving your pool table if we provide that service for you. We have a minimum of 2 technicians, but will use more if the job requires it. They are used to lifting slate and can do it properly without hurting themselves. Our installers also have a vehicle which will accommodate the weight of that much slate plus the weight of the pool table itself. Don’t forget – if you chip, crack or break a piece of slate, it will need to be replaced and you will need to purchase all new slate. The pieces are matched to each other and you won’t be able to replace a single piece.

A note on moving companies – often they are used to moving furniture, but not something as heavy and awkward as a pool table. Our installers are used to lifting, carrying and moving slate, maneuvering pool table frames through doorways and up stairs and know what’s involved when taking them apart. Pool table mechanics are specialists, the same as for a piano (yes, you should use a specialist to move your piano too!). They are also insured in case they break or damage anything during the move.

If you decide that you can move the table yourself but don’t want to put it back together, it is wise to simply move all of the pieces into the room it’s going to and leave the rest to us. Often a pool table which has been half put back together will have to be taken apart and re-assembled from scratch. We once had a situation where the customer put the table back together, but the cabinet was upside down with the slate on it!

I will say that I caution people who tell me they are moving their table themselves or having a moving company do it for them. Our crews have experience with all makes and models and will get the job done right the first time. Have you ever moved your pool table? What was your experience like?