144 pages of clearances, builds and buying advice
Game room size, dimensions and cost: measure the room before you buy the table.
The most expensive mistake in this hobby is ordering an anchor game that does not fit, and it is entirely avoidable. Every clearance figure on this site comes out of one formula, so the number on a chart and the number in a calculator can never disagree. A starter game room costs about $1,500 to $3,000 and a room built around a slate pool table $6,000 to $9,000; the game room cost guide breaks that down line by line.
Every figure below includes the clearance the game needs to be played, not merely the footprint of the object. The gap between foosball and pool is the whole story: a cue has to draw back a full cue length from four cushions, while a foosball player stands still.
| Game | Room needed | Sq ft | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartboard | 5'0" x 9'9" | 49 | Picks |
| Home arcade cabinet | 3'2" x 7'0" | 22 | Picks |
| Pinball machine | 3'9" x 10'7" | 40 | Picks |
| Foosball, 56 in | 6'10" x 10'8" | 73 | Picks |
| Air hockey, 7 ft | 8'0" x 13'0" | 104 | Picks |
| Poker table, 84 in | 9'6" x 13'0" | 124 | Picks |
| Pool, 7 ft, 58 in cue | 13'6" x 16'9" | 227 | Picks |
| Shuffleboard, 12 ft | 5'6" x 16'0" | 88 | Picks |
| Table tennis, 9 x 5 ft | 11'0" x 19'0" | 209 | Picks |
- Pool Table Room Size Calculator Work out the exact room a pool table needs, from 6 ft to 10 ft, with any cue length. Live plan drawing, full clearance c
- What Size Pool Table Fits My Room? Enter the room you measured and find the biggest pool table it takes, in both orientations and at every cue length, with
- Dartboard Height and Throw Line Calculator Exact regulation dart layout: 68 in bullseye height, 93.25 in steel tip throw, 96 in soft tip, with the diagonal check m
- Shuffleboard Room Size Calculator Work out the room a shuffleboard table needs at every length from 9 ft to a regulation 22 ft, with shooting clearance, s
- Game Room Budget Planner Build a real game room budget including the costs that are not on any product listing: slate delivery and levelling, the
- Game Room Lighting Calculator Work out the lumens a game room needs by zone, from ambient ceiling light to the dedicated fixture over the table and th
- Ping pong table size and dimensions Regulation 9 x 5 ft, 30 in high, net height and the room a rally needs.
- 7 ft vs 8 ft pool table Dimensions of each, the room size needed with a 58 in cue, and whether 7 ft is too small.
- Shuffleboard table sizes chart 9 ft to regulation 22 ft, cradle widths and the room each length needs.
- Arcade machine and pinball dimensions How tall arcade machines are, pinball cabinet size, weight and floor space.
- How to hang a dartboard Regulation height, throw distance and the diagonal check.
- How to level a pool table Leveling tolerance, the machinist level, leg levellers and shims.
- Best pool table lights Fixture length per table size and the pool table light height above the cloth.
- How much does a game room cost Starter, slate-table and full buildout budgets, with installation.
- Best poker chip sets How many chips a home game needs, chip weight and denominations.
Six complete builds, every line item budgeted and linked, with the total computed from the same figures printed in the tables rather than typed in by hand. A roundup sells one table. These do the whole room.
- under $1,500 Starter Game Room Build: A Complete Room for Under $2,000 A full spare-room game room, every item budgeted and linked: dartboard and regulation throw line, a 7 ft table, cross li
- under $3,000 Small Room Game Room Build: What Actually Fits Under 150 Sq Ft A complete game room for a spare bedroom or a tight basement corner, built around games played from fixed positions rath
- under $5,000 Mid-Range Game Room Build: Real Slate, Proper Light, Bar Seating A complete game room built around a three-piece slate pool table, with the pendant light hung to the right height, four
- under $5,000 Family Game Room Build: Games Everyone Can Actually Play A complete family game room for a household with children: air hockey, folding table tennis, arcade basketball, a cabine
- under $6,000 Basement Game Room Buildout: Moisture, Ceilings and Stairs First A complete below-grade game room build, sequenced around the four things that are only true in a basement: humidity, low
- under $20,000 Full Game Room Buildout: Every Line Item Linked A complete no-compromise game room: 8 ft slate pool table, shuffleboard, a four-player arcade cabinet, pinball, air hock
- Calculators 15 pages Room size, clearance, ceiling height, lighting, flooring and budget. Answer the fit question in one screen.
- Buildouts 6 pages Complete rooms at six budgets, every line item budgeted and linked, totals stated.
- Reviews 51 pages Tables, boards, cabinets, bars and lighting at three budgets, with the room each one needs on the card.
- Guides 20 pages Installation, levelling, moisture, electrical, flooring and everything that happens after the purchase.
- Charts 11 pages Every dimension in the hobby in one place, computed from the same formulas the calculators use.
- Comparisons 32 pages Slate against MDF, 7 ft against 8 ft, pool against shuffleboard, and the rest of the real decisions.
Everything here is researched from published manufacturer dimensions, the governing playing standard for each game, and reviews from owners who live with the equipment. We do not test games in person, and we say so on every page, because nobody keeps a warehouse of slate pool tables and any site claiming otherwise is telling you a story.
Where the honest best answer in a category is a table you have to ring a dealer for, we name it anyway. Brunswick, Diamond and Champion sell through their own dealer networks and are worth knowing about. The buttons next to those names search comparable equipment you can order today, and the pages say so plainly.
Clearance and cost figures here are planning guidance rather than professional advice. Measure your own room, confirm the dimensions of the exact model you are buying, and use a qualified installer for slate tables and a qualified electrician for any new circuit.
