The advice and prices on this page come from US pool hall owners and US billiard suppliers (2025–2026, in US dollars). Equipment prices and labour rates vary by city and country.
Choosing pool tables for your room
Most successful rooms run a mix of table sizes. 9-ft tables suit league and tournament players, who want a regulation playing field. 7-ft bar boxes suit casual groups and bar leagues, and they turn over quickly. Many owners keep the 7-ft tables near the bar and TVs and put the 9-ft tables in a quieter zone.
Tables in a pool hall see many hours of play a day. Look for solid frames, slate that stays level, and pockets and cushions that play the same way year after year. Remember the weight too: a 9-ft slate table weighs roughly 1,000–1,200 lb (450–545 kg), so check your floor before you plan the layout.
Table prices below are US dealer and owner figures from 2025–2026, in US dollars, before delivery. Shipping, installation and the first cloth setup usually add 15–25% to the list price.
| Table | New, per table | Used or refurbished | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9-ft table | $7,500–$10,500 | $4,000–$6,000 | Leagues, tournaments, serious practice |
| 7-ft bar box (coin-op or open) | $5,500–$8,000 | $2,500–$4,500 | Bar leagues, casual groups, fast turnover |
One-piece or three-piece slate
One-piece slate is the usual choice for league and tournament tables in pool halls. Three-piece slate plays very well when it is set up properly, but a mechanic needs more time to level the pieces and fill the seams, so the setup costs a little more and needs checking more often.
New tables or rebuilt used frames
Experienced owners often save money by buying used tables with solid-wood frames and rebuilding them with new cushions, new cloth and a careful mechanic setup. Owners report that this can cut table spending by up to half while keeping the tables in excellent playing shape.
Brands commonly recommended by US pool hall ownersThe names that come up most often in owner discussions are Diamond (both 9-ft tables and 7-ft bar boxes, valued for durability under heavy use and consistent pockets), Brunswick Gold Crown (often bought used and rebuilt), Valley (popular coin-op bar boxes) and Rasson. Try tables in other rooms before you buy, and ask local league players which ones they like.
Choosing pool table cloth
Cloth is the part of the table that wears out fastest. Most pool halls use worsted wool cloth: it is woven from tightly spun wool, so it plays fast and true, resists pilling, and is easy to keep clean. Woollen "napped" cloth costs less but plays slower and wears faster under heavy use.
Keep the same cloth and colour on similar tables so they play alike. Players notice when one 9-ft table runs faster than the next.
How often to recover a pool table, and what it costs
Under heavy daily use in a pool hall, well-kept worsted cloth lasts about 9 to 18 months. After that the fibres wear down, the table plays slowly and unevenly, and small tears from jump and masse shots start to appear. Good daily care keeps you near the top of that range.
A pre-cut set of worsted cloth for the bed and rails costs about $270–$330 per table, depending on how many you buy. An experienced mechanic charges at least $200–$250 per table to install it. Re-covering a whole 20-table room at once therefore costs more than $11,000.
When you first install tables, budget about $350–$450 per table for cloth and rail cloth, plus $450–$700 per table for a mechanic's full setup, which covers levelling, sealing the slate seams, tuning the rails and stretching the cloth.
Most owners spread re-covers over the year. Doing a few tables at a time keeps the room open, softens the hit to cash flow, and lets you start with the tables that get the most play.
Re-cloth budget calculator
Use this to see how much to set aside every month so the next round of re-covers is already paid for when it comes due.
General information, not financial advice. Cloth prices and mechanic rates differ by region and supplier, so get local quotes before you set your budget.
US owners report 9–18 months under heavy daily use.
Leave empty to skip the table-hours figure.
Estimate based on figures reported by US pool hall owners. It does not include the first installation, rail rubber, or emergency repairs from torn cloth.
Example: with 18 tables at $300 cloth and $225 labour, a full re-cover costs $9,450. Spread over 12 months, that is about $788 a month ($43.75 per table), or roughly 66 table-hours at $12 an hour.
Hiring a good table mechanic
The mechanic matters as much as the cloth. A careful mechanic stretches the cloth evenly, keeps the pockets consistent, and sets the rails so every table plays the same. A rushed job can leave wrinkles, soft spots and pockets that play differently from table to table, and premium cloth will not fix that.
Most experienced mechanics supply the cloth themselves and price the job as a package. Buying the cloth through your mechanic is the usual arrangement, and it gives you one person who stands behind both the material and the work.
Questions to ask before you book
- How many pool halls do you service, and can I talk to one of them?
- Which cloth do you recommend for my level of use, and why?
- Is cloth included in your price, and what does the price cover (levelling, rail tuning, seam work)?
- How long does each table take, and can you work before opening or after closing?
- Do you come back to re-stretch or adjust if something shifts in the first weeks?
- Can you set a regular service visit to check level and cushions?
Daily, weekly and monthly maintenance routine
Chalk dust, grit and humidity work like fine sandpaper under a rolling ball. A short routine that your staff follows every day does more for cloth life than anything else.
Daily
Opening or closing shift
- Brush or wipe the cloth with a cloth cleaner tool
- Wipe rails and pockets
- Collect chalk dust from rails and floor around tables
- Check balls, racks and house cues
Weekly
Quietest day of the week
- Vacuum the bed with a handheld brushless vacuum. Never a beater-bar vacuum.
- Polish all balls in a ball cleaner
- Clean leather pockets
Monthly
Manager or mechanic
- Check level with a machinist's level
- Check pockets and cushion rubber
- Book the mechanic for any table that is off
Every 9–18 months
Per table, by wear
- Re-cover the bed and rails
- Mechanic re-levels and checks cushions
- Plan a few tables at a time
Owners have moved away from stiff bristle brushes, which can push chalk deeper into the weave. A flat cloth cleaner tool lifts the dust out instead. For the bed, a handheld brushless vacuum pulls out fine grit. A household vacuum with a spinning beater bar can stretch and damage worsted cloth in seconds, so keep it away from the tables.
Wipe the rails with a cleaner suited to the wood finish, wipe leather pockets gently, and check every table with a machinist's level once a month. Pin the printable schedule near the counter so every shift knows what to do.
Climate, balls, chalk and floors
Keep the room climate controlled
Heat and humidity make balls feel sticky. Sticky balls drag on the cloth, wear it faster and play badly. Keep the air conditioning and dehumidifying steady all year, including nights and closed days. Rooms full of people on league night need plenty of cooling capacity, and owners plan for roughly one ton of cooling per 300–350 sq ft (28–33 m²).
Clean balls and good chalk
A dirty, chalk-caked ball grips the cloth and can burn it on hard breaks. Running balls through a ball cleaner every week keeps friction low, and a motorised ball washer costs about $500 per unit.
Brands commonly recommended by US pool hall ownersMany owners invest in premium ball sets such as Aramith Tournament or Pro-Cup (around $350 a set) and low-dust premium chalk such as Taom. Owners report that these reduce wear on both the balls and the cloth. Some rooms sell the chalk at the counter so players can pick it up easily.
Protect the floor and the balls
Balls leave the table. On bare concrete they chip. Low-pile, heavy-duty carpet tile around the play area protects the balls, softens the noise, and lets you replace a worn patch cheaply. US owners report about $6–$12 per sq ft installed (about $65–$130 per m²).
Players who care about equipment search for table brands and sizes. Claim your PoolTrips page to list each table's size and brand, and add photos of fresh cloth to your gallery.
More guides for pool hall owners
How much to charge for poolSet table rates with the revenue calculator.
Running the roomHouse rules that protect your tables.
How to open a pool hallStart-up costs, from tables to the bar.Frequently asked questions
How often should a pool table be re-covered in a pool hall?
US pool hall owners report that worsted cloth lasts about 9 to 18 months under heavy daily use. Busy league tables and bar boxes sit at the shorter end. Good daily cleaning, clean balls and a stable climate push you toward the longer end.
How much does it cost to recover a pool table?
In the US, owners report about $270–$330 for a pre-cut set of worsted cloth for the bed and rails, plus $200–$250 for an experienced mechanic. That is roughly $470–$580 per table, or more than $11,000 for a 20-table room.
How do you clean pool table cloth without damaging it?
Wipe the cloth daily with a flat cloth cleaner tool to lift chalk dust out of the weave, and vacuum the bed weekly with a handheld brushless vacuum. Avoid stiff brushes that push dust in, and never use a vacuum with a spinning beater bar.
How often should pool tables be levelled?
Check every table with a machinist's level once a month, and after any table is moved or bumped hard. If a table is off, ask your mechanic to re-level it. Three-piece slate tables usually need checking more often than one-piece slate.