By the PoolTableExpert.co.uk – The UK's Home Pool Table Authority Team · Updated May 2026 · Independent, reader-supported

How to Level a Pool Table at Home UK (Without Calling a Pro)

A pool table that isn't level will drive you mad. The cue ball will drift unpredictably, straight shots will curve, and you'll spend half your game blaming the table instead of your aim. The good news is that levelling one at home is straightforward and costs almost nothing if you already have a spirit level. You don't need a professional—just 20 minutes, basic tools, and patience.

Why Levelling Actually Matters

When a table is out of level, even by 3 or 4mm, it changes how balls roll. A ball that should travel dead straight will drift toward the low side. Bank shots and break shots become unreliable. More frustratingly, you can't tell just by looking—your eye isn't accurate enough at spotting subtle slopes. This is why even casual players notice something's "off" without realizing the table itself is the problem.

Levelling isn't vanity. It's the difference between a playable table and an annoying one.

What You'll Need

You don't need specialist equipment. Most of this you'll have at home already:

• A spirit level (a 2-foot one is ideal; longer is better for larger tables)
• A set of shims (tapered wooden wedges), or coins and cardboard as a budget alternative
• A set square or straight edge
• Allen keys or a wrench (depending on your table's foot design)
• A notebook to record measurements

If your table has adjustable feet (most modern ones do), you might not even need shims. If it has fixed feet, you'll be shimming underneath.

Check Your Table's Current Level

This is the critical first step. Place your spirit level across the width of the table, roughly in the middle. Take a note of the bubble. Now place it along the length. Note that too. Repeat in several places—near the head, the foot, each rail.

Write down which direction it's low in. This matters. If the bubble drifts left when you're looking at the table lengthwise, that end is high. If it drifts toward you, that corner is low.

Check the rails as well. Pocket tables should be very slightly higher at the rails (about 3–5mm higher than the centre), but this should be even all around. If one rail is significantly higher than another, that's a separate problem (usually means the frame is warped, which you can't fix easily without replacing the table).

Levelling Method 1: Adjustable Feet

Most pub-style tables and modern home tables have adjustable feet with bolts underneath. This is the easiest fix.

Get down and look under the table. You'll see feet (usually four, sometimes more) with bolts running through them. Loosen each bolt slightly so you can turn the foot underneath. Turn clockwise to raise, anticlockwise to lower.

Make small adjustments. A quarter-turn is usually 1–2mm. After each adjustment, go back up top with your spirit level and check. It's tedious, but rushing this step means you'll overshoot and have to come back.

The goal is to get the bubble centred lengthwise and widthwise, with slightly higher rails. Work methodically from one corner, then move around.

Levelling Method 2: Shimming

If your table has fixed feet, you'll shimming underneath them. This is slower but works just as well.

Insert a shim (thin side first, like sliding a wedge under a door) under whichever feet are on the low side. You're aiming to lift that side until it's level. Again, use your spirit level after each shim adjustment.

Wooden shims are better than improvised ones, but in a pinch, cardboard or thin plywood works. Just make sure whatever you use is stable and won't shift when people lean on the table.

A common trick: number your shims and note where each one goes. If you ever move the table, you'll know exactly how to set it up again.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Levelling only one direction. You need to check lengthwise and widthwise. A table can be level one way and out the other.

Overtightening bolts. If you're using adjustable feet, snug the bolts down—don't wrench them tight. You're just trying to keep the feet in place, not crush them.

Ignoring the frame. If your table is genuinely out of level despite everything being adjusted properly, the frame itself might be warped. This is rare in new tables but common in older ones that have been moved around. Warped frames can't be fixed without professional help.

Not leaving a margin for settling. If you move your table, it may settle slightly over a few days. Level it, wait a week, then check again.

Keeping It Level Long-Term

Once you've levelled it, check it every few months, especially if your table gets a lot of use. Adjustable feet can loosen over time, and shims can shift.

If you're thinking about buying a pool table and levelling ease is a concern, slate-bed tables are worth considering. Slate is far more stable than MDF or plywood, and it holds its level far better over years. The initial cost is higher, but you'll spend less time fiddling with it afterwards. If you play regularly, that's worth the investment.

For now, though, if you've got a table that's slightly out, you can fix it yourself in an afternoon.