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Garden Games Rooms and Bars

A garden games room is usually built round one thing: a pool table, a dartboard, a big screen for the rugby league, or a bar for when the family comes round. Get the size right for that one thing first and the rest follows.

A room for a 7-foot pool table needs about 4.5 by 3.5 metres and typically costs £23,500 to £33,000. A garden bar of about 4 by 3 metres is usually £18,000 to £25,000 before the bar fit-out.

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Room sizes for the game

RoomSize and fitTypical price
Darts and a bar3.5 × 3 m, 10.5 m². Oche at 2.37 m from the board, bar along one wall.£16,000 to £22,000
6-foot pool table4 × 3.2 m, 12.8 m². Room for a 48-inch cue all round.£19,000 to £27,000
7-foot pool table4.5 × 3.5 m, 15.75 m². The common pub table size.£23,500 to £33,000
Pool, darts and a bar6 × 4 m, 24 m². Over 15 m², so check building regulations.£36,000 to £50,500

Typical ranges at £1,500 to £2,100 per m², before the bar counter, shelving, sink and any toilet. A full-size snooker table (12 foot) needs about 7 × 5 m and a building regulations application.

What goes into a games room build

The details that matter more here than in an office.

ItemSpecificationTypical cost
FloorA stiff, level floor: joists at closer centres or a slab, so a slate-bed pool table does not settle. A slate table weighs 300 to 450 kg.Included
SoundAcoustic insulation in walls and roof, heavier glazing on the side facing the neighbours, a door that seals.£800 to £2,500
BarCounter, back shelving, under-counter fridge, small sink if water can be run from the house.£1,500 to £5,000
ToiletSaves the trail through the kitchen on a busy night. Needs a drain connection.£3,000 to £5,000
PowerMore sockets than an office: fridge, TV, speakers, lights over the table. Its own small board.£1,500 to £3,000
DoorsBifold doors open the room to the patio in summer.£1,500 to £3,000

Keeping the neighbours on side

Most games room trouble is noise, not planning. Terraced and semi-detached gardens around Huddersfield are close together, and a stone wall at the back of a garden carries sound further than you would expect.

Three things help: place the door and the biggest glazing facing your own house rather than the neighbours, add acoustic insulation (mineral wool rather than foam boards in the walls), and keep the speakers off the wall that faces next door. A room built this way can host a match night without anyone knocking on the door.

Do you need a licence for a garden bar?

No, as long as you are not selling alcohol. A private bar where you give drinks to friends and family needs no licence. Charging for drinks, even on a tab, or running it as a venue, needs a premises licence from Kirklees Council and probably planning permission for a change of use.

Planning is the same as any other garden room as long as the use stays incidental to the house: a place for you and your guests, not a business.

Snooker rooms and the big tables

A full-size snooker table needs about 7 by 5 metres of floor and a slab base strong enough for well over a tonne. That is 35 m², which takes it past the 30 m² building regulations limit for an exempt outbuilding, so an application is needed. It may also run into the permitted development rule that outbuildings cover no more than half the garden.

A 10-foot table in a room of about 6 by 4.5 metres is a common middle ground in Kirklees gardens.

Common questions

How big does a pool room need to be?

For a 7-foot table and standard 57-inch cues, allow about 4.5 by 3.5 metres. For a 6-foot table, about 4 by 3.2 metres.

How much does a garden bar cost?

The room itself typically costs £18,000 to £25,000 for about 4 by 3 metres. The bar counter, shelving and sink add £1,500 to £5,000.

Do I need planning permission for a garden bar?

Usually not, if it is for private use and within the permitted development height and size limits. See planning in Kirklees.

Can a garden bar have a toilet?

Yes, if a drain can be reached. It typically adds £3,000 to £5,000, more if a pump is needed because the room sits below the house drains.

Will a pool table be level on a timber floor?

Yes, if the floor is built for it. Ask for joists at 300 mm centres or a concrete slab under the table.

Also worth reading

Ask for a price: games rooms and bars

Three short parts. Tell us where, what and when, and a Huddersfield-area garden room joiner can come and measure up.

This is a free introduction service: we find a local garden room joiner, tell you who they are, and pass your details on only if you agree. How that works.

Part 1 of 3

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