How to Move a Dining Room Table

What You Need To Move a Dining Room Table

For most dining tables, you’ll need tools that allow you to disassemble your table plus protection and cushioning, but what you need specifically depends on how your table is built and what it’s made of. Check underneath first to see what comes apart and which tools you’ll need, then gather the padding and moving supplies to protect it. These supplies cover most moves:

• Screwdriver, socket set, or Allen wrench: Make sure to match the tool to the bolts or screws holding the legs or base in place.
• Resealable bags: Used to keep bolts, washers, screws, and other small hardware together.
• Labels or a marker: Mark and label the hardware bag and any table parts that aren’t obvious.
• Moving blankets or furniture pads: Used to cover the tabletop, legs, pedestal, and other finished surfaces.
• Cardboard or foam corner protectors: Made for protecting the parts most likely to hit a doorway, truck wall, or another piece of furniture.
• Stretch wrap: Used to hold blankets and padding in place. Use it over the protective layer, not directly against a delicate wood finish.
• Bubble wrap or foam: Meant to add cushioning around glass, decorative details, or vulnerable edges.
• Furniture sliders or a furniture dolly: Helpful for moving heavier pieces across a room, hallway, or driveway without carrying them the entire distance.
• Moving straps: Useful for controlling bulky pieces, provided they're appropriate for the table and used correctly.

Pro tip: Take a few photos before you remove anything, including close-ups of how the legs, brackets, leaves, and hardware fit together. Reassembly gets much easier when you're not trying to remember which washer went where.

How To Move a Dining Room Table Step by Step

The easiest way to move a dining room table is to disassemble it. You should also protect the tabletop and corners, wrap the pieces individually, and plan your carrying route before anyone lifts.

Step 1: Clean and Prep the Table

You should always start by cleaning the table and clearing the path you’ll use to move it. Doing this step first can help prevent scratches, trips, and the unpleasant discovery that the table won’t fit through the door.:

• Clean the surface. Use a soft cloth and a cleaner that’s appropriate for the table material. For wood, avoid soaking the surface or trying a new polish right before wrapping it. You mainly want to remove dust, crumbs, and grit that could scratch the finish under the padding.
• Clear your route. Move rugs, boxes, chairs, and anything else between the table and the door or moving truck.
• Measure before you lift. Check the tabletop against doorways, stairwells, elevators, and tight turns so you know the pieces will fit through.
• Take photos. Snap a few pictures of the table, especially underneath, before you start taking anything apart. They can make reassembly much easier later.

Step 2: Disassemble the Legs, Leaves, and Hardware

Making the table smaller usually makes it easier to carry and puts less strain on its joints, so it’s important to disassemble your table before lifting.:

• Check how the table comes apart. Look underneath before reaching for a wrench. Legs may be attached with bolts, brackets, mounting plates, or other hardware, so you need to make sure you have the right tool for the job. If you have the assembly instructions, follow them in reverse.
• Support each piece as you remove it. Hold the leg or base while loosening the last fastener so its weight doesn’t pull against the tabletop.
• Don’t force anything. Some tables have permanently attached frames, glued joints, or mechanisms that aren’t meant to come apart.
• Remove extension leaves when possible. Loose leaves should be taken out and wrapped separately. For butterfly or self-storing leaves, check how the mechanism works before trying to dismantle it.
• Keep the hardware together. Put bolts, washers, screws, and brackets in a labeled resealable bag. Keep the bag with your moving hardware or attach it to the wrapped padding, never directly to the table.
• Prep the chairs while you’re at it. If dining chair legs or other parts are designed to come off, you can use the same basic process before wrapping them.

Step 3: Protect the Tabletop, Edges, and Corners

You should cover the entire tabletop, then add extra protection around the edges and corners. Those exposed areas are the most likely to hit a doorway, truck wall, or another piece of furniture.

• Protect the corners. Use cardboard or foam corner protectors on square and rectangular tables. You can also cut corrugated cardboard to fit if you don’t have premade protectors.
• Cover the tabletop. Use a clean moving blanket or furniture pad and make sure it extends over the sides rather than leaving the edges exposed.
• Add another layer if needed. A valuable or delicate table may benefit from a second moving blanket or a layer of cardboard for additional protection inside the truck.
• Adjust for the table material. Wood, glass, and stone need slightly different protection, so make sure you know how to protect the particular material of your table..

Step 4: Wrap and Pad Each Piece

Your goal is to make it so that finished surfaces can’t rub against one another during the move. Make sure you don’t only protect the tabletop, but any other parts and sections that go along with it.

• Start with a soft protective layer. For wood and other finished furniture, wrap each piece in a moving blanket or furniture pad.
• Secure the padding, not the table. Use stretch wrap or tape around the blanket to hold everything in place.
• Keep tape off finished surfaces. Packing tape can leave residue, lift veneer, or damage some finishes if it comes in direct contact.
• Wrap vulnerable pieces individually. Legs with carved details, delicate finishes, or narrow sections should have their own padding.
• Protect extension leaves separately. Don’t stack them bare against the tabletop or against one another.
• Add edge protection to glass and stone. Foam or rigid cardboard can provide another layer of cushioning where these materials are most vulnerable.

Step 5: Lift and Carry the Table Safely

Most full-size dining tables are easier and safer to move with at least two people. Very heavy, awkward, glass, or stone tables may need additional help or specialized equipment.

• Plan the carry first. Decide where you’re going and how you’ll handle doors, corners, and stairs before anyone picks up the table.
• Lift carefully. Keep the load close to your body, avoid twisting while carrying it, and turn by moving your feet instead. OSHA recommends keeping loads close and using your legs when lifting from a low position.
• Use sliders for short moves. A light, disassembled wood tabletop may be manageable with furniture sliders if you’re moving it across the same level. Lift one side just enough to position the sliders, then push slowly from a stable part of the table.
• Skip sliders on stairs. Carry the table instead or bring in professional help if it’s too heavy or awkward to control.
• Carry large wood tops on their edge. Two people can usually control a large tabletop more easily this way than carrying it flat.
• Use the right dolly. A furniture dolly can help across a hallway, garage, or driveway. Large glass or stone tops are better suited to a panel-style dolly designed to support sheet material.
• Be extra careful with glass and stone. These materials require different carrying and positioning techniques, which we cover in the next section.

How To Move Different Table Materials (Wood, Glass, and Marble)

The material matters because the biggest risk isn't the same for every table. Wood finishes are vulnerable to scratches and adhesive damage, while large glass and stone tops can crack or break if they're unsupported or carried incorrectly.

Here’s a quick overview of how each material should be protected and transported:

Wood and Veneer Tables

Wood and veneer just need to be wrapped with a clean moving blanket or furniture pad before adding stretch wrap, tape, or other plastic packing material. Where you should be a little more cautious is to make sure you k~~eep~~ tape off the finish entirely. Veneer edges can be especially vulnerable, so add cardboard or foam protection anywhere the thin finished edge could be bumped.

Don't leave a tightly wrapped wood table sitting outside or in a damp garage longer than necessary. Once it reaches the new home, bring it indoors and remove the outer wrapping.

If the table has an antique, waxed, painted, lacquered, or otherwise unusual finish, check the manufacturer's care instructions before placing any plastic or adhesive material near it.

Glass Tabletops

Glass can break easily, so it needs to be carefully wrapped with soft padding first, then the edges and corners protected with foam or cardboard. For a large top, adding rigid cardboard to both faces creates another barrier against bumps and pressure.

Once wrapped, carry and transport the glass upright on its edge, with the bottom edge cushioned and the entire panel supported. Avoid transporting a large glass top flat in the moving truck. A flat panel can flex as the truck moves, and anything placed on top adds pressure across the face of the glass.

Don't lean it loosely against the truck wall, either. It needs padding and secure tie-downs so it can't tip or slide.

Stone and Marble Tables

Stone and marble tops should also travel vertically on their edge, with substantial padding underneath and around the sides. Natural Stone Institute safety guidance warns against carrying stone slabs horizontally because the unsupported slab can break. It recommends keeping slabs on end in a vertical position.

Don't stack boxes, furniture, or other belongings against the broad face of the stone. A stone top may feel almost indestructible when it's sitting on its base, but that's because the base supports it. Once the top is removed, the slab becomes much more vulnerable to stress and impact.

Large marble, granite, quartzite, or other stone tops are excellent candidates for professional loading, as they tend to be extremely heavy and can require specialized techniques and equipment to move.

How To Load and Secure the Table in a Moving Truck

The goal is to load a dining table so every piece is padded, supported, and unable to shift when the truck brakes, turns, or hits a rough patch of road.

Start with the heavier base or pedestal, and balance the overall load from side to side. Rental truck guidance also recommends putting heavier belongings toward the front of the cargo area, closest to the cab.

A wrapped wood tabletop can usually stand on its long edge while tied down along a truck wall with a cushioned layer underneath it. Glass and stone tops need even more support. Keep them upright, cushion the bottom edge, and secure them so they can't fall in either direction. Don't crank a ratchet strap directly against an unprotected edge or tighten it so aggressively that you're putting unnecessary pressure on the panel, either.

After that, you can load wrapped table legs, leaves, and other components where they won't be crushed. Before closing the truck, give the table one last check. If you can push a piece several inches with your hand, it probably needs another tie-down or some gap-filling padding. Also, avoid stacking heavy boxes or furniture on a tabletop, even if it's wrapped.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Moving a Dining Table

Even if you have a general idea of how to prepare and move your table, there are still a few pitfalls and details that you should keep in mind to make sure your table arrives at your new home in one piece.

A few problems are especially easy to prevent:

• Taping directly to the table: Put tape or stretch wrap around the padding, not on the finished surface. Tape’s adhesive can damage it or leave residue.
• Carrying an awkward table by the legs: Legs and joints weren't designed to act as handles, and the leverage can loosen or break them.
• Forcing parts to come apart: If a leg, pedestal, or extension mechanism isn't obviously removable, check the instructions before reaching for a bigger wrench.
• Skipping corner and edge protection: The edge is often the first part of a table to hit a doorway, wall, or another piece of furniture.
• Losing the hardware: Put bolts, screws, and brackets in a labeled bag as soon as you remove them rather than setting them down "for a minute"
• Moving large glass or stone tops flat: Keep these materials upright and supported during carrying and transport. Otherwise, you run the risk of them cracking or chipping.
• Guessing whether the table will fit: Measure doors and tight turns before the table is wrapped and you’re already carrying it.
• Using the tabletop as a shelf in the truck: Keep heavy boxes and furniture off the top, particularly with glass and stone.

Should You Move a Dining Room Table Yourself or Hire Movers?

You can usually move a lighter dining table yourself if it comes apart easily, you have another person to help, and the route doesn't involve difficult stairs or tight corners. Heavy, oversized, glass, and stone tables are much better candidates for professional help.

DIY can work well when the table:

• Has removable legs or a lightweight base
• Has a manageable wood or veneer top
• Can travel on one level
• Fits comfortably through your doorways
• Can be moved with sliders or a furniture dolly
• Can be safely controlled by the people helping you

Professional help starts to make more sense with a large glass top, marble or other stone, substantial solid wood, or a table that's unusually valuable. You also might want to bring in the pros if the path to the truck is made tricky with stairs or narrow hallways.

If you'd rather not gamble with your back or your table’s integrity, HireAHelper lets you compare vetted movers who can handle the loading and unloading by the hour. You can see verified customer reviews and pricing upfront, so you're able to choose the crew that makes sense for your move.

Why Trust HireAHelper

HireAHelper is a nationwide moving marketplace that has helped more than 1 million people move and currently includes more than 1,700 vetted movers. Movers on the platform average 4.8 out of 5 stars across more than 338,000 verified customer reviews, and those reviews come from completed, paid bookings rather than anonymous submissions.

We and the professional crews on our platform have the experience and knowledge that matters when you're dealing with a fragile glass top, a very heavy table, or a doorway that leaves almost no room for error.