How Do You Make a Dining Table Higher?

The Short Answer

You can raise a dining table using furniture risers fitted under the legs, timber leg extensions fixed to the existing legs, replacement legs of a greater length, or bolt on adjustable feet. Risers and adjustable feet suit small increases of 2cm to 8cm and are reversible. Timber extensions or new legs are the right approach for anything above 8cm, where stability becomes the deciding factor.

Before choosing a method, work out exactly how much extra height you need. Standard dining table height is 73cm to 78cm, and most tables that feel too low sit somewhere between 68cm and 72cm. Measure from the floor to the top surface, then subtract that from your target height. The gap is usually smaller than people assume, which often makes the simplest solution the right one.

Work Out the Height You Actually Need

Comfortable dining depends on the relationship between seat height and table height, not on the table alone. You want 28cm to 30cm between the top of the chair seat and the underside of the table top.

Measure your chair seat height first. Most dining chairs sit at 45cm to 48cm. Add 28cm to 30cm and you get a target table underside of 73cm to 78cm. Then add the thickness of the table top, typically 2cm to 4cm, to reach the finished surface height.

If the numbers show you need less than 28cm of legroom, the table is genuinely too low. If they show more than 32cm, the table is too high and the chairs are the problem rather than the table.

It is worth confirming which is which before making changes. A table that feels low with one set of chairs may be perfectly fine with another. Replacing chairs is often easier and cheaper than modifying a table, and our modern dining chairs UK sale range lists seat heights so you can check the pairing directly.

Furniture Risers and Adjustable Feet

For increases of 2cm to 5cm, risers are the simplest option. They sit under each leg and lift the whole table evenly.

Screw in adjustable feet are the most refined version. They fit into a threaded insert in the base of the leg and can be wound up or down, which also lets you correct a wobble on an uneven floor. If your table already has plastic glides, they often unscrew to reveal a thread you can use.

Cup style risers slip over the existing foot and hold it in a recess. They are quick to fit and require no drilling, but they are visible and can slide on hard floors unless they have a rubber base.

Furniture blocks and leg extenders that screw directly into the underside of the leg give a cleaner result. They require drilling a pilot hole and fitting an insert, which is straightforward on solid timber legs but not advisable on hollow or chipboard legs.

Whichever type you use, fit all four and check the table with a spirit level afterwards. Adjust individual feet until it sits flat, then test by pressing down on each corner.

Timber Leg Extensions

For increases of 5cm to 15cm, adding timber to the existing legs gives the most stable result and looks the most integrated.

Cut four blocks from timber that matches the legs in cross section as closely as possible. Hardwood is better than softwood here because it resists compression and holds fixings more securely. Cut all four to identical length, which matters more than the exact figure being precise.

Join the block to the leg with dowels or a threaded insert and bolt rather than screwing through end grain. End grain screws pull out under lateral load, which is exactly the load a dining table receives when someone leans on it. Two dowels per joint plus wood glue gives a strong, permanent connection.

Clamp each joint while the glue cures and leave it for the full time the adhesive specifies. Rushing this stage is the main cause of joints failing later.

Once the glue has set, sand the joint flush and finish the new timber to match. You will not achieve an invisible match on an aged table, but a similar tone at the base of the leg reads as a design detail rather than a repair.

Adding a plinth or a base rail is an alternative worth considering. Rather than extending each leg individually, you build a shallow frame that the whole table sits on. This is more work but gives an extremely stable result and can look deliberate, especially on a table with a simple square base.

Replacing the Legs Entirely

If you need more than 15cm, or the existing legs are already thin or damaged, replacement is the better route.

Standard replacement dining legs come in set lengths, commonly 71cm, 76cm and 86cm, and attach with either a top plate or a threaded insert. Check how the existing legs are fixed before ordering. A table with a mortised apron joint will need more work than one with bolt on plates.

Hairpin legs, tapered timber legs and steel box legs are all readily available in dining heights. Steel legs are worth considering for a heavy top, since they resist racking better than slender timber at greater lengths.

Whatever you fit, make sure the mounting plates are set well inboard from the corners but not so far in that the table becomes prone to tipping. A rough guide is to position each leg with its centre about 8cm to 10cm from each edge.

Be realistic about when this stops being worth doing. If the table also has a damaged top or a base that has loosened, the effort of replacing legs may exceed the value of the outcome. In that situation, looking at a table already built at the right height is the more sensible move, and our modern dining tables UK sale collection covers standard heights across a range of styles and materials.

When the Table Should Be a Different Height Entirely

Sometimes the reason a table feels wrong is that it is being used for something other than dining.

If you want counter height, that is 86cm to 92cm, paired with stools of 61cm to 66cm seat height. This is a different category of furniture rather than a modified dining table, and raising a standard table that far is rarely stable. Our modern bar tables UK sale range covers counter and bar heights properly, and the matching bar stools UK sale selection lists seat heights so you can pair them correctly.

If the table is being used as a desk, standard desk height is 73cm to 76cm, which is the same as dining height. A table that feels low as a desk usually needs a different chair rather than a taller table, or a purpose built option from our modern computer desks UK sale range.

If it is a coffee table you are trying to raise to dining height, that gap is 30cm or more and no riser will do it safely. That is a replacement rather than a modification.

Safety and Stability Checks

Any change to leg height alters the way a table handles load, so a few checks are worth doing before putting it back into use.

Test lateral stability by pushing the table top firmly sideways at one corner. There should be almost no movement at the base. If the legs flex or the joints creak, the extension is too long for the leg section and needs a stretcher rail or a wider base.

Check the tipping point by pressing down hard on one corner. A table that lifts on the opposite side has legs set too far inboard for its new height.

Confirm all four feet are in contact with the floor. A table on three points will rock permanently and will loosen its joints over time.

Finally, re check legroom with the chairs in place. It is easy to solve a height problem and create a legroom problem, particularly if the table has a deep apron beneath the top. Sit down at every position before considering the job finished.

If the maths shows the table simply is not suited to the height you need, you can browse the full range of dining tables and sets at Furniture in Fashion. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is standard dining table height?

Between 73cm and 78cm from the floor to the top surface. Paired with a chair seat height of 45cm to 48cm, that gives the 28cm to 30cm of legroom most people find comfortable.

Can I raise a dining table without drilling?

Yes. Cup style risers slip over the existing feet and lift the table by a few centimetres with no fixings needed. Choose a type with a rubber base so it does not slide on hard flooring.

How much can you safely raise a dining table?

Up to about 8cm with risers or adjustable feet, and up to roughly 15cm with properly jointed timber leg extensions. Beyond that, replacing the legs is the safer approach.

Why does my dining table feel too low?

Usually because the chair seats are too high relative to the table rather than the table being genuinely short. Measure the gap between the seat and the table underside, and if it is well over 30cm the chairs are the issue.

Can I turn a dining table into a bar height table?

Not safely. Bar and counter height is 86cm to 92cm, which is far beyond what leg extensions on a standard dining table can support stably. A purpose built bar table is the right solution.