Outdoor dining tables
- Allow about 2 feet of shoulder room per guest and at least 15 inches of depth in front of each person.
- Leave at least 3 feet of clearance on all sides so people can walk behind seated guests and pull chairs out.
- A 36 x 72 inch rectangle seats six and is the most popular size.
- For mix-and-match sets, aim for 10 to 13 inches between the underside of the table and the seat.
So a six-seat 36 x 72 inch table needs a clear area of about 108 x 144 inches (9 x 12 feet).
Lounge areas
The indoor rules carry over: about 12 to 18 inches between a sofa and coffee table, and 30 to 36 inches for walkways.
Planning the space
- Measure the patio or deck and sketch it to scale on paper.
- Draw the table at its full size, then add 36 inches all round for chairs and walkways.
- Keep doorways, steps and grill areas clear of that zone.
- If you also want a lounge area, place it where the walkway clearances still work, and keep about 12 to 18 inches between outdoor sofas and the coffee table.
| Guests | Table (36 in wide) | Clear area needed |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 36 x 48 in | 9 x 10 ft |
| 6 | 36 x 72 in | 9 x 12 ft |
| 8 | 36 x 96 in | 9 x 14 ft |
These use 24 inches per guest along the long sides plus 36 inches of clearance all round.
Use the dining table calculator for any number of guests.
Sources: Trex Outdoor Furniture, "The Ultimate Patio Table Size Guide" (Sep 2023); Wayfair, "Coffee Table Size Guide"; Raymour & Flanigan, "Sofa Size Guide".
