How to Set Up a Dartboard at Home: Complete Guide

How to set up a dartboard at home is easier than you might think, and once it’s done, you’ve got a practice setup available any time you want. But getting the measurements right is crucial.

The wrong height or distance and you’re not practising under real conditions, which means your game won’t transfer properly to the pub or the club.

This complete guide walks you through everything, from choosing where to mount your board to getting every measurement spot on.

Step 1: Choose the Right Location

Before you start drilling, think carefully about where the board is going. A few things from Throw for 180 to consider:

Wall space: You need a clear wall with enough room either side for players to stand comfortably. Ideally the board is not in a thoroughfare where people might walk into a throw.

Flooring: Darts will occasionally miss the board and hit the floor. Carpet or a rubber mat in front of the board is a good idea, hard wood or tiles will damage your dart tips quickly.

Lighting: Make sure the board area is well lit. Shadows across the board make it harder to aim accurately. A dedicated dartboard ring light is the best solution.

Wall protection: Even with a surround, stray darts will occasionally hit the wall. Consider a backboard, a piece of wood, cork board, or foam backing behind the surround to catch them.

Step 2: The Correct Dartboard Height

The bullseye of a dartboard should be mounted at exactly 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 metres) from the floor. This is the official regulation height and is the same in every pub, club, and professional venue for pro darts players in the UK.

Measure from the floor to the centre of the bullseye, not the top or bottom of the board.

For more detail on mounting height, check our full guide on correct dartboard height UK.

Step 3: The Correct Throwing Distance

The throwing line (oche) for steel tip darts is 7 feet 9.25 inches (2.37 metres) from the face of the board. Measure horizontally from the front face of the board to where the player’s feet must be behind.

This is not measured from the wall, if your board sticks out from the wall, that matters.

For soft tip darts, the distance is 8 feet (2.44 metres).

For a full breakdown, see our guide on darts oche distance explained.

Step 4: Diagonal Check (Optional but Useful)

There’s a quick diagonal measurement you can use to double-check both measurements at once. From the bullseye to the throwing line diagonally should measure 9 feet 7.5 inches (2.93 metres).

If your height and distance are both correct, the diagonal will be right. It’s a handy sanity check once everything is mounted.

Step 5: Mounting the Dartboard

Most dartboards come with a bracket or mounting kit, making how to set up a dartboard at home easy. The key things to get right:

Use a strong fixing: A dartboard takes a lot of vibration over its lifetime. Make sure it’s mounted into a wall stud or with appropriate wall anchors, not just into plasterboard alone.

Keep it level: Use a spirit level to make sure the board is perfectly straight. A tilted board looks wrong and makes aiming harder.

Make it rotatable: Most boards have a rotating number ring that lets you move the scoring segments around, spreading wear more evenly. Make sure this ring is free to rotate and remember to turn it regularly.

Step 6: Add a Surround

A foam or rubber dartboard surround fits around the board and catches stray darts before they hit the wall.

They come in various colours and styles, choose one that fits the look of your space. A decent surround costs £10–£25 and is absolutely worth it. Fix it to the wall using the fixing points on the surround itself.

If you’re a beginner player looking how to set up a dartboard at home, then a surround is vital.

Step 7: Mark Your Oche

Once the board is mounted, mark your throwing line clearly. Options include:

• A strip of tape on the floor
• A rubber oche mat with a raised throwing edge (the best option — costs £10–£25)
• A wooden oche bar fixed to the floor

Whatever you use, make sure it’s at exactly the right distance and is clearly visible. Having a defined oche makes practice more official and means you’re always throwing from the correct spot.

Step 8: Sort Your Lighting

Good lighting is the finishing touch that makes a real difference. A ring light mounted around the board eliminates shadows and makes hitting thin doubles and trebles much easier.

They’re not expensive, £15–£40 for a good one, and they make the whole setup look and feel much more professional.

Quick Measurements Summary

• Bullseye height: 5ft 8in / 1.73m from the floor
• Throwing distance (steel tip): 7ft 9.25in / 2.37m from board face
• Throwing distance (soft tip): 8ft / 2.44m from board face
• Diagonal check: 9ft 7.5in / 2.93m from bullseye to oche

How to Set Up a Dartboard at Home: Final Thoughts

Getting your home dartboard set up properly takes less than an hour and makes a huge difference to how much you enjoy playing and practising at home.

Get the measurements right, protect your wall, and sort out your lighting, then all that’s left to do is start throwing.

For more help choosing the right board and gear for your home setup, browse our darts buying guides. And if you want to know what dart setup to pair with your new board, our first darts setup guide is a great read.