How to Mount a Dartboard on the Wall: Step-by-Step Guide 🎯

Picture this. You’ve just unboxed your brand-new dartboard. It’s sitting on your kitchen counter, still in the bubble wrap. You’re excited. You grab a dart and mime a throw at the fridge. Your partner gives you a look.

You know exactly what you need to do — but where on earth do you start?

Mounting a dartboard on the wall sounds simple. In reality, though, a lot of first-timers get the height wrong, use the wrong wall anchors, or end up with a wobbly board that spins every time they pull out a dart. Annoying doesn’t even cover it.

This guide walks you through how to mount a dartboard on the wall the right way — using official regulation measurements, the correct tools, and smart wall protection tricks most other guides completely skip. Whether you’re setting up a steel tip or soft tip board, with a bracket, cabinet, or stand, you’ll find everything you need right here.

Let’s get your darts setup sorted. 🎯

What You Need Before You Start

Before you drill a single hole, gather your tools. Rushing this step causes most DIY dartboard mounting mistakes.

Here’s your checklist:

• Tape measure — precision matters here, down to the centimetre
• Pencil — for marking your wall without permanent damage
• Spirit level — so your board doesn’t hang crooked
• Drill and drill bits — appropriate for your wall type
• Stud finder — highly recommended for drywall installations
• Wall plugs / anchors — if you can’t hit a stud
• Screwdriver — flathead or Phillips depending on your bracket
• Dartboard mounting kit — usually included with the board
• Rubber spacers — often included; prevents wobble and wall damage

Most dartboards come with a basic mounting kit in the box. That’s usually a U-shaped metal bracket, a centre screw, and spring clips or rubber spacers. Check your box before buying extras.

Choosing the Right Wall Location 🎯

This is the step most guides rush through. But a bad location ruins your setup before you even start playing.

How Much Space Do You Actually Need?

The minimum playing area recommended is 2.5 metres wide and 3.5 metres deep. That gives you enough room to throw comfortably without bumping into furniture.

For a dartboard setup, you need to select a space that meets at least 5 feet wide and 11 feet long. Also consider room for spectators standing nearby.

What Kind of Wall Works Best?

Here’s the honest truth — not every wall is equally suitable.

• Stud walls (drywall/plasterboard): Very common. Use a stud finder and mount into the stud whenever possible. If you can’t hit a stud, use heavy-duty wall anchors.
• Brick or masonry walls: The most solid option. Requires masonry drill bits and appropriate wall plugs.
• Hollow partition walls: Tricky. Requires specialist cavity wall anchors rated for the weight.

A dartboard weighs between 3 and 5 kg. For permanent use, drilling is always the most reliable option — a dartboard will fall if not secured properly.

What to Avoid

Keep your board away from:

• Windows (natural light causes glare)
• Furniture or decorations that stray darts could damage
• Shared walls with bedrooms where noise is a concern
• Damp areas like garages or basements — moisture warps sisal boards

The Official Regulation Measurements 📏

Get this right and you’ll have a setup that matches professional tournament standards anywhere in the world.

Dartboard Height: Where the Bullseye Goes

Regulation dartboard height from the floor to the centre of the bullseye is 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 metres). This measurement is recognised internationally and remains the same for both electronic and steel tip dartboards.

That’s the single most important number in this entire guide. 173 cm from floor to bullseye centre. Write it down. Tattoo it on your arm if you have to.

Throwing Distance (The Oche)

Steel tip dartboards require a horizontal distance of 7 feet 9¼ inches (2.37 metres) from the face of the dartboard to the front of the throw line. Soft tip dartboards require 8 feet (2.44 metres).

Important: that measurement is from the face of the board, not from the wall. You can measure the depth of your dartboard and add that measurement to the horizontal distance from the wall.

The Diagonal Shortcut

Here’s a professional trick most beginners don’t know about. The diagonal measurement of 293 cm (for steel-tip) is useful if you want to measure faster without two separate measurements — measure diagonally from the bullseye to the front edge of the oche (throwing line).

For soft tip, that diagonal is 299.4 cm. One measurement gets you both height and distance confirmed simultaneously.

Quick Reference: Official Measurements

How to Mount a Dartboard on the Wall: Step-by-Step 🎯

Now we get to the main event. Follow these steps in order and you’ll have a perfectly mounted board in under 30 minutes.

Step 1: Mark the Bullseye Height on Your Wall

Grab your tape measure and measure exactly 173 cm (5’8″) up from the floor. Make a clear pencil mark at this point on your wall.

This mark represents the centre of the bullseye — not the top or bottom of the board.

Double-check by measuring again from a different point along the floor. Floors aren’t always perfectly level, so start from the lowest spot if there’s any variation.

Step 2: Find Your Stud (Highly Recommended)

Run your stud finder along the wall near your pencil mark. Mounting the dartboard directly into a stud provides maximum support. If you’re mounting in drywall, use heavy-duty anchors to support the weight of the board.

If you don’t have a stud finder, try the “knock test” — knock along the wall and listen for a dull, solid thud rather than a hollow sound. Mark the stud location with a pencil.

Step 3: Install the Wall Bracket

The U-shaped bracket should be measured so that the bottom of the U-slot sits at 5 feet 8 inches (1.73m) high — this is where the screw on the back of the board will sit.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Hold the bracket against the wall with the U-slot aligned at your pencil mark
2. Use a spirit level to make sure the bracket is perfectly horizontal
3. Mark the screw hole positions through the bracket with your pencil
4. Drill pilot holes at your marked positions (use appropriate drill bit for your wall type)
5. Insert wall plugs if needed
6. Screw the bracket firmly into place

Always insert the included dowels before screwing the dartboard mounting bracket into place.

Step 4: Prepare the Back of Your Dartboard

Before hanging the board, you need to set up the hardware on the back.

Put a screw in the back of the dartboard in the centre in the pre-drilled hole. Do not screw it in all the way — leave about a quarter of an inch of screw showing.

Attach mounting feet in a triangular pattern on the back of the dartboard so they are evenly spaced.

Also, place the supplied rubber spacers between the board and the wall to prevent wobbling and to protect the wall.

Step 5: Hang the Dartboard

Now the satisfying part. Slide the dartboard into the U-shaped bracket. Verify it is secure and there is no wobble. If there is, remove it and tighten the screw on the back one-half turn. Repeat this process until the wobble is gone.

Getting the screw depth right can take a couple of tries. Too deep and it won’t hook onto the bracket at all. Too shallow and the board will tilt forward. The sweet spot is roughly 6mm (¼ inch) of screw protruding from the back.

Step 6: Align the Number Ring

This is a step a surprising number of people forget. Turn the dartboard so that the “20” is at the top.

It sounds obvious — but it’s easy to skip when you’re excited and just want to throw. The 20 segment must sit at the 12 o’clock position.

Step 7: Mark Your Throw Line (Oche)

Measure the correct throwing distance from the face of the board (not from the wall). Mark the oche with masking tape, a strip of wood, or a purpose-made dart mat.

A dart mat with an integrated oche marking saves measuring and protects the floor at the same time.

How to Mount a Dartboard Cabinet 🎯

A dartboard cabinet looks fantastic and protects your wall from stray darts. The process is slightly different from a bare board — here’s how to do it right.

Why Use a Cabinet?

A dartboard cabinet enhances the appearance of your game room, helps protect your dartboard and accessories, and keeps everything in one place. Safety-wise, the cabinet doors can cover the dartboard when not in use, preventing accidents especially in homes with kids.

Step-by-Step: Mounting a Dartboard Cabinet

Step 1: Measure the Cabinet First

Place the cabinet face up on the floor or table and open the doors. Centre the dartboard inside the cabinet. Measure from the bottom of the cabinet to the centre of the bullseye. Write this measurement down.

Step 2: Mark the Wall

Using your cabinet measurement, find where on the wall the cabinet needs to sit so the bullseye ends up at exactly 173 cm. Mark the mounting hole positions with a pencil.

Step 3: Find the Studs

The best way to mount a cabinet is to studs behind the drywall. Studs are usually spaced 16 inches apart — which matches the hole spacing inside most cabinets. However, some homes have studs 24 inches apart, so you may need wall anchors on one side.

Step 4: Drill and Mount

Using the appropriate drill bit, drill about half the length of the mounting screws into the studs. Then hold the cabinet against the wall and align the pre-drilled holes with your wall holes. Screw in the upper left screw but do not fully tighten, then align the upper right screw and verify the cabinet is still level. If it is, tighten both upper screws, then add the lower screws.

Step 5: Install the Board Inside the Cabinet

Once the cabinet is secure, mount the dartboard inside it using the U-shaped bracket, following the same steps as the standard wall mount above.

Dartboard Stand: The No-Drill Alternative

Renting? Don’t want holes in your walls? A dartboard stand is your solution.

A free-standing stand such as the KOTO Heavy Duty Multi Stand places the board without wall mounting. It’s suitable for tenants or people who want to move the board regularly.

Stands are also great for garden use or taking your board to a friend’s house. Just make sure you get a heavy-duty model — a flimsy stand will wobble badly and ruin your aim.

How to Protect Your Wall from Stray Darts 🎯

This is the biggest gap in most online guides. You’ve spent time getting the mount perfect — now protect the wall around it.

Option 1: Dartboard Surround (Most Popular)

A dartboard surround is a foam ring that is placed around the dartboard, providing additional cover around it. Usually no mounting or installation is necessary — it takes just a couple of seconds to put on and take off. A stray dart will just hit the foam and get stuck rather than falling to the floor.

The thickness of the foam is important — about 1 inch is perfect. Surrounds that are 0.5 inches thick can allow darts to penetrate them easily.

Brands like Winmau and Unicorn make quality surrounds in various colours. They’re affordable, easy to fit, and make a big visual difference.

Option 2: Cork or Foam Backboard (DIY)

A standard size backboard is 36 × 36 inches, which covers most errant throws. For maximum protection, go with 48 × 48 inches.

You can mount cork tiles or a sheet of MDF covered in cork behind the board. It looks great, absorbs dart impacts well, and gives you something to hang the board on more securely.

Option 3: Dartboard Cabinet (Best All-Round)

As covered above — the cabinet is the premium solution. It protects the wall, stores your darts, includes a scoreboard, and looks professional.

Option 4: Sound Dampening

Bristle dartboards create more noise than electronic boards when darts strike. Consider installing cork or foam backing board to absorb sound. Also consider rubber washers behind mounting brackets and avoid mounting on shared walls with bedrooms.

5 Common Dartboard Mounting Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced DIYers make these errors. Here’s what to watch out for.

Mistake 1: Getting the height wrong Measure the bullseye height — not the top of the board. A lot of first-timers mark the top of where the board will sit, which puts the bullseye far too high.

Mistake 2: Measuring throwing distance from the wall It’s important to measure from the face of the dartboard, not from the wall. The board itself protrudes 3–4 cm, so measuring from the wall gives you a distance that’s too short.

Mistake 3: Skipping wall anchors on drywall A dartboard is heavy and takes repeated impact. Without proper anchors or stud mounting, the bracket will eventually work loose — and the board will fall.

Mistake 4: Not protecting the wall Even good players miss the board occasionally. Without a surround or backboard, your wall will have holes in it within weeks.

Mistake 5: Forgetting to rotate the board Rotate every 2–3 months during regular use, or when you notice the 20 segment showing significant wear. Simply remove the board, rotate 60–90 degrees clockwise, and remount. This extends board life by years.

Dartboard Maintenance Tips After Mounting 🎯

Getting the board up is only half the job. Here’s how to keep it in great condition.

Rotate the number ring regularly. Turn the number ring one or two segments weekly so the triple-20 area wears more evenly. No tools needed — just remove the ring, rotate the board, and reattach the ring.

Keep it dry. Moisture causes sisal boards to swell and warp. Do not hang the board in a damp cellar or garage.

Sharpen your dart tips. Blunt or burred dart tips damage the sisal fibres. Sharpen tips weekly with a point sharpener or replace them in time.

Don’t wet the board. Some older advice suggests wetting sisal to heal holes — but this can cause warping. Leave the board dry and let the sisal self-heal naturally.

Add good lighting. Including a dartboard light in your setup can improve gameplay as you will have a well-lit board with no annoying shadows or glare on it. Ring lights designed specifically for dartboards (like the Unicorn Eclipse Pro lighting system) mount directly onto the board and make a surprisingly big difference to your accuracy.

Setting Up the Perfect Darts Area: The Full Setup Checklist

Once the board is mounted, here’s what to add for a complete setup:

FAQ: How to Mount a Dartboard on the Wall ❓

Q: What height should a dartboard be mounted at?

The bullseye must be exactly 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) from the floor. This applies to both steel tip and soft tip dartboards and is the same standard used in PDC and WDF professional tournaments worldwide.

Q: How far should you stand from a dartboard?

For steel tip dartboards, the horizontal distance from the face of the board to the throw line is 7 feet 9¼ inches (2.37 metres). For soft tip dartboards, it’s 8 feet (2.44 metres).

Q: Do I need to mount into a wall stud?

It’s strongly recommended but not always possible. If you’re mounting in drywall, use heavy-duty anchors to support the weight of the board. For solid brick walls, appropriate masonry anchors are sufficient.

Q: Can I use Command strips to hang a dartboard?

Command strips can only be used for very light electronic boards under 5 pounds and are not recommended for regular use. They cannot handle the repeated impact forces from dart throws and will eventually fail.

Q: How do I stop my dartboard from wobbling?

If the dartboard is wobbling, remove it and tighten or loosen the dartboard mounting screw as needed. If the screw is tightened too far into the dartboard, there won’t be enough left of it to hook onto the bracket. Aim for about 6mm (¼ inch) of screw showing from the back of the board.

Q: Can I mount a dartboard on a door?

Yes, you can mount a dartboard on a door, but you will need additional equipment since most doors are hollow and unable to support the weight. Some brands sell specific door hangers. Be sure to have a lock on your door if you decide to mount your dartboard this way, as you don’t want to be throwing darts at an unsuspecting visitor walking through the doorway unannounced.

Q: How often should I rotate my dartboard?

Rotate every 2–3 months during regular use, or when you notice the 20 segment showing significant wear. Simply remove the board, rotate 60–90 degrees clockwise, and remount.

Q: What should I put behind my dartboard to protect the wall?

Your best options are a dartboard surround (foam ring around the board), a full dartboard cabinet, or a DIY cork/foam backboard. Keep backboard materials thin — 1 to 2 inches — to maintain regulation throwing distance.

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet 📋

You’re Ready to Play 🎯

Getting your dartboard mounted correctly is genuinely one of the most satisfying DIY jobs around the house. It takes under an hour, the tools are simple, and the payoff is a proper, tournament-standard setup right in your own home.

To recap the key steps:

1. Choose the right wall with enough space
2. Mark the bullseye height at exactly 173 cm
3. Install the bracket into a stud or with heavy-duty anchors
4. Set the centre screw to ¼ inch protrusion
5. Hang the board, align the 20 at the top
6. Measure and mark your oche
7. Add a surround or backboard to protect the wall

That’s it. Now stop reading and start throwing. 🎯

Did this guide help you set up your board? Share it with a mate who’s just getting into darts — and drop a comment below telling us what room you’ve set yours up in. We’d love to see your setup!

For the official international standards, visit the World Darts Federation (WDF) for complete tournament regulations and measurement guidance.