How to Build an H-Leg Outdoor Dining Table
Quick build This H-leg dining table is two 4×4 cedar H-frames tied together by a long bottom stretcher, with a gapped 2×6 cedar top dropped on and screwed down from below. Ours finishes at 110″ x 42″ x 30″ and seats ten. Four assembly steps, one weekend, no joinery beyond glue, timber screws, and heavy-duty pocket holes. Free cut list and dimensions below; the printable plans are $10. Documented by Jamison Rantz, October 2026.
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Everything below in one organized, print-ready PDF: cut list, dimensions, step-by-step diagrams and shopping list. Perfect for the shop wall or your phone.
We were planning Thanksgiving, realized we had more people than chairs, and decided the fix was hosting dinner in the workshop and building two enormous tables to do it. Jamie pulled the inspiration off Pottery Barn’s Stafford, which was $2,200 then and is $2,199 today. Ours came out of the cedar rack.
The H-leg is worth the extra 4×4 work for a reason that only shows up when people sit down. The legs pull in toward the center, so nobody at the corners is straddling a table leg, and the 18-1/4″ top overhang at each end means two more chairs fit than the base suggests. That is the whole design brief: seat a crowd without anyone climbing over anything.
Building the seating too? The matching H-leg benches use the same 4×4 vocabulary, two per side, so nobody has to climb over anyone to sit down. If you want this look indoors, the J-pedestal dining table is the workshop sibling we built the same week.
Not sure this is the right table for your space? The outdoor table plans roundup compares all five of ours on cost, time, and crowd size.
H-Leg Dining Table Dimensions
110″ long, 42″ wide, 30″ tall. That is dining height with a top thick enough to look like furniture instead of a workbench.
Cut List
Everything is in the diagram. Note the two 66-1/2″ upper stretchers each take a 1-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ notch at center, and the 4×4 x 81-1/2″ bottom stretcher takes a matching one. Those notches are what let the parts cross without stacking, so cut them before assembly, not after.
How to Build
Assemble the H-leg sides
Each side is a 4×4 cedar H: two 30″ legs, a 34″ top rail, four 21-1/2″ cross pieces, and two 10-1/2″ feet blocks. Pre-drill everything and assemble with wood glue and 6″ timber screws. Cedar 4×4 splits if you drive a screw that long cold, and the chamfered ends are worth the extra minute at the miter saw because they are the difference between “built” and “designed.”
Assemble the frame
Two 2×4 x 66-1/2″ upper stretchers and the 4×4 x 81-1/2″ bottom stretcher tie the two H-frames into one base. Drill HD pocket holes and assemble with glue, 2-1/2″ HD pocket screws, and 2-1/2″ wood screws. Check the base for square across the diagonals before the glue sets, because a base that racks now is a table that rocks forever.
Assemble the top
Seven 2x6s at 107″ with 1/4″ drainage gaps, edged by two 42″ 2x4s ripped in half on the table saw. Drill HD pocket holes and assemble with glue and 2-1/2″ HD pocket screws. The gaps are the whole reason this survives outside: water that sits on a glued-up slab top will lift the finish in a season. Building it for indoors instead? Skip the gaps and add one more board.
Attach the top
Flip the top face-down, center the base on it with roughly 18-1/4″ of overhang at each end, and add the two 39″ mitered 2×4 cleats set in 1/2″. Fasten with 2-1/2″ screws through the cleats and 4-3/4″ screws down through the top rails. Pre-drill both. This is a heavy assembly and the last thing you want is to split a 4×4 top rail on the final screw of the build.
Final Result
A 110-inch cedar dining table that seats ten without anybody straddling a leg, and that reads as the $2,200 Stafford from across the yard. A reader asked in the comments how it had held up after a year outside. The answer was that it still looked like the day it was built, minus the silvering cedar does on its own.
FAQ
What kind of wood should I use to build an outdoor table?
Cedar, for this build. It resists rot without any chemical treatment, it stays light enough that two people can flip a 110-inch top, and it takes a finish or weathers to gray on its own. Pressure-treated pine is cheaper and works if you keep after the maintenance. Skip anything kiln-dried for interior use, and skip construction fir on a table that lives in the rain.
Is it cheaper to build your own patio furniture?
For a table this size, yes, and not by a small margin. The Pottery Barn Stafford that inspired this one lists at $2,199. The cedar for ours is 14 boards. The math stops working on small pieces where you are mostly paying for hardware, but on anything big and simple, lumber cost scales a lot slower than retail price does.
What is the best material for an outdoor dining table?
For a DIY build, solid softwood with rot resistance: cedar first, redwood if you can get it, pressure-treated pine on a budget. Teak and ipe last longer and cost more than the plans are worth. Whatever you use, gap the top boards for drainage. A sealed slab top is the single most common reason a homemade outdoor table fails in three years instead of ten.
How do I build my own outdoor table?
Same four moves every time: build the leg assemblies, tie them together with stretchers, build the top separately, then marry the two from underneath so no fasteners show on the surface. This table follows exactly that. If the 4×4 work looks like more than you want, the [easy 10-person outdoor table](https://rogueengineer.com/easy-diy-10-person-outdoor-table-plans/) hits a similar crowd size with 2x lumber only.
Do the pocket-hole joints hold up outdoors?
It is a fair question, and it came up in the comments on this build the year it went outside. The answer then was that nothing had moved. Two things make that true: exterior-rated screws, and glue in every joint so the fasteners are not carrying the load alone. Use the HD pocket screws in 4×4 stock rather than standard ones. The extra thread engagement is the point.
Your Move
Measure the space before you buy a single board. 110 inches is a lot of table, and the cut list scales down cleanly if you shorten the seven 2×6 top boards and the 81-1/2″ bottom stretcher by the same amount. Cedar run on Friday, H-frames on Saturday, top and final assembly Sunday. Bring a second set of hands for that last flip.
The first cut is the hardest. After that, the build practically does itself.
Be safe and happy building, Jamison
I like this one, too! Thick & “chunky.”
Very interested to see if the pocket hole joinery holds up outdoors as the wood expands and contracts. Everything I’m seeing from other builders is floating tenons (don’t know if I have the jargon right), not screws.
~Drew
I can’t wait to try this. I will put my faith in the rocket scientist 🙂
Thanks Drew! And I’m not worried about the pocket hole joinery. I’ve built many pieces like this with no issues.
Hi Jamison – just curious how this has held up after a year. Thanks!
Here’s to 2018!
~Drew
Still looks like the day I made it minus a little natural weathering of the cedar.
Great! Thanks for the quick reply!
Thanks for these designs! I’ve been looking for a sturdy design for table legs so I can build a table out of my IPE wood (“Ironwood”) deck scraps, they are very heavy.
Any insight in how to build the bench pictured with the Staford table? I have a 48″ long piece that would be perfect for a bench to this table..In the picture it makes the legs on the table look like they 6×6 and the bench 4×4, but the description says the table legs are 4×4, so maybe the bench legs are a smaller size?
I’m still debating between PT lumber, Cedar lumber, of IPE/Mahogany.. Probably knotty cedar.
The tabletop will look something like this when cut and put together.. about 80″ from end to end and will bring it down to about 42″ wide (48″ pictured)..
Great project… looking at building it this weekend. Any thoughts to notching the top 4×4 on the legs to allow the 2×4 runners to put weight on the leg rather than just using the pocket screws?
Yes, I think that would be a great addition. Plus you could extend those runners to help support the ends of the table top as well.
Might be a silly question… what does the 2 PL and 4 PL stand for? Currently in the process of building this table and don’t want to do something I shouldn’t. Thank you!
PL = places
Do you think it would be possible to put an umbrella in the table? How would the umbrella stand fit with the 4×4 going across the bottom?
I think that is a great idea. Just drill a hole in the lower 4×4 as well and anchor it in there as well. Maybe a hole just big enough that it needs to be forced in and will create a friction fit.
I like this, but how necessary is the HD pocket system? I have the regular, but I also don’t want to sacrifice strength as this will be outside in the elements. Thoughts?
Not completely necessary. You will sacrifice a little strength but I think it would be fine.
Sorry if this is remedial but how is the long notch made on the bottom on the legs to add the bottom feet? Is it running it back and forth on a table saw like a smaller notch, just with a bunch more passes?
Not remedial at all. That is what I did. I’m sure there is an quicker way though. Maybe using a band saw?
Instead of cutting the grooves, you could just nail in square pieces of 1×4.
If we were to build this table for outdoor use and stain and seal it would cedar still be the best/right wood to use? It looks like my local big box stores don’t carry cedar boards in the dimensions you used so I’d have to use normal framing materials, which I don’t think we could leave untreated. Any tips on staining outdoor furniture and the best wood for the job? What about pressure treated materials? I have not made any outdoor projects yet so I want to make sure it holds up. I live in California so it doesn’t get really cold, and rain is sparse. Plus the table will be completely covered by an awning. Thanks for your detailed plans! Your site is definitely my favorite DIY site!
Doesn’t get cold… Sparse rain.. I feel so bad for you. Haha jk. Honestly cedar is the best option because it won’t rot. You can stain it if you want to hold a color otherwise it will naturally gray. If you can’t get ahold of cedar then untreated wood with a stain and sealer will be fine. I use spar urethane for outdoor application. Or you could paint with and exterior paint. Another option is to us pressure treated wood but it has that green tint to it and will effect stain color if you choose to do so.
Well we spend most of the summer in the triple digits so… 🙂 I’ll probably have to try some local lumber stores to see if they have cedar. I definitely want the piece to hold up! Thanks for the feedback!
If you can’t find cedar go for redwood. It has very similar characteristics to cedar that make it ideal for outdoor use, and it is locally grown in CA. That’s why most CA fence and deck companies use redwood instead cedar. I’m a CA resident myself.https://www.timbertown.com/…P.S. All that being said, I prefer the look of cedar over redwood, so I am currently on the hunt for cedar somewhere in the bay area.
This is an old post – but if you haven’t built it yet… Home Depot now stocks treated lumber in “cedar tone”. I have used for a couple projects and it looks great! It is a good building material for outdoor projects.Good Luck!
I just completed the base!!!
I shortened the specs by 41″ and ended up using Pine and Doug Fir for the base. I wanted to go with a Hardwood for the top but i am having trouble finding any of the local Hardwood Yards in San Diego that have Dimensionally cut pieces. any recommendations for a hardwood i could use for the top that would be budget friendly.
PS: this is going to be our kitchen table and we are planning on painting the base and staining/clearing the top.
Thanks for the plans!! I have posted the picture on FB and been referring your page to all that are interested.
Hi Nick,You have done a great job on your table base! Looking for hardwood in San Diego? Do a search for “San Diego Hardwood Lumber” and there are several choices. You can see what the cost in you local area is …. but generally for lower cost hardwood say like poplar or red or white oak. could work well for you…..even alder…Alder would be the softest of these. Then Poplar. The oaks would be less likely to dent ….they are harder and will be less splotchy when staining.
You are going to have the coolest table any where around. …. have fun.
Jamison,
Here is the finished product, Modified H-Leg Dining table, several modifications to a console table/entertainment stand. I appreciate your work and vision.
Thanks
Rich
Thanks for a great design on a table! I made it as a gift for my wife’s birthday. Do you have any plans or ideas for a matching bench?
Thanks!
John
Plans for benches are in the works as we speak! Stay tuned!
Any issues with the wood movement of the top messing up the end boards?
Not at all
Any special wood I should use? I’m worried about the movement and have seen horror stories from other table plans. Anyways, great plans and nice build.
Here is mine. It’s 102″ x 43″ (big family). As it is outside, I used almost full width mortise and tenons for the breadboards, glued and doweled in the middle with elongated tenon holes on the ends to allow for movement. Hope I described that correctly, I’m new to this.
Thank you so much.
I was wondering if the table base would hold up a 120″x40″x1 1/12″ slab of concrete as the table top or would i have to add another H leg?
Ive tried to get the downloadable plans multiple times but I haven’t ever received an email. Am I doing something wrong??
Sometimes they end up in the junk mail and sometimes they get lost all together. Email me at @Jamison Rantz.com">jamison@Jamison Rantz.com and I will send them to you directly.
Really appreciate you taking the time to design and share this. Needed a 12’ outdoor table for our lake house and they were looking pretty damn expensive. I added a third h-leg in the middle, narrowed the table a bit, and ran notched top stringers the same length as the bottom stringer, but mostly the same. My wife loves it! https://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Thank so much for the idea and the p https://uploads.disquscdn.c… lans! This was my first wood project and it turned out great!! Couldn’t have done it without this fantastic site!
If you were going to use this table as in inside dining room table, what would you use instead of cedar? Pine?
jUST Sharing the past few days all I have been doing is cutting the boards in preparation for building and I am noting this because on all of the notches you use the dimension of 3.5 which is wrong at least where I live ? The store bought 2*4’s are 3 5/8 inch and I always use rough cut which is actually 2*4 inches.I hope this helps someone and thank you.
Great table. Iam looking to use some composite wood decking boards (trex) for the table top. Would you recommend this or have any suggestion??
Here is mine. Cedar top and pine pressure treated base https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
was the top rough cut and you planed it down?
Kind of late to the party but I have a question. I assume the cedar used in this table was rough cut cedar that was planed. Is that correct?
Hi, What is the secret to make the top flat? the legs were really easy to do but the top is not flat and I do not know how to fix it. Please advise, thank you
I am from Chile, southamerica. I made your table and benches with some dfferences l glued and tenons the deck and put a breadboards.
Thank you
Hi, Jameson. I don’t understand the statement above regarding modification to make this table for indoor use; “This plan could easily be modified for an indoor table by using the top design seen on the J-pedestal table of just adding a 2×6 to the top and not gapping the boards.” Are you saying one can use the current H-leg dining table plans, not gap the boards, AND add another 2″ x 6″ board? Wouldn’t this make the needed lengths for the breadboards longer, because adding another 6″ board is not going to equal six closed quarter-inch gaps.
Jamison, thanks for the great design. I’m just now putting the last coats of varnish on the top surface so I can get some summer use out of this table.One comment to the design (maybe a little late in the game!) is that my long top supports that run between the legs fall directly under two of the gaps in the top boards. Unfortunately I glued them into place before seeing this and I’m concerned that the drainage of water and things that fall from my tree will be hampered. Might be a very minor mod that could make a big difference. Probably nobody will ever know the change was made except the person cleaning the table when it sits outside!Here’s an in process photo: https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I’m building this table but adding approximately three feet in length and 6″ in width. I’ve adjusted the wood for the length and assuming the H-legs are 18″ in from the edge, will the base support the table top or would I need an additional H-leg in the middle?
Just finished the benches yesterday. My wife wanted a few changes. I’m really proud of it!! Thanks for plans!! https://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Jamison, FINALLY getting to this project. The table top is 42″ wide but if my cedar 2×6’s are 5.5″ wide x 7 that’s 38.5″. Add in the 1.5″ (.25 x 6 for spacers) you come to 40″ wide. Is my math wrong or where do the other 2″ come from?
Can you help me create this table but with a 45” half hexagon top? I do not know how to plan the build.