DIY Outdoor Table Plans: 5 Tables Compared (Pick Your Build)
Quick answer: The outdoor table on this page seats 10 people, costs about $150 in pressure-treated lumber, and builds in a single day with pocket-hole joinery — a $2,500 Pottery Barn look on a DIY budget (and the printable plans scale it from 4-person to 10-person, in two widths). If you need a different table — picnic, kids’ activity, or a cedar dining set — we compared all five of our outdoor table builds below by cost, time, and use so you can pick the right one the first time. All tables designed, built, and documented by Jamison Rantz.
We built a stunning 10-person outdoor dining table inspired by Pottery Barn — for about $150 in lumber. This page does two jobs: it’s the full tutorial for that build, and it’s the chooser for every outdoor table we’ve designed, from a wheelchair-accessible picnic table to a cedar dining set. Watch the video, then pick your table below.
Which table should you build?
Start with where it lives and who sits at it. Dining for a crowd → the two 10-person builds below. A dining set with matching seating → the cedar H-leg table (it has matching benches). Casual meals and cookouts → the picnic table. Drinks, small plates, and sandbox duty → the nesting activity table.
| Table | Cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PB-Inspired Outdoor Table (this page) | ~$150 | 1 day | 10-person showpiece dining |
| Easy 10-Person Outdoor Table | $150–200 | Half day | Same size, simpler build |
| H-Leg Dining Table | Cedar budget | Weekend | The $2,200-look dining set |
| Wheelchair-Accessible Picnic Table | ~$100 | Half day | Everyone at the table |
| Nesting Outdoor Activity Table | ~$75 | Half day | Coffee table + kids’ sand/water play |
Still deciding between the two big dining tables? This page’s build is the beefier, better-looking one — 6×6 legs, breadboard ends, the Pottery Barn silhouette. The easy 10-person table trades some of that presence for a simpler, faster build. You can’t go wrong; one just asks a little more of your saw. And if 119″ is more table than your patio wants, the printable plans for this build include 4-, 6-, and 8-person versions plus a narrower width — same design, sized to fit.
The 10-person Pottery Barn–inspired table (this page’s build)
The real thing runs about $2,500. Ours is 119″ of pressure-treated presence — 6×6 legs, breadboard ends, seats ten — for roughly $150 and one day in the driveway.
Table dimensions
119″ long × 45¾″ wide × 30″ tall — standard dining height, seats five per side comfortably.
Cut list
How to build the outdoor table
Assemble Legs
Each end assembly is two 30″ lengths of 6×6 joined by a 2×4 × 34¾″ apron and a 2×6 × 34¼″ “breadboard.” Drill Kreg XL pocket holes in the apron and attach it to the legs with 4″ XL pocket screws, then hang the breadboard off the apron with 2½″ exterior pocket screws — ¼″ gap at each end, 1″ spacing off the apron. Build two.
Install Supports
Add the second 2×4 × 34¾″ to each end assembly: XL pocket holes into the legs with 4″ screws, then tie it to the breadboard with 2½″ exterior pocket screws.
Attach Aprons to Legs
The two long 2×4 × 108″ aprons connect the end assemblies — Kreg XL pocket holes, 4″ XL screws, set 1½″ down from the top and 1″ in from the side of each leg.
Prepare Supports
Drill pocket holes in the five 2×4 × 40¾″ supports as shown — the layout dimensions position them so every top board lands on solid backing.
Attach Supports
Screw the supports to the aprons with 2½″ exterior pocket screws, pocket holes for the top boards facing up, spaced per the diagram.
Attach Top
The top is eight 2×6 × 107½″ boards fastened from below through the support pocket holes with 2½″ exterior pocket screws — about a ¼″ gap between boards and at each end for drainage.
Six steps, one day, and dinner outside for ten. The video at the top of the page walks every cut.
Outdoor Table Plans
The complete printable PDF in 16 variations: 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-person lengths, platter or narrow width, imperial and metric — full cut list and diagrams for every size.
Outdoor table questions, answered
What is the best wood for an outdoor table?
Pressure-treated pine is the budget pick and what this build uses — let it dry a few weeks before staining. Cedar costs more but is naturally rot-resistant and looks better bare; our H-leg dining table is cedar. Either way, keep end grain sealed and the legs off standing water.
How tall should an outdoor table be?
Standard dining height is 29–30 inches with seats around 17–18 inches. Bar or counter-height tables like our Parson’s console run 40–42 inches and pair with stools.
How big should a table be to seat 10 people?
Give each person about 24 inches of edge. A rectangular table around 108–120 inches long by 40–46 inches wide seats ten comfortably — this build is 119 by 45¾ inches.
Do I need to seal a pressure-treated table?
Not for rot protection, but yes for looks and food-adjacent smoothness: let PT lumber dry out, sand the top, and apply an exterior-rated sealer or stain, refreshing every couple of years.
Questions? Comments?
As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to comment below — and don’t forget to post pictures of your finished tables in the comments! Which one are you building?
Be safe and happy building.
— Jamison