HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T


DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

A U G U S T 1 3, 201 7 | BY NIC K

FREE WORKBENCH PLANS

 PIN  SHARE

This easy to build workbench is big and strong and will be a valuable
addition to any shop, so get the free plans to make your own!

All of the projects I’ve worked on in the house have been, well…for the
house. It’s all about making the house pretty, comfortable and organized. We're Nick and
Like this little side table! Alicia

It is our hope to inspire

Alicia always has pieces that she would like me to build (you can see a lot
others to embrace and
of my other free woodworking plans ), but this one was for me, and only
love the home they have
me! through every step of the
design and renovation
I finally realized I was building these projects on just two sawhorses that journey.
were anything but sturdy and a couple of 2×4’s with a 3×8′ sheet of
plywood on top.

That really won’t hold anything with a significant amount of weight and it
was throwing my builds just slightly off square/level/flat. Don’t Miss a
Thing

First Name

Email Address

SUBSCRIBE


 HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

So I finally decided it was time to get the ‘base’ of my workshop built. I

have a smaller workbench on the other side of the shop, but it is only
about 18″ x 48″. That’s not nearly big enough for most of the projects that
I’m building.

 HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

My free workbench plans measure 36″ x 73.5″, and includes a half shelf on
one side, and is clampable all the way around. Plenty of room to build
larger or small projects on.


 HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

I had considered making it a mobile workbench and adding wheels, but I

decided against it for now, but I know I can add them at any time by
cutting down the legs and adding some swivel wheels.


 HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

My back has thanked me for building this workbench a few months ago. If
you’re looking for a larger workbench plan that you can build in a day, this
is the one!


 HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

FREE WORKBENCH PLANS

(CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW LARGER VERSION)
This post contains affiliate links where we make a small commission on any purchase you make, at no extra cost

to you.

See our full disclosure policy here. Thank you for helping support our blog.

S HOP P I NG & C UT L I S T

PRODUCT QUA NTITY BOA RD # CUTS


 HO M E A BO UT 1 35.25″
W O R K/W
35.25″
I T H U S/ 8″ / 8″ / 8″
C O NTA C T

DESIGN 2P R O J E35.25″
CTS / 35.25″L I /F 8″
EST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

3 69.5″ / 20.25″

4 69.5″ / 20.25″

5 69.5″ / 20.25″

2 x 4 x 8′ 11 6 69.5″ / 20.25″

7 26″ / 26″ / 19.5″ / 19.5″

8 26″ / 26″ / 17″ / 17″

9 26″ / 29″ / 29″

10 29″ / 29″ / 29″

11 29″ / 29″

3/4″ 1 69.5″ x 32″ / 24″ x 29″

2
Plywood 2 73.5″ x 36″

A D D I T I ONA L S UP P L I ES
2.5″ Kreg Pocket Hole Screws (80)
2.5″ construction wood screws (52)
80 / 120 / 220 grit 5″ sanding discs
Gorilla wood glue
Wood filler

T OOL S R EQUI R ED
Kreg Jig K5 Master System
Jigsaw
Drill
5″ orbital sander
Mitre saw
Circular saw

STEPS HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

1. Make 4 ofD Ethe

S I G legs
N below
P Rusing
O J E C T the
S 2×4″sLindicated.
I F E S T Y L E Dry fit Bscrap
R O W S2×4
E B Y ROOM   S H OP  

boards in the false lap joint locations (3 1/2″ areas on the diagram
below) when building these. This will ensure you’ve left enough room
for the spans to fit in properly. Attach boards together using 2.5″
constructions screws.

2. Lay two of the legs down on a flat surface and insert the 69.5″ spans
into the lap area you created in step one. Secure using 2.5″
construction screws. Repeat with the other two legs.


3. Attach the front Aand
HO M E
back sections
BO UT
together with 26″
WORK WITH US
boards using
C O NTA C T
pocket holes and 2.5″ pocket hole screws on each end on the inside.
They should line up withP Rthe
DESIGN
locations of Lthe
OJ E CT S
span pieces you
IFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

attached in the last step.

4. Attach three 29″ supports along the top and bottom at intervals of
15.5″. Secure with 2.5″ pocket hole screws.


5. For the bottom shelf,
HO M E
cut eachW3.5″
A BO UT
x 3″ out of each corner
ORK WITH US
to allow for
C O NTA C T
space for the legs. Do not screw the top in quite yet because it may
be easierDfor the install of
ESIGN
the shelf if you leave
PROJ E CT S
it off.
LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

6. Attach the front and back 19.5″ mid-shelf vertical supports 17″ from
the inside edge of the leg using 2.5″ pocket hole screws as shown
(note the image below is shown from the back perspective).


7. Install two 26″ horizontal
HO M E A BO UT
shelf Wsupports (front to back)
ORK WITH US
and secure
C O NTA C T
using glue and 2.5″ pocket hole screws.
DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

8. Attach the 17″ horizontal pieces (front and back) using wood glue and
2.5″ pocket hole screws.


 9. Cut Hthe
OME
shelf down to 29″ x 24″.W Cut
A BO UT
out 3.5″ x 1.5″ out
ORK WITH US
of the corners
C O NTA C T
that meet up with the legs. See diagram below. Slide the shelf in, and
attach with 1.5″ construction
DESIGN
screws on each
PROJ E CT S
corner.
LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

10. Finally, attach the top if you haven’t already. I’m showing how I
planned to attach my Kreg K5 Jig to the table, but then decided to
attach it to a secondary board that I can clamp in any location on the
workbench. It also makes it mobile!

And there you have it – a strong, sturdy surface using our free workbench
plans! This is only 9 steps to build…not bad, eh? If you make one for
yourself send some shots my way…I’d love to see it!

And check out some of our free DIY plans that you can tackle now that
you have the perfect surface to work on!

Nick 
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

 PIN  SHARE

YOU MAY ALSO L IKE. . .


 HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

THE PERFECT OUTDOOR CHA IR | 2 DRA W ER END TA BLE | FREE SIMPLE W OODEN SW ING SET
FREE PLA NS PLA NS PLA NS

COMMENTS
M A T T says
December 21, 2017 at 8:34 pm

Looking forward to giving this a shot!Thanks again for the share!

R E P LY

N I C K says
January 4, 2018 at 9:54 am

No problem Matt! Send me a pic of the final build! I’d love to see it!

R E P LY

J A L E N says
August 2, 2018 at 9:04 pm

Very nicely designed! I’m building this workbench right now with a few modifications so
that it’s a bit cheaper and more durable in the long run. Instead of the 3/4″ plywood for the
workbench top and shelving, I opted for some 23/32″ OSB for the top and 7/16″ OSB for the
shelving. Since OSB isn’t a great work surface, I’m putting on a piece of 3/16″ hardboard so
that once it becomes covered in glue, paint, and dents, it’s just a matter of a few screws to
replace the top with a brand new one. Thanks again for the plans!

R E P LY
 N I C K says
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
August 13, 2018 at 3:47 pm

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

Sounds like some great modifications! Shoot some pics over my way if you get a
chance when it’s done!

R E P LY

S E A N N says
January 3, 2019 at 8:13 pm

I found this design a couple of days ago and built it this morning. I had all the materials
bought by 8am, Cut by 10, and was completed by 1pm. That was even after I screwed up and
put the 29″ beams where the 26″ beams should be. Great design! I opted out of putting the
shelf in because I would like to add drawers where the shelf is in the future (tomorrow). I
used particle board for the top and bottom, and basic 2×4 studs for the body. I got out of the
store for under $60.

R E P LY

N I C K says
January 4, 2019 at 8:02 am

Hey Sean! That’s awesome! Can’t beat a big sturdy workbench for under $60! If
you have a pic of it, send it my way, I’d love to see it!

R E P LY

J A R E D says
February 24, 2019 at 12:53 pm

Thanks for these well made plans! I was looking around at pre-built benches and struggling
to find affordable benches that were the size I wanted. I decided to see if anyone had a good
design plan that I could follow and just build one. I modified it a little because I wanted

mine a little longer. I made mine 8 feet long and didn’t make the small shelf between top
and bottom. It used the same
HO M E
amount of material
A BO UT
in the end though. CI Othink
WORK WITH US
my materials
NTA C T
ended up being about $138 at Lowe’s… a much better price than a pre-built table and lots
more workspace/storage!
DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  
R E P LY

N I C K says
February 25, 2019 at 9:55 am

Hey Jared, I’m glad these workbench plans worked well for you! I love the size of
this bench, and it is the best part of my shop!

R E P LY

H U G O says
July 11, 2019 at 2:00 pm

Hello, thank you for this plan.

I am planning on building this bench this weekend with a few changes to suit my specific
needs.

How is the top secured? Did you just screw it from the top?

thank you again.

R E P LY

N I C K says
July 12, 2019 at 11:08 am

Hi Hugo!

I just secured the top with a few construction screws. That way when it gets beat
up after a while, I can just unscrew it, flip it over and re-attach!

Good luck and send me a pic of it when you’re done!

R E P LY


B E N says HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
August 11, 2019 at 9:42 pm

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

Great build. One of the 29″ pieces should be 26″ in the cut plans. And the step where you
attach the sides together says to use 29″ in the text directions. I’m about to undo those 29ers
now lol. But I’m stealing the idea of using hardboard on top. Thanks!

R E P LY

B E N says
August 12, 2019 at 10:55 pm

False alarm! The cuts were right, I’m just stupid. But the directions do say to use a
29″ instead of a 26″. Everything was perfect other than that. Thanks for the plans!
If I knew how to upload pics I would!

R E P LY

N I C K says
August 13, 2019 at 8:18 am

Haha no problem Ben! Glad this worked for you! You can always email
me some pics to nick@thediyhubs.com

R E P LY

C A R L FA L E S says
October 15, 2019 at 11:31 am

For the shelf you don’t say what height to place the boards at. I am in the process of
building 2 of these benches. with a few alterations.

R E P LY

N I C K says 
October 15, 2019 at 12:24 pm
 Hi Carl,
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

I placed the shelf exactly half way, around 9.75″, but you could put it anywhere 
DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP 
you want if you want less or more room on the top or bottom shelf.

R E P LY

J A C K C H A R R I N G T O N says
October 31, 2019 at 9:13 am

Nick,
Great design and very solid (and heavy) I was able to convert the measurements down to
my height and size of my shop (garage). It only took a few solid hours to build. Would
recommend this design to anyone, who likes to DIY. You know, I could have gone to Lowe’s
or Home Depot, etc. and bought one. But know when I look at this, I am proud of my handy
work. Thanks for sharing the design, It is great.

R E P LY

N I C K says
October 31, 2019 at 9:21 am

Thanks Jack! I’m glad this worked out for you. Isn’t it great to be able to build
things for yourself? Now you’ll have a nice workbench to build more great things
on!

R E P LY

C H A D says
May 17, 2020 at 12:31 pm

Hey Nick. I love this design. I am going to modify it slightly so I can add casters to move it
around the shop. In Step 1 did you use glue only or did you screw the 2×4 pieces together.

R E P LY


N I C K says
 May 27, 2020 at A10:29
HO M E BO UT
am WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
Hi Chad,

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

I used both wood glue and screws to make them nice and sturdy!

R E P LY

T O M M Y E L L E N B E R G E R says
July 23, 2020 at 8:44 pm

Love the plans, I am going to build two of them.

R E P LY

T R A V I S says
September 7, 2020 at 9:17 am

Hey im a complete noob at this. when im order my wood how much do I order in total?
Ex:” yes in need ____ in wood”

R E P LY

N I C K says
September 8, 2020 at 12:59 pm

Hi Travis,

I’ve listed what’s required on the Shopping list. You’ll need (11) 2×4″x8′ boards and
(2) 3/4″x4’x8′ sheets of plywood.

R E P LY

P E T E R says
September 14, 2020 at 7:52 pm 
I built this workbench
HO M E
today. It was a fun project.
A BO UT
The bench is very stable.
WORK WITH US
I did make one
C O NTA C T
little change, I did not build in the little shelf, opting for a single bottom shelf, instead I used
the extra lumber DtoE double
SIGN
up the framing for the top shelf.
PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

Thanks very much for making these plans. I could not have created something like this of
my own imagination. You have my gratitude.

R E P LY

N I C K says
September 16, 2020 at 4:23 pm

Hi Peter,

Thank you for the kind words! Hopefully, the workbench will allow you to take on
some more projects! Make sure you have a look around our site to see other free
plans that you may be able to tackle!

R E P LY

B I L L says
October 11, 2020 at 2:09 pm

Thank you for sharing. I’ve been looking at designs for workbenches and this is a great
design. Going to give this a try this weekend.

R E P LY

A L I C I A says
October 13, 2020 at 11:01 am

Great to hear, Bill! Please let us know how it goes, we always love seeing photos of
the projects our readers build using our plans!

R E P LY

B I L L says

October 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm
 HO M E
Thanks again was able
A BO UT
to do the project in about
WORK WITH US
4-5 hours of work
C O NTA C T
time. Plans were great and really happy how it came out. Thanks

DESIGN
again for providing for sharing the Ldesign.
PROJ E CT S IFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

R E P LY

N I C K says
October 15, 2020 at 2:31 pm

No problem Bill! I’m glad it worked out well for you!

R E P LY

E L I Z A B E T H says
January 17, 2021 at 6:40 pm

My sister and I built this table yesterday in about 4.5 hrs. Great design and clear plans. We
opted to use a full 4×8 sheet of mdf on top and modified the cuts to make that work. The
most difficult part was getting that mdf shelf in place – heavy stuff and a tight fit!

R E P LY

A L I C I A says
January 18, 2021 at 10:08 am

That is so great to hear, Elizabeth! Feel free to send us a photo or tag us on

Instagram so we can see your build!

R E P LY

K A R L says
March 16, 2021 at 3:20 pm

Can you use full rough sawn 2 x 4s for this? I know framing timber might be nicer it ends up
being less than full 2 x 4.
Thanks for the post. Planning a build now

R E P LY
 N I C K says
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
March 26, 2021 at 11:41 am

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

Hi Karl,

You can use rough sawn, but you’d have to adjust the measurements to reflect
that.

R E P LY

R O N says
March 28, 2021 at 1:30 pm

Nick and Alicia, thank you so much for these fantastic bench plans and the super
resourceful site. As soon as lumber prices drop, I’m all in. I am building an 8′ long bench
(spoiling myself) so will probably add a center support post. I am also planning to build in a
vertical set of drawers but I can clearly see how to use Kregg screws to build the vertical and
horizontal structure to mount the hardware. Thanks again.

R E P LY

A L I C I A says
March 29, 2021 at 9:37 am

That sounds great, Ron! Be sure to let us know once you finish, we always love
seeing photos of the finished projects!

R E P LY

G R E G H A R R I S says
July 26, 2021 at 1:19 pm

I don’t know how to post a photo, but I made this! Tried to make it exact, had some happy
accidents, added deployable casters, and it’s a fantastic edition to my shop! Thank you! I’d 
go into deets if I could post pics!
 R E P LY
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
A L I C I A says
July 27,
D E2021
S I G at
N 10:30 am P R O J E C T S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

That is great, Greg! You can always post to Instagram and tag us @nick.and.alicia
so we can share it!

R E P LY

M I K E says
August 18, 2021 at 12:01 am

How much is 2 x 4 x 8′ in CM? I’m from Europe so I don’t know the sizes in your buying table.
I tried to find it online without luck.

R E P LY

N I C K says
August 26, 2021 at 9:07 pm

Hi Mike,

Here is what Google tells me is the equivalent to a 2″ x 4″ x 8′ piece of lumber.

3.81cm x 8.89cm x 243.84cm

R E P LY

T H O M A S K R A G H says
August 24, 2021 at 8:46 am

Do we really need to buy the Jig K5 master tool? Can’t we make the pocket holes anyway?

Another problem is that I can’t find pocket hole screws.


What to do bro…
 R E P LY
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
N I C K says
August
DE31,S I2021
G N at 1:33 pmP R O J E C T S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

I would just drill standard construction screws in where necessary if you don’t
have a pocket hole jig.

R E P LY

D A V I D says
April 7, 2022 at 3:00 pm

Thanks for the plans. I don’t see any screw holes in the pictures. Did you put the
construction screws in from the back on the legs? How many screws per leg? Thanks again!
This will be my first attempt at building a workbench.

R E P LY

A L I C I A says
April 8, 2022 at 12:35 pm

Hi David,

Yes, I just put the screws in the backs of the legs. I just put a few in to hold the
boards together. I didn’t really build it to look “nice” for the shop so I didn’t worry
about placement.

R E P LY

J E S S E G A R R E T T says
January 9, 2023 at 5:32 pm

Ben looking to build a new bench since moving. Find this plan and
decided it works for what I needed. I forgot to attach the bottom sheet
before adding the supports and top, so I cut the bottom sheet down

the middle to make it slide in easier, as well as remove it easier if
needed.
 HO M E
Thanks!
A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
R E P LY

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

T E D says
April 19, 2022 at 7:10 pm

Guys : Thank you for the bench plans . Like a good recipe , half the battle is finding a plan
that meets your needs and and is within your skill set . Your plans are clear and easy to
understand plus I got to learn a new skill set with the pocket hole jig. Strong and effective
joinery. I will be using that jig many times . The bench is heavy which I really like : it won’t be
moving around that’s for sure . The only change I made was to use 1/2 inch sanded ply vs 3/4
regular ply for the top and shelves . No slivers! Functional bench and looks amazing .Fun
DIY .

R E P LY

A L I C I A says
April 21, 2022 at 9:26 am

Ted, thank you so much for letting us know you used (and loved!) our workbench
plans! We are so happy they were of value to you!

R E P LY

K E V I N says
January 31, 2023 at 1:06 pm

Thank you for the workbench plans. This bench is the exact size I was looking for, but I
couldn’t find one used anywhere…so I built my own using your plans. One question, though:
why pocket joints instead of the much simpler/easier butt joints for the six 29″ horizontal
supports? The butt joints are so much easier and seem much sturdier, although they do
leave visible screw heads. Thanks.

R E P LY


N I C K says
January 31, 2023 at 1:53 pm
 Hi Kevin,
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

No specific reason except that I already had the jig out for the other pocket holes, 
DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP 
so I used them for that as well. Pocket holes are very sturdy as well, plus no visible
holes!

R E P LY

C H R I S says
February 6, 2023 at 5:52 pm

Thank you for the plans! This was my first woodwork project, ever, so took me a bit longer
than most and made a few mistakes/learnings. I’m in UK so timber dimensions vary slightly,
plus it was my first experience of a mitre saw…. Really pleased with the end result, it looks
great, perfectly level and very solid. Might add deployable casters in future to wheel out on
summer days. Now I have a great workbench I can take on some other projects – thanks
again.

R E P LY

A L I C I A says
February 7, 2023 at 10:36 am

That is so great to hear, Chris! We hope you’ll try some of our other projects and if
you do please let us know how it went!

R E P LY

R O N says
June 6, 2023 at 11:11 pm

Love your workbench plan! Excellent directions and shopping list made it so very easy! I
ended up with a very solid and decent looking garage workbench at a small cost with
today’s prices!
Thanks so much for sharing!

R E P LY
 A L I C I A says
HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T
June 26, 2023 at 9:49 am

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

SO great to hear, Ron, thank you for letting us know you found our plans helpful!

R E P LY

Tra ck b a cks
55 Cool Work Bench Ideas For Your Garage says:
May 15, 2023 at 4:45 am
[…] Image and tutorial by Nick And Alicia […]

LEAVE A REPLY
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

C OMMEN T

N A ME *

EMA I L *

WEBSI T E

POST COMMENT

 HO M E A BO UT WORK WITH US C O NTA C T

DESIGN PROJ E CT S LIFEST YLE B ROW SE B Y ROOM   S H OP  

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

First Name Email Address JOIN

COPYRI G HT ©2 0 2 3 NI CK + AL I CI A
· C O N TA C T · POL I CI E S + DI SCLOSURE 