Wooden Bench

Free plans for building a wooden bench

I created these wooden bench plans to inspire ideas for projects that use leftover material from a deck or patio cover project.

The dimensions of this deck bench are 36 inches long, 20-1/2 inches wide, and 18-1/2 inches high. You should adjust the dimensions of these plans to match the sizes of your scrap materials. Of course, you can always design any size bench and purchase the materials to build it.

The width of this bench is 20 1/2 inches wide so that three 2x6s will fit inside the bench framing with 1/8-inch spacing between the boards. Assuming you are using milled lumber where the nominal dimensions of a 2x6 are 5-5/8 inches x 1-5/8 inches.

Here's the plan: Three 2x6s (with an actual width of 5 5/8 inches) added together is 16-7/8 inches. Pick out the three 2x6s you want to use for the seat. Lay them out side-by-side and measure the width. Add about 3/8" for spacing. The result should be somewhere around 17-1/4". That measurement will be the inside dimension of the bench frame. Set these three 2x6s aside while you calculate the outside dimensions of the bench frame.

Next, combine the thickness of the two 2x6s you plan to use for the frame (3-1/4") and add it to 17-1/4", resulting in an outside width of 20-1/2". The length should match the wood you have available. For the sake of this example, my bench is 36" long. You now have the outside dimensions of the bench frame.

Wooden Bench - Assembly

Cut the four legs of the deck bench @ 16 7/8 inches long, and notch one end of each leg as shown in the diagram below. If you are using a circular saw, you can set the depth of the blade to 1 5/8 inches and cut straight through on two sides of the leg.

To complete the leg cuts, you can use a jigsaw, a handsaw, or a chisel to remove the last bit of wood since the circular blade won't quite finish the cut.

Cut the four pieces of the frame, with a 45° angle at each end. Fasten the four pieces together using 3-inch galvanized deck screws. Once assembled, attach the four legs using 3-inch deck screws. (see below)

Once the four legs are attached, flip the deck bench over upright and attach the three 2x4 framing members using 3-inch galvanized deck screws.

Cut the three 2x6 boards for the bench seat. It is best to measure the opening of the inside of the bench frame to get the actual length of these boards. It should be approximately 32 3/4 inches.

Place the three boards inside the bench framing and space them evenly apart. Once you have determined the spacing, secure each bench seat board to the 2x4 framing with two 3-inch galvanized deck screws at each end and two into the center support.

Material List

2x6 - 2 @ 10 feet
4x4 - 1 @ 6 feet
2x4 - 1 @ 6 feet
3-inch deck screws (approximately 55)

Choosing Lumber

I have built this bench using Western Red Cedar and Redwood, but you can use any material. The nominal dimensions of materials vary by species. Be sure to check the dimensions of the lumber you select before cutting any wood mentioned in these wooden bench plans.

The best way to preserve your new bench is to seal it with a stain/sealer that matches your wood.

If you have any questions or comments about this wooden bench, please don't hesitate to contact us.