NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
This is a serving station, not a table — the U-shaped layout puts a bartender inside the three walls with guests standing around the outside, and the notched inside shelf keeps bottles and mixers within reach without cluttering the countertop.
The frame skips pocket-hole joinery entirely and relies on straightforward screwed butt joints, which makes it a faster build than most bar or kitchen-island plans at the cost of a little more visible fastener work on the inside faces — acceptable here since the siding covers every outward-facing surface anyway.
Lay the countertop boards bark-side up. On flatsawn lumber the bark side cups upward as it dries, which sheds rainwater instead of collecting it in a shallow bowl on an outdoor surface.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Construction lumber, 2x4, 8 ft | 9 each |
| Cedar fence pickets, 5-1/2" x 72"Not dog-eared — square-topped pickets. | 14 each |
| Construction lumber, 2x12, 10 ftCountertop and inside shelf. | 2 each |
| Pine board, 1x3, 6 ftSide trim. | 3 each |
| Exterior wood screws, 2-1/2" | 60 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 20 each |
| Exterior stain or finish | 8 oz |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Front top/bottom rails2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 72" |
| Vertical studs2x4 | 8 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 35 1/2" |
| Front horizontal pieces2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 21 3/4" |
| Front middle horizontal2x4 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| Front siding boardsCedar fence picket | 7 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 72" |
| Side wall top/bottom rails2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 31 1/2" |
| Side wall center horizontal2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 28 1/2" |
| Side siding boardsCedar fence picketCut to fit as the side frames come together. | 14 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 35 1/2" |
| Side top trim2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 41 1/4" |
| Front top trim2x4Cut to fit. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 73" |
| Side trim1x3 | 6 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 35" |
| Front countertop2x12 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 11 1/4" × 83 1/2" |
| Side countertop2x12 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 11 1/4" × 32 1/2" |
| Inside shelf2x12Notched with a jigsaw to fit around the frame. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 11 1/4" × 72" |
Buy 30 boards at 8 ft.
3 boards
10 boards
Cut all framing and siding pieces per the cut list. Assemble the front wall's top and bottom rails, vertical studs, and horizontal blocking into a flat frame, fastened with screws.
Attach the front cedar siding boards to the front frame with brad nails, spacing them evenly across the full width.
Build the two side wall frames the same way as the front, then attach each one to a front-wall edge to form the U shape. Cover both side frames with siding boards, trimming each to fit as you go.
Cut and attach the side and front trim pieces along the top edge of the siding, fitting each one to the assembled walls rather than trusting the cut list numbers exactly.
Notch the 2x12 inside shelf with a jigsaw so it wraps around the inside corners of the frame, then screw it in place.
Join the three countertop boards with pocket screws, orienting each board bark-side up so it sheds water instead of cupping into a bowl. Attach the completed top to the bar frame.
Finish the entire bar the same way you'd finish an exterior deck or fence.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.
3 boards
14 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →