If you’re looking to purchase a table saw but don’t have a lot of extra space in your shop, you may be wondering, how much space do I need for a table saw?

In general, you should maintain a minimum of 2 feet of clearance on the left and right side of your table saw and a minimum of 4 feet in front and behind. If you don’t have enough space to operate your saw indoors, you may consider purchasing a mobile base so that you can move your table saw outdoors when you need to use it.

Why Does Space Matter?

Having sufficient space is important for a number of reasons.

For one, when you’re standing behind a spinning table saw blade, you shouldn’t be dealing with any distractions or hindrances.

If the space is too tight you may find yourself bumping into things or having to move around awkwardly, which can distract you and cause you to lose your focus.

Secondly, having enough space will also allow you to more easily work with larger pieces of wood that require extra support when cutting.

For example, I often find myself needing to rip down a full sheet of plywood. When handling a workpiece of that size, I often need a second set of hands to hold the overhanging plywood on the side of the saw. Without enough space on the left and outfeed sides of my table saw, I would be forced to make those cuts on my own, putting myself at risk of injury, and my workpiece at risk of destruction.

Finally, if you don’t have enough room on the infeed and outfeed sides of your table saw, you are limiting the length of the cuts that you can make.

Ultimately, the more room you can give yourself to operate your table saw, the safer you will be, and the more enjoyment you will experience.

Where To Put Your Table Saw?

When deciding where to place your table saw, it is important to allocate enough space for you to use the tool safely and effectively. If you’re unsure where to put your new table saw, here are a few pro tips:

Smack-Dab In The Middle

As a general rule of thumb, you should try to position your table saw directly in the middle of your workshop. This will allow you 360 degree movement around your saw, and give you plenty of room to work.

If you have enough space to put your table saw in the middle of your shop, I also recommend building an outfeed table to help you support your workpieces while you make your cuts. This will make your woodworking life significantly easier, and also protect your cut-offs from dropping to the floor every time you make a cut.

Up Against A Garage Door

If your wood shop is located in your garage, you may be limited in terms of floor space. In this case, I recommend situating your table saw so that the outfeed side is near the garage door. That way, when you need to make longer cuts, all you have to do is open the garage door.

However, for shorter workpieces, you still have enough room to cut without letting the cold in.

Pro Tip: If your wood shop is in your garage, I recommend covering any tools that sit beneath the opened garage door with a tarp. That way, if it rains or snows, you don’t have to worry about your tools getting wet and rusting. I realize it isn’t the most convenient thing to do, but it only takes a minute, and will save you a ton of headache and frustration in the event of some unwanted precipitation.

Right-Side Wall

If you don’t have the luxury of putting your table saw in the middle of your shop space, I recommend placing it so that the right side of the saw is closest to a wall. This isn’t the ideal scenario, but it will hopefully still allow you plenty of room on the infeed, outfeed, and overhang (left) side of your table saw.

On Wheels

If you can’t make the previous two options work, then I highly recommend putting your table saw on some sort of mobile base so that you can move it outdoors when you need to use it. I have personally used this option for years, and it is so much more convenient than trying to operate in a tight space.

As an added bonus, when you’re finished making your cuts, you can just break out a blower to clean off your table saw. Oh, and you won’t end up breathing as much saw dust, which is pretty nice as well.

I will say, the biggest inconvenience with this option is that your woodworking time will be dictated by the weather. You won’t be able to use your table saw when it’s raining

Purchasing The Right Table Saw For Your Space

If you’re getting ready to purchase a table saw, I recommend looking at the specifications and measuring your space to see if the saw will work.

Not only will this help you visualize your space, but it may actually cause you to reconsider the type of saw you buy.

For example, when I bought my table saw, I was dead-set on a SawStop Cabinet Saw with a 36″ fence. However, after looking at the specifications, I realized that it was going to be too big for my workshop.

Fortunately, I opted for the smaller contractor saw, and I don’t regret it one bit. It allowed me more room to work and left room for other tools, like my band saw, dust collector, and jointer.

While you might be tempted to buy the biggest, baddest saw on the market, I highly recommend purchasing a saw that allows you plenty of room to work.

After all, what good is a table saw if you don’t have anywhere to put it?