diff --git a/google/resource_bigtable_table.go b/google/resource_bigtable_table.go
index 7728e0e9..4afeefdd 100644
--- a/google/resource_bigtable_table.go
+++ b/google/resource_bigtable_table.go
@@ -21,6 +21,20 @@ func resourceBigtableTable() *schema.Resource {
 				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 
+			"column_family": {
+				Type:     schema.TypeSet,
+				Optional: true,
+				ForceNew: true,
+				Elem: &schema.Resource{
+					Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
+						"family": {
+							Type:     schema.TypeString,
+							Required: true,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+
 			"instance_name": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Required: true,
@@ -79,6 +93,20 @@ func resourceBigtableTableCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 		}
 	}
 
+	if d.Get("column_family.#").(int) > 0 {
+		columns := d.Get("column_family").(*schema.Set).List()
+
+		for _, co := range columns {
+			column := co.(map[string]interface{})
+
+			if v, ok := column["family"]; ok {
+				if err := c.CreateColumnFamily(ctx, name, v.(string)); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("Error creating column family %s. %s", v, err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	d.SetId(name)
 
 	return resourceBigtableTableRead(d, meta)
diff --git a/google/resource_bigtable_table_test.go b/google/resource_bigtable_table_test.go
index 04ab9ab8..5fce5ac0 100644
--- a/google/resource_bigtable_table_test.go
+++ b/google/resource_bigtable_table_test.go
@@ -54,6 +54,52 @@ func TestAccBigtableTable_splitKeys(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccBigtableTable_family(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	instanceName := fmt.Sprintf("tf-test-%s", acctest.RandString(10))
+	tableName := fmt.Sprintf("tf-test-%s", acctest.RandString(10))
+	family := fmt.Sprintf("tf-test-%s", acctest.RandString(10))
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckBigtableTableDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: testAccBigtableTable_family(instanceName, tableName, family),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccBigtableTableExists(
+						"google_bigtable_table.table"),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
+func TestAccBigtableTable_familyMany(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	instanceName := fmt.Sprintf("tf-test-%s", acctest.RandString(10))
+	tableName := fmt.Sprintf("tf-test-%s", acctest.RandString(10))
+	family := fmt.Sprintf("tf-test-%s", acctest.RandString(10))
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckBigtableTableDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: testAccBigtableTable_familyMany(instanceName, tableName, family),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccBigtableTableExists(
+						"google_bigtable_table.table"),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccCheckBigtableTableDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	var ctx = context.Background()
 	for _, rs := range s.RootModule().Resources {
@@ -139,3 +185,55 @@ resource "google_bigtable_table" "table" {
 }
 `, instanceName, instanceName, tableName)
 }
+
+func testAccBigtableTable_family(instanceName, tableName, family string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "google_bigtable_instance" "instance" {
+  name          = "%s"
+
+  cluster {
+    cluster_id = "%s"
+    zone       = "us-central1-b"
+  }
+
+  instance_type = "DEVELOPMENT"
+}
+
+resource "google_bigtable_table" "table" {
+  name          = "%s"
+  instance_name = "${google_bigtable_instance.instance.name}"
+
+  column_family {
+    family = "%s"
+  }
+}
+`, instanceName, instanceName, tableName, family)
+}
+
+func testAccBigtableTable_familyMany(instanceName, tableName, family string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "google_bigtable_instance" "instance" {
+  name          = "%s"
+
+  cluster {
+    cluster_id = "%s"
+    zone       = "us-central1-b"
+  }
+
+  instance_type = "DEVELOPMENT"
+}
+
+resource "google_bigtable_table" "table" {
+  name          = "%s"
+  instance_name = "${google_bigtable_instance.instance.name}"
+
+  column_family {
+    family = "%s-first"
+  }
+
+  column_family {
+    family = "%s-second"
+  }
+}
+`, instanceName, instanceName, tableName, family, family)
+}
diff --git a/website/docs/r/bigtable_table.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/bigtable_table.html.markdown
index 2c9d69bd..e73dceaa 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/bigtable_table.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/bigtable_table.html.markdown
@@ -41,9 +41,17 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 
 * `split_keys` - (Optional) A list of predefined keys to split the table on.
 
+* `column_family` - (Optional) A group of columns within a table which share a common configuration. This can be specified multiple times. Structure is documented below.
+
 * `project` - (Optional) The ID of the project in which the resource belongs. If it
     is not provided, the provider project is used.
 
+-----
+
+`column_family` supports the following arguments:
+
+* `family` - (Optional) Creates a new column family in a table.
+
 ## Attributes Reference
 
 Only the arguments listed above are exposed as attributes.