diff --git a/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py b/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py
index cf1f5a90c65d..2b9ce039f867 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ class ColumnFamily(object):
 
     We can use a :class:`ColumnFamily` to:
 
+    * :meth:`update` itself
     * :meth:`delete` itself
 
     :type column_family_id: str
@@ -244,6 +245,25 @@ def __eq__(self, other):
     def __ne__(self, other):
         return not self.__eq__(other)
 
+    def update(self):
+        """Update this column family.
+
+        .. note::
+
+            Only the GC rule can be updated. By changing the column family ID,
+            you will simply be referring to a different column family.
+        """
+        request_kwargs = {'name': self.name}
+        if self.gc_rule is not None:
+            request_kwargs['gc_rule'] = self.gc_rule.to_pb()
+        request_pb = data_pb2.ColumnFamily(**request_kwargs)
+        client = self._table._cluster._client
+        # We expect a `.data_pb2.ColumnFamily`. We ignore it since the only
+        # data it contains are the GC rule and the column family ID already
+        # stored on this instance.
+        client._table_stub.UpdateColumnFamily(request_pb,
+                                              client.timeout_seconds)
+
     def delete(self):
         """Delete this column family."""
         request_pb = messages_pb2.DeleteColumnFamilyRequest(name=self.name)
diff --git a/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py b/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py
index 1ca7837eb0c6..1344368659f8 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py
@@ -395,6 +395,62 @@ def test___ne__(self):
         column_family2 = self._makeOne('column_family_id2', None)
         self.assertNotEqual(column_family1, column_family2)
 
+    def _update_test_helper(self, gc_rule=None):
+        from gcloud.bigtable._generated import (
+            bigtable_table_data_pb2 as data_pb2)
+        from gcloud.bigtable._testing import _FakeStub
+
+        project_id = 'project-id'
+        zone = 'zone'
+        cluster_id = 'cluster-id'
+        table_id = 'table-id'
+        column_family_id = 'column-family-id'
+        timeout_seconds = 28
+        table_name = ('projects/' + project_id + '/zones/' + zone +
+                      '/clusters/' + cluster_id + '/tables/' + table_id)
+        column_family_name = table_name + '/columnFamilies/' + column_family_id
+
+        client = _Client(timeout_seconds=timeout_seconds)
+        table = _Table(table_name, client=client)
+        column_family = self._makeOne(column_family_id, table, gc_rule=gc_rule)
+
+        # Create request_pb
+        if gc_rule is None:
+            request_pb = data_pb2.ColumnFamily(name=column_family_name)
+        else:
+            request_pb = data_pb2.ColumnFamily(
+                name=column_family_name,
+                gc_rule=gc_rule.to_pb(),
+            )
+
+        # Create response_pb
+        response_pb = data_pb2.ColumnFamily()
+
+        # Patch the stub used by the API method.
+        client._table_stub = stub = _FakeStub(response_pb)
+
+        # Create expected_result.
+        expected_result = None  # update() has no return value.
+
+        # Perform the method and check the result.
+        self.assertEqual(stub.results, (response_pb,))
+        result = column_family.update()
+        self.assertEqual(stub.results, ())
+        self.assertEqual(result, expected_result)
+        self.assertEqual(stub.method_calls, [(
+            'UpdateColumnFamily',
+            (request_pb, timeout_seconds),
+            {},
+        )])
+
+    def test_update(self):
+        self._update_test_helper(gc_rule=None)
+
+    def test_update_with_gc_rule(self):
+        from gcloud.bigtable.column_family import MaxVersionsGCRule
+        gc_rule = MaxVersionsGCRule(1337)
+        self._update_test_helper(gc_rule=gc_rule)
+
     def test_delete(self):
         from gcloud.bigtable._generated import (
             bigtable_table_service_messages_pb2 as messages_pb2)