Valheim Workbench Guide: How to Upgrade It to Level 5

The Workbench is one of the most important crafting stations in Valheim. It lets you craft and repair early equipment, build most wooden structures, and upgrade many tools, weapons, and armor pieces.The old version of this guide stopped at the early upgrades and incorrectly suggested that some Workbench extensions also improve the Forge. In the current Valheim 1.0 version, the Workbench has a maximum level of 5. To reach it, you need four unique extensions: the Chopping Block, Tanning Rack, Adze, and Tool Shelf.

How to Build a Workbench in Valheim

Before you can build a Workbench, craft a Hammer. The Hammer requires 3 Wood and 2 Stone and can be made directly from your inventory.Equip the Hammer, open the build menu, and place a Workbench using 10 Wood. A newly built Workbench starts at level 1.Contrary to a common old tip, you do not need to put the Workbench under a roof just to place it or use its building radius. An outdoor Workbench can still be used as the center of a construction area.However, if you want to open the Workbench interface, craft items, or repair equipment, the station needs a roof and enough surrounding cover. The current requirement is approximately 70% cover.Repairing equipment at a Workbench remains free. You do not spend materials to restore durability.

What Does Upgrading the Workbench Do?

Each Workbench level allows you to craft or further upgrade equipment that requires a higher crafting-station level.The extensions also increase the Workbench's building radius. A level 1 Workbench starts with a 20-meter radius, and each connected upgrade adds another 4 meters, up to a maximum radius of 36 meters at level 5.You do not interact with the upgrade structures after building them. Their only job is to remain close enough to the Workbench and connected to it.When placing an extension with the Hammer, watch for the glowing dotted connection line between the upgrade and the Workbench. If the line does not appear, the extension is too far away or another structure is blocking its connection.Each upgrade must be placed within roughly 2 meters of the Workbench. They can be placed on the other side of a wall or floor as long as the connection registers.Duplicate extensions do not stack. Building two Chopping Blocks will not raise the Workbench by two levels.

All Workbench Levels and Upgrades

Workbench Level	Required Upgrade	Materials
Level 1	Workbench	10 Wood
Level 2	Chopping Block	10 Wood, 10 Flint
Level 3	Tanning Rack	10 Wood, 15 Flint, 20 Leather Scraps, 5 Deer Hide
Level 4	Adze	10 Finewood, 3 Bronze
Level 5	Tool Shelf	10 Finewood, 4 Iron, 4 Obsidian

You do not need to build the extensions in a strict order. The Workbench level is determined by how many different valid upgrades are connected to it. In normal progression, however, you will naturally obtain the required materials in roughly the order shown above.

How to Upgrade the Workbench to Level 2

The first extension is the Chopping Block.It requires 10 Wood and 10 Flint. Wood is available immediately in the Meadows, while Flint is commonly found along coastlines and riverbanks.Place the Chopping Block close enough to the Workbench for the dotted connection line to appear. Once it is connected, the Workbench becomes level 2.This is usually the first upgrade you can make during the opening phase of a new world.

How to Upgrade the Workbench to Level 3

The second extension is the Tanning Rack.It requires 10 Wood, 15 Flint, 20 Leather Scraps, and 5 Deer Hide.Leather Scraps are most easily obtained from Boars. Deer Hide comes from Deer, so you will need to spend some time hunting in the Meadows and nearby areas.Once the Tanning Rack is placed within range and connected to the Workbench, the station reaches level 3.The Tanning Rack is especially important during early progression because higher Workbench levels let you continue upgrading leather and Troll Hide equipment before moving heavily into metal armor.

How to Upgrade the Workbench to Level 4

The third extension is the Adze.It costs 10 Finewood and 3 Bronze.Finewood is normally obtained by cutting Birch or Oak. A Bronze Axe is the standard early method for doing this.Bronze is produced from Copper and Tin after you begin Black Forest metal progression.There is another important requirement. The Adze itself is built through the Hammer while you are within the required crafting range, and its construction depends on access to a Forge.Place the finished Adze next to the Workbench. Once the connection is active, the station becomes level 4.

How to Upgrade the Workbench to Level 5

The final Workbench extension is the Tool Shelf.It requires 10 Finewood, 4 Iron, and 4 Obsidian.Iron normally becomes available during Swamp progression. Scrap Iron found in Sunken Crypts can be smelted into Iron bars.Obsidian is found in the Mountains and requires an appropriate pickaxe to mine. Because of this material requirement, the Tool Shelf is normally obtained considerably later than the first three Workbench upgrades.Like the Adze, the Tool Shelf requires access to a Forge when you build it.Mount the shelf close enough to the Workbench for the dotted connection line to appear. With all four unique extensions connected, the Workbench reaches its current maximum of level 5.The Tool Shelf does not upgrade the Forge. The Forge has its own completely separate set of extensions, including Anvils, Forge Bellows, Forge Cooler, Smith's Anvil, Grinding Wheel, and Forge Toolrack.

Why Is My Workbench Not Increasing in Level?

If you built an extension but the Workbench level did not change, distance is usually the problem.Equip the Hammer and select the relevant extension again. Move it around the Workbench until you see the glowing dotted line connecting the two structures.The connection path must also remain clear. Multiple upgrades placed directly behind one another can interfere with their individual links to the station. Spread them around the Workbench rather than stacking every extension into the same narrow corner.Walls and floors are not automatically a problem. An upgrade can function from the opposite side of a wall or on another side of the floor as long as it is close enough and the game shows the connection.Also check that you built the correct extension. Structures belonging to the Forge, Cauldron, Black Forge, Galdr Table, or other crafting stations do not raise the Workbench level.

Does the Workbench Need a Roof?

The answer depends on what you are trying to do.You can place a Workbench outside without a roof. Its construction radius still works, and the station can still suppress enemy spawning within the relevant base area.To actually use the Workbench for crafting and repairs, however, it needs a roof and sufficient cover.This distinction makes temporary outdoor Workbenches useful while building a new base, bridge, dock, or defensive wall. You can place one quickly to unlock the building radius and worry about shelter only if you need to craft or repair items there.

What Is the Maximum Workbench Level in Valheim 1.0?

The maximum Workbench level is still 5 in Valheim 1.0.The Deep North update added new crafting-related structures and endgame progression, but it did not add a sixth Workbench upgrade.Later equipment is handled by other crafting stations such as the Forge, Black Forge, Galdr Table, Artisan Table, and their own extensions. This is why you should not expect every endgame weapon or armor piece to appear simply because your basic Workbench has reached level 5.

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To fully upgrade the Workbench in Valheim 1.0, build a Chopping Block, Tanning Rack, Adze, and Tool Shelf within roughly 2 meters of the station. The maximum level is 5. A roof and sufficient cover are required for crafting and repairing, but not for placing the Workbench or using its building radius.