diff --git a/gcloud/bigquery/table.py b/gcloud/bigquery/table.py
index 07da7e34e2e3..56e4f7eebe7b 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigquery/table.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigquery/table.py
@@ -422,6 +422,8 @@ def _build_resource(self):
             resource['schema'] = {
                 'fields': _build_schema_resource(self._schema)
             }
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Set either 'view_query' or 'schema'.")
 
         return resource
 
diff --git a/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py b/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py
index 16ce4de73334..dd50ce8ab466 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py
@@ -437,6 +437,15 @@ def test_from_api_repr_w_properties(self):
         self.assertTrue(table._dataset._client is client)
         self._verifyResourceProperties(table, RESOURCE)
 
+    def test_create_no_view_query_no_schema(self):
+        conn = _Connection()
+        client = _Client(project=self.PROJECT, connection=conn)
+        dataset = _Dataset(client)
+        table = self._makeOne(self.TABLE_NAME, dataset)
+
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            table.create()
+
     def test_create_w_bound_client(self):
         from gcloud.bigquery.table import SchemaField
         PATH = 'projects/%s/datasets/%s/tables' % (self.PROJECT, self.DS_NAME)