diff --git a/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py b/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py
index 8b5610a205dc..200577bb880e 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigtable/column_family.py
@@ -177,8 +177,23 @@ class ColumnFamily(object):
 
     :type table: :class:`Table <gcloud.bigtable.table.Table>`
     :param table: The table that owns the column family.
+
+    :type gc_rule: :class:`GarbageCollectionRule`
+    :param gc_rule: (Optional) The garbage collection settings for this
+                    column family.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, column_family_id, table):
+    def __init__(self, column_family_id, table, gc_rule=None):
         self.column_family_id = column_family_id
         self._table = table
+        self.gc_rule = gc_rule
+
+    def __eq__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            return False
+        return (other.column_family_id == self.column_family_id and
+                other._table == self._table and
+                other.gc_rule == self.gc_rule)
+
+    def __ne__(self, other):
+        return not self.__eq__(other)
diff --git a/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py b/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py
index d52f00dbf98d..127349f00086 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigtable/test_column_family.py
@@ -328,7 +328,40 @@ def _makeOne(self, *args, **kwargs):
     def test_constructor(self):
         column_family_id = u'column-family-id'
         table = object()
-        column_family = self._makeOne(column_family_id, table)
+        gc_rule = object()
+        column_family = self._makeOne(column_family_id, table, gc_rule=gc_rule)
 
         self.assertEqual(column_family.column_family_id, column_family_id)
         self.assertTrue(column_family._table is table)
+        self.assertTrue(column_family.gc_rule is gc_rule)
+
+    def test___eq__(self):
+        column_family_id = 'column_family_id'
+        table = object()
+        gc_rule = object()
+        column_family1 = self._makeOne(column_family_id, table,
+                                       gc_rule=gc_rule)
+        column_family2 = self._makeOne(column_family_id, table,
+                                       gc_rule=gc_rule)
+        self.assertEqual(column_family1, column_family2)
+
+    def test___eq__type_differ(self):
+        column_family1 = self._makeOne('column_family_id', None)
+        column_family2 = object()
+        self.assertNotEqual(column_family1, column_family2)
+
+    def test___ne__same_value(self):
+        column_family_id = 'column_family_id'
+        table = object()
+        gc_rule = object()
+        column_family1 = self._makeOne(column_family_id, table,
+                                       gc_rule=gc_rule)
+        column_family2 = self._makeOne(column_family_id, table,
+                                       gc_rule=gc_rule)
+        comparison_val = (column_family1 != column_family2)
+        self.assertFalse(comparison_val)
+
+    def test___ne__(self):
+        column_family1 = self._makeOne('column_family_id1', None)
+        column_family2 = self._makeOne('column_family_id2', None)
+        self.assertNotEqual(column_family1, column_family2)