diff --git a/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/_helpers.py b/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/_helpers.py
index 2d763109e745..77964e233fc3 100644
--- a/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/_helpers.py
+++ b/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/_helpers.py
@@ -367,6 +367,12 @@ def _time_to_json(value):
 _SCALAR_VALUE_TO_JSON_PARAM['TIMESTAMP'] = _timestamp_to_json_parameter
 
 
+def _snake_to_camel_case(value):
+    """Convert snake case string to camel case."""
+    words = value.split('_')
+    return words[0] + ''.join(map(str.capitalize, words[1:]))
+
+
 class _ApiResourceProperty(object):
     """Base property implementation.
 
diff --git a/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py b/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py
index dedfe21135c1..fdd18878664f 100644
--- a/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py
+++ b/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _field_to_index_mapping
 from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _SCALAR_VALUE_TO_JSON_ROW
 from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import DEFAULT_RETRY
+from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _snake_to_camel_case
 
 
 _DEFAULT_CHUNKSIZE = 1048576  # 1024 * 1024 B = 1 MB
@@ -340,9 +341,7 @@ def update_dataset(self, dataset, fields, retry=DEFAULT_RETRY):
                 api_field = 'access'
             else:
                 attr = getattr(dataset, f)
-                # snake case to camel case
-                words = f.split('_')
-                api_field = words[0] + ''.join(map(str.capitalize, words[1:]))
+                api_field = _snake_to_camel_case(f)
             partial[api_field] = attr
         if dataset.etag is not None:
             headers = {'If-Match': dataset.etag}
diff --git a/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/table.py b/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/table.py
index b75af6802014..2b9dea02d34e 100644
--- a/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/table.py
+++ b/bigquery/google/cloud/bigquery/table.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 from google.cloud._helpers import _datetime_from_microseconds
 from google.cloud._helpers import _millis_from_datetime
+from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _snake_to_camel_case
 from google.cloud.bigquery.schema import SchemaField
 from google.cloud.bigquery.schema import _build_schema_resource
 from google.cloud.bigquery.schema import _parse_schema_resource
@@ -705,11 +706,7 @@ def _build_resource(self, filter_fields):
             if f in self.custom_resource_fields:
                 self.custom_resource_fields[f](self, resource)
             else:
-                # TODO(alixh) refactor to use in both Table and Dataset
-                # snake case to camel case
-                words = f.split('_')
-                api_field = words[0] + ''.join(
-                    map(str.capitalize, words[1:]))
+                api_field = _snake_to_camel_case(f)
                 resource[api_field] = getattr(self, f)
         return resource
 
diff --git a/bigquery/tests/unit/test__helpers.py b/bigquery/tests/unit/test__helpers.py
index f37d39a4f823..15a62107c645 100644
--- a/bigquery/tests/unit/test__helpers.py
+++ b/bigquery/tests/unit/test__helpers.py
@@ -749,6 +749,20 @@ def test_w_datetime(self):
         self.assertEqual(self._call_fut(when), '12:13:41')
 
 
+class Test_snake_to_camel_case(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def _call_fut(self, value):
+        from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _snake_to_camel_case
+
+        return _snake_to_camel_case(value)
+
+    def test_w_snake_case_string(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self._call_fut('friendly_name'), 'friendlyName')
+
+    def test_w_camel_case_string(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self._call_fut('friendlyName'), 'friendlyName')
+
+
 class Test_TypedApiResourceProperty(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @staticmethod