My chicken coop plans are one of my most popular posts. I am excited to share them with you!
This chicken coop is SUUUPER cute, and also really functional and easy to clean.
Purchase of the Chicken Coop Building Plans include:
- 33 page building plans
- Step by step instructions
- Cut list
- Supply list
- Tool list
- Diagrams and Illustrations of each step
- Answers to frequently asked questions
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Chicken Coop Building Plan$19.99
Some of the awesome features on the chicken coop plans include:
PLEASE NOTE: After offering over 300,000 free downloads of this plan over the span of 5 years, I have started charging $19.99 for the plan download. I hope that my readers will understand that while I strive to offer a lot of free content- and good quality content at that- I also have children to feed and bills to pay. I felt that this was more than a fair price to charge for such extensive building plans.
- Drop down side for easy cleaning
- 32 square feet- enough room for 12 chickens
- Ventilation to keep air-flow and prevent overheating in the Summer
- Nesting box with an open top for easy access to eggs
- Basket hook to simplify gathering eggs
- Easy access for chickens with ramp
Please see our FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS below, before building the coop. As it will answer many of your questions.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about this chicken coop:
How much does it cost to build a chicken coop?
Since building material prices vary by location, this could cost more or less to build where you live. For me, it cost about $500 to build. You could save money by using scraps, using less expensive paint, or less expensive roofing materials. But I built this to last, so I used the best of everything.
How do you ventilate a chicken coop?
This coop has ventilation space under the eaves, and the door is always open. The air flow is just fine with this much ventilation.
Does the chicken coop get too hot or cold?
We have the coop in the shade, so in the hot Summer months, it keeps cool. During the winter, we keep a heat lamp inside for heat and light. It seems to work fine.
Where do the chickens roost in the chicken coop?
We have added some roosting bars inside our coop, as well as out in the chicken run. The chickens also seem to like to roost on the rafter beams.
Where do you put food and water in the chicken coop?
Our food and water is outside in the chicken run. We use this food holder, and this cool water holder. We have also use a water heater and a basic water dish so it doesn’t freeze in the winter.
How do you keep the chicken coop clean?
We fold the side of the coop down and scoop out all of the mess inside. Once it’s clean, we place wood shavings in the nesting box. I’ve also seen these inserts you can use in the nesting box, which look interesting, though we’ve never tried them. If you are worried about the OSB flooring getting spoiled, you could line the OSB flooring with a vinyl flooring, or seal with waterproofing paint. We have had this coop for almost 4 years, and haven’t had any problems with just using the OSB flooring.
What are Fence Brackets?
Most hardware stores carry them, including Home Depot (for 67 cents). You can also find them here on Amazon, though they aren’t quite as cheap.
We have completely fenced in our chicken coop, including some space for outside for the chicken run. We keep the food and water inside the fenced areas. This seems to help with predators. You could also install a door on the coop, where the chickens get in and out. Several people who have built this coop have done this and it seems to work well.
This coop should hold about 12 chickens.
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Chicken Coop Building Plan$19.99
Reader Builds
So many of you are building this chicken coop! I can’t tell you how happy that makes my heart. When I designed this coop, I knew it would work for our little family, and I’m so glad it’s worked for so many of you guys too! I love to see pictures of your final product! If you build this coop, I would love to see photos- please email them to me: Nat@thecreativemom.com
And I love this coop, which looks very similar to mine, but he added a door to keep the “bad guys” out at night. Awesome build by Brian. He also shared a youtube tour of the chicken coop, which you can see here.
Here’s another red coop, similar to mine, but I love the enclosed chicken run. This is built by Anthony. It looks nice and neat. Perfect for a little flock. Thanks for sharing, Anthony.
This cute blue coop was built by Mark. I love that he let his kids paint a rainbow on the nesting box. He added a few vent windows, and a see-through roof. Great ideas! The windows and transparent roofing would definitely help with the question some of you had about getting more lighting. Awesome build, Mark.
This is a DOUBLE long coop, built by Micah. He is hoping to have 18 chickens or more, so he built the coop 16 feet long instead of 8 feet. He also added a second laying box, which will be helpful with the extra hens. He said the hardest part was moving the chicken coop outside!
Micah also added power, which is really cool. It will be helpful to plug in a heat lamp during the winter. Great build, Micah!
This lovely coop was built by Bernard. I love the rustic barnwood look of this coop. If I ever build a coop again, I think I might replicate the beautiful wood Bernard used here.
Here’s another coop built by Trevor. I love the little door he added where the ramp goes up into the coop. And that enclosed chicken run is very nice. I’m sure his hens are very happy there. Thanks for sharing your photos, Trevor.
Here’s a cute little coop by Gabriel. She made her coop half as big because she only needed it to fit 5 chickens- great idea! I love the smaller size!
Here’s a very patriotic build from Earl and Shelley. Definitely one of the most unique builds I’ve seen of this coop! Earl used free pallets and reclaimed fence materials from a local fence company. Earl spent 23 years in the US Navy, and he added some fun elements like those ropes, inspired by his service. Wonderful build, Earl & Shelley!
This cute coop was built by Kris in Belgium. I can’t believe my humble chicken coop plans made it all the way from Utah to Belgium! I wish I could see this in person! It turned out great. Thanks for sharing, Kris.
I love the way Kris added extra roosting bars inside the coop. The hens will love that!
Here’s a nice build by Cindy from South Dakota. I like how she split the side into two pieces, so she can open half at a time instead of the whole side. Very nice build!
Here’s another darling coop built by Andrew. He split the side into two doors, for easier cleaning. He said he can pull the chicken run up to the coop if he wants. Such a great build. Thanks for sharing, Andrew.
This Darling red coop is from Nicole. She built this coop and added a fenced in chicken run. Great idea! Look how cute she is collecting eggs with her darling apron and sweet son. Thanks for sharing, Nicole.
This darling yellow coop is from Gary. He built this as a gift for his daughter. What a nice dad! I am absolutely in love with the color! Well done, Gary. Thank you for sharing!
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Chicken Coop Building Plan$19.99
If you liked this project, I would love it if you would share it with a friend. You can hover your mouse over the image below and pin it to your pinterest board, or share it on Facebook or Instagram. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for more ideas like this!
If you used this tutorial in your own home, I would love to see photos and share them here on my blog! Please email completed photos to Nat@thecreativemom.com
I would also love if you would share this project, or save it to your Pinterest board for later! You can hover your mouse over the image above and click the “save” button, or share this on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
If you liked this project, you might like some of my other DIY projects:
Les Roeber says
There are lots of good comments on tips and tricks to making sure that the coop ends up being just what you want it to be. I guess that I’m a little late to the game and not part of the first couple of hundred thousand folks to download the plans, so I placed an order for the plans to be emailed to me. Now, I am trying to figure out how long it will take to get a pdf sent to me by email.
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Les,
Upon purchase, you will receive a confirmation email. The link to download is in that confirmation email.
Best of luck!
Natalie
thuoc ga da says
There are many advantages to owning your own chickens. Farm fresh eggs are healthier, tastier, and readily available from your own back yard. Meat birds are fast growing, take little space to raise and are fairly inexpensive for the resulting outcome in food production. Raising your own chickens means you get to decide what goes into the making of the final product.
Carly and Nathan says
Hi, there
Thanks for all the hard work in sharing this with us! We’ve been converting al the measurements to metric for ourselves here in South Africa .
One question, and sorry if this is something obvious we’re missing: how many screws do we need for this build? (we aren’t planning pocket holes, if that makes a difference)
Thanks again!
With love
Carly and Nathan
Carly and Nathan says
Also, how long should the screws be?
Natalie Dalpias says
I would say you’ll probably need about 100 screws or more. I didn’t count as we were building them. We used 2 1/2″ wood screws, and they worked perfectly!
M says
The cut list for this coop is WAY off. You have numbers swapped for the long 2×4 and 2×2 pieces. The cut list for the trim is not in the plans.
Natalie Dalpias says
I’m sorry you found errors in the cut list. I always appreciate feedback, so if you know which cuts are incorrect, please email me and I will make adjustments to the plans- nat@thecreativemom.com
I didn’t add cut list for the trim in the plans because of difference in lumber sizes, material choices, etc. the final product might be off by 1/4″ here or there, and that would make a big difference in the way the trim pieces are laid out. I feel it is best to measure once you are done building, then you can trim your coop with exact measurements.
A trick I use to make sure I have everything lined up properly on my trim is simply holding my trim piece up to the coop, and marking where it should line up. Then I make sure I have the cuts correct.
recommended reading says
Great info. Lucky me I discovered your site by accident (stumbleupon).
I’ve book-marked it for later!
Natalie Dalpias says
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
Kristopher Turner says
Hello! My first DIY project and I am trying to build this coop. 🙂 I am on page 3 where we are just about to attach the 41-inch cross braces to the 4×4. I see where we put the 2×2 right at the low cut of the 30-degree cut. However, how far down do we put the 2×4 cross brace?
By the way, today I found out what pocket holes are and how to make them!
Natalie Dalpias says
I am so sorry, I left this off the original plans, if you download again, this measurement will be on there. It is 26.5″ above the ground.
Natalie
Travis says
There are numbers not adding up in the supplies vs. Cuts sections. For instance there is over 1000inches of 2×2 cuts. But only 960in purchased of 2×2 in the supplies sections. Am I missing something here? Please forgive me in advance.
Chiz Eisenhuth says
You have probably figured out what to do. Such as buy more or cut your own. BTW, having the answer but not sharing it in an’Reply’ is downright greedy, Just a pet peeve of mine – sorry..
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Travis,
I’m sorry you are having problems with the supply list. I have made sure to go back in and correct any errors that I have found.
Natalie
Kapten Papa says
nice design bro, i will try, Thank you
Natalie Dalpias says
Thank you so much! But I prefer ma’am to bro. LOL
Alisa says
One more thing. I was looking over the plans and don’t see any mention of the door for chicken entry and exit. What are the dimensions of this door? Am I missing this part?
Natalie Dalpias says
I do not have any doors over the entry and exit. You can add these if you would like, but you will have to take measurements on your own. There have been several people build these, and you can see examples in the reader builds, at the bottom of the post.
Thanks!
Natalie
Alisa says
Are there any dividers in the nesting box, or is it just one open space for all chickens to nest? I am getting materials and plans together to start on this, this weekend.
Natalie Dalpias says
No dividers. You could definitely add dividers if you wanted.
Natalie
Cindy in SD says
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful plans. My little peeps like their chicken house very much! I posted pics of my build here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hillbilly-chicks.74282/reviews#review-16582
Natalie Dalpias says
I love it! Thanks for sharing!!
Natalie
Laura Sheets says
I’m just doing the last minute studying on your chicken house plans and I’m curious about something. It looks to me like if you cut the stretchers to 85″ and have each 4×4 measuring 3.5″ that your total length will end up 92″ instead of 96″ and you would end up cutting 4″ off the end of each piece of plywood that you put on the roof. Am I missing something? I’m really thinking of making the stretchers 89″ so that the total length will be 96″ but I’m not an experienced builder so i’m not sure if there’s something I’m not seeing in the plans.
Natalie Dalpias says
Thank you for your comment. Since we want our roof to be 96″ long, with a 2 inch overhang on each side, we need to reduce the rest of our coop by 4 inches in length. This results in the floor of our coop being slightly shorter than a standard sheet of plywood. Hope this helps!
Andrew says
Hi, thanks for the fantastic plans, I built the coop and the chickens are moving in shortly. Modified the dimensions a little to be smaller (3×6) for my available space. Question on the nesting box lid – in order for the box’s lid to be able to open, the green roofing on the lid needs a half inch gap between the top edge of the lid and the coop … when the lid is open, that gap closes and the roofing is pressed against the coop wall. But when closed, that gap leaves about a half inch of the lid’s osb exposed. In your pics, it looks like you solved that problem but I can’t tell with what. Did you smear in green caulk? Wondering how you addressed it. Again, thanks for the plans, it was a fun project. Hope my question makes sense.
Natalie Dalpias says
You are right, there is a small gap. I simply painted that portion of the OSB with a waterproof paint. Caulk would also work.
Allison Blake says
Do you worry about predators going in through the door? is there a way to close it?
Natalie Dalpias says
You could build a door, if you’d like. We don’t have many predators in our area, and our coop is fenced in, so that isn’t a concern for me. But a door could easily be placed over that opening.
Pat Cairns says
The coop lacks windows for natural light. Will this be a problem if I plan to winter the chicken in the coop?
Natalie Dalpias says
In the winter, we place a heat lamp inside. It seems to work well for our hens. I opted not to place windows in the coop because I didn’t want to worry about cleaning them or replacing them if they happened to break.
Adam says
Hey this coop is great! I just got done building it. Question…does the eve ventilation work ok for you? I live in Indiana and it gets cold and also pretty hot. I thought about adding some vented windows if needed. Thanks!
Natalie Dalpias says
I’m glad you were able to build the coop! I’d love to see pictures (nat@thecreativemom.com). The ventilation has worked well for us. I haven’t heard my hens complain yet- LOL. In the winter, we place a heat lamp inside which seems to help for warmth as well as light. In the Summer, the coop is mostly shaded during the hot hours, so I’m not too worried there.
Deborah STEBBINGS says
Natalie can you please explain to me what a fence bracket is and where do they go ? I have never built any thing out of wood before. I live in the UK and have looked in my local DIY store but could not find any fence brackets ! So i am thinking that they are called something else over here , if I know what they are used for I can to my local lumber yard and ask. Looking forward to your reply many thanks Deborah.
Kevin Robinson says
Maybe hey are called fence clips? They fit a 2×4 vertically. Little metal brackets typically used to place 2x4s in between fence posts.
Natalie Dalpias says
Most hardware stores carry them, including Home Depot. You can also find them on Amazon for about the same price. You are looking for “Simpson Strong Tie FB24Z ZMAX Fence Bracket, 2″ x 4″”
Natalie Dalpias says
Most hardware stores carry them, including Home Depot. You can also find them on Amazon for about the same price. You are looking for “Simpson Strong Tie FB24Z ZMAX Fence Bracket, 2″ x 4″”
Inner city funny farm owner. says
I wish you would update your supply list since there are clearly discrepancies found and admitted to in the comments section. This is a big build for novice people and just winging it becomes expensive and frustrating. I will post a pic when complete. Thanks for the plans. It’s going to be super cute.
Natalie Dalpias says
I have made updates and edits as the comments have come in. There should no longer be any discrepancies in the plans. It is a lot of information, so I hope you’ll forgive a couple of errors here or there. Overall, I think we have made the needed changes and everything should work out in the plans. I hope this helps!
Nicole says
I did notice that on the cut list it only has 30 degree cuts so I cut all the 30 degree ones but for the nesting box it’s 20 degrees and didn’t notice that until I got down to that part.
Natalie Dalpias says
Thank you for this! I will update the plans.
Natalie
Tim says
Nice coop building it. Do 2x4s go under the rafters on the long side and then. 1×2 under that? Also I see no mention of using the 2×8 6′ that I bought.
Thanks, nice work!
Natalie Dalpias says
The 2×8 is for the ramp up to the coop. If you follow the plans, you should be able to tell on the 2×4’s under the rafters. Good luck.
Tim says
What is the 2×8 used for
Natalie Dalpias says
The 2×8 is for the ramp up to the coop.
Dave Loiselle says
Just about finished with my coop. I am working on the hinged side panel. As I was measuring for cutting the two pieces for that it occurred to me that the piano hinge for that side would have to be screwed to the vertical edge of the 2×4 ledger in order for it to open completely and hang vertically as shown in the photograph. The problem here is that the 2×4 ledger is 1-3/4″ wide when cut per the instructions. This would leave a 3/4″ gap at the bottom of the panel when closed. Should the 2×4 ledger be only 3/4″ or actually the same as the thickness of the siding?
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Dave,
Great question. If you cut your 2×4 according to the diagram, you will be fine. Remember that we framed out the outside of our side panel that folds down with 1×2’s (see the top paragraph of page 9 of the plans).
If you are worried about a gap, you can measure your side panel thickness (with 1×2 frame) before you cut your 2×4 ledger and plan accordingly. I built mine according to the plans and haven’t had any problems.
Thanks for the comments- I’d love to see a photo once you are done building it. nat@thecreativemom.com
Natalie
Dave Loiselle says
Well, it came to me like bolt of lightening. I neglected to include the 1×2 trim piece. It is still a little shy as the plywood siding is short of being 3/4″ like all lumber these days.
Thanks
Dave Loiselle says
After starting to build this coop I realized that the Supplies List, instructions, and pictures were at odds with each other. The supplies list has 2 – 4X4 posts, while the cut list has four. Were your posts longer than 8 ft., i.e. 10 ft. or longer and cut to form two posts each? The upper 41 in. cross pieces are 2X4 in the picture but the instructions indicate 2X2. The number of fence brackets matches with the use of 2X4s. I see you have clarified the thickness of the OSB flooring which I questioned. There doesn’t seem to be anything listed to cover the OSB flooring. It occurred to me that using OSB for the flooring without covering it would lead to problems with wetness occurring and damaging the OSB. Perhaps you painted the OSB. I, for one, try to never use OSB for anything because of its propensity to swell when wet and not rebound once dry. Plywood, actual plywood, carries a 50% cost penalty which for this project adds less than $20. Love the look of this coop.
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Dave,
I failed to list the lengths of the 4×4 posts- though you are correct again, good catch! I used 2- 10 foot 4×4’s for my corner posts.
I had issues using 2×4’s for the upper 41″ boards. If you use 2×2’s as indicated in the building plans, you will be fine.
I did make a mistake on the OSB measurement. Either 1/4″ or 7/8″ will work, although I in fact used 7/8″- you are correct.
I didn’t cover my OSB flooring, because I don’t anticipate it getting wet, and after all, it’s just a chicken coop anyway. But you can use laminate flooring or a paint safe enough for chickens to seal the wood, if you’d like.
I hope this answers your questions. I’d love to see a photo when you’re done building- Nat@thecreativemom.com
Anonymous says
cannot find plans. just a whole lot of fake download pdf ads
Natalie Dalpias says
I’m sorry you had trouble finding the download link. If you click where is says, “Download full plans here: Chicken Coop Plans.” you should be able to download them.
Thanks for reading.
Matt says
WARNING: Parts list 3 sheets of 1/4″ OSB. The builder actually used what appears to be 7/16″ OSB. You can see this by observing the side profile of the OSB in the picture with the framing square/ruler.
Additionally, I’m already over $250 in materials minus the 72″ piano hinge, paint, metal roofing, and T1-11 ($40-ish per sheet)
BOOOOO
Natalie Dalpias says
Thank you for the comment, Matt. Either 1/4″ or 7/16″ OSB will work fine. I believe you are correct, I used 7/16″. Thank you for catching that.
If you are worried about the cost of the piano hinge, you may use 3 barn door or fence gate hinges. This is a pretty in depth build, so feel free to improvise as needed.
You can also cut costs by using a different type of roofing, or using cheaper paint. All together, $400- $500 is a great deal for a coop this size and quality.
Nataile
Anonymous says
Was wondering if you could give materials for coop big enough for 20 chickens
Natalie Dalpias says
Unfortunately I can’t. There are a lot of chicken coop ideas online if you need a bigger coop.
Monica says
We built this on our patio then when it came time to move it where we needed it to be it was so heavy! Problem solved with 4 wheel barrow wheels installed on the legs. Now it moves like a dream. The plans were very helpful! Thanks!
Natalie Dalpias says
What a great idea! I would love to see photos of the completed project!
Nat@thecreativemom.com
Joe R says
First I’d like to say thanks for posting the free plans for this coop they are well laid out and easy to read. However it would be more beneficial if your plan matched your pictures. I ended up doing an odd combination of the plan and your pictures along with some fabricating myself. It just would have made more sense if the measurements were laid out a little better.
Thank you
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Joe, I’m sorry if you had trouble with the pictures matching. We made some alterations to the plans after we built the coop to make it easier to build and provide a better structure for the coop. I noted where there were changes that varied between the plans and the photos. If you follow the plans, you should be good to go.
Thanks for reading. I’d love to see a picture of your coop if you’d like to send me one (nat@thecreativemom.com)
Rani says
We built this coop a year ago and are looking to build another. It is very hard to keep clean. Love the design, but the functionality is less than optimal. It is very secure and has kept the girls safe.
Natalie Dalpias says
Rani,
I’m sorry to hear that. The thing we love most about this coop is how easy it is to keep clean! Could you tell me what part you’re having trouble cleaning?
Anonymous says
You could use a stiff 1″ x 1″ plastic coated metal mesh for the floor in the main area and just straw hay the nest box. Then use a wheel barrow under to collect poop for the garden!
Dave Loiselle says
That might prove to be a bit drafty in places that have cold winter weather. I’m not sure the birds would like walking on it, either.
Natalie Dalpias says
Great idea! I would love to see a photo of the coop, if you’ll send me one.
Nat@thecreativemom.com
Anonymous says
For the 2×2 and 2×4 truss on the very top roof, how did you make these cuts, the images on the blue print schematics do not match what is shown in the real life pictures, the 2×2 sit on top of the cross beam 2×4 in real life pics….can you take pictures of from the inside of the very top roof and post them so I can see how you cut the wood?
Natalie Dalpias says
It is best to follow the plans, add we made some changes to the plans after we built it. The way the plans are will make it easier to build and sturdier.
Amy says
Super cute coop! Awesome job.
Natalie Dalpias says
Thanks so much, Amy. I appreciate it.
jeanne gilchrist says
Thanks for the design plans–one question–what about food and water? Do you hang feeder/waterer from chains in the roof?
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Jeanne,
We have the food and water outside in their chicken run. You could surely put them inside, but we find it keeps the coop cleaner to keep them outside.
Wendy says
I’m new to your blog and to chickens, but this coop looks perfect! Where do the chickens roost? Is there room for them in the center peak?
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Wendy,
They actually do roost up in the eves quite often. We also added some roosting bars inside the coop and outside in the chicken run.
Gwen says
Love this design! Do you have a board for your chickens to roost? I didn’t see one in the plans. Also, is the nesting box big enough for 10 or 12 chickens to share? We hope to have 8-10 chickens and want to make sure that they are happy. I will be happy if my coop looks this cute! 🙂
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Gwen,
We added some roosting bars inside the coop later. Also, we have found that it doesn’t matter how many nesting boxes we have, all of our hens smash into one area anyway. We haven’t had any problems with them using this coop with the nesting box for laying.
Anonymous says
where is the ventilation for this coop? I luv this coop! Thanks! Nan
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Nan, the ventilation is under the eves.
Paul Miller says
Hello,
I really love this coop design. I have a question about the materials listed. The list calls for 3 sheets of 1/4′ OSB plywood. This seems like it would be very flimsy for flooring and roofing. In the photos of your build it looks like you are using either 1/2′ or 3/4′ OSB. I’m wondering if this is a typo in your list. I have already bought the materials as listed but don’t want to start cutting yet if this is the case. Please let me know.
Thanks in advance.
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Paul.
Good catch! You are right. I used 1/2″ OSB, not 1/4″. Thanks for the comment.
Marie Buchanan says
how much would you say that chicken coop cost to build? Thank you!
Natalie Dalpias says
Hi Marie,
I would say this build cost around $400. Of course you can do it cheaper if you have some scraps laying around and use paint you already have. The roofing was also a big expense, so you could go cheaper if you used shingles instead of metal roofing.