The Creative Mom

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Chicken Coop Building Plans

DIY & Home Improvement· Featured

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.

BUILD CHICKEN COOP

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

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 $24.99 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
  • chicken coop
  • chicken on chicken coop
  • man and chicken coop

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.

How to keep predators out of the chicken coop


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.

How many chickens does this chicken coop hold?


This coop should hold about 12 chickens.

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.
This cute white coop was built by Shaun in Texas. He was worried about his hens getting too hot, so he added mesh to the underside of his roof to allow for good ventilation. He also added some extra roosting bars inside the coop. I love the color choice! Great build, Shaun.


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.
farmhouse chicken coop

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.
diy chicken coop

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! 
diy chicken coop

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!
diy chicken coop

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.
diy chicken coop

I love the way Kris added extra roosting bars inside the coop. The hens will love that!
Geoff built this half-sized coop and it turned out great! Look how cute his little girl (and pup) are!!!
Geoff also fenced in a chicken run. Great idea!
diy chicken coop

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!
diy chicken coop

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.
Cute Chicken Coop

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.
Cute Chicken Coop
Cute Chicken Coop

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!
Cute Chicken Coop
This coop was build by Kenneth. I like the use of gate hinges instead of the piano hinge. Well done!!
This coop was built by Jason. He added laying boxes to the entire side of the coop, to offer more space for the hens to lay. great idea!!
This cute little red coop was built by Ken. He only has 4 chickens, so he made his coop half the size of the coop in the plans. I think it turned out so cute!
This darling chicken coop was built by Matthew. I love the green color! And those hens seem so happy! Great build.
Robert built this adorable chicken coop. I love the enclosed chicken run, which will be great in really hot or really cold climates. Great build!
This cute red coop was built by Antonio. I love how he enclosed the entire coop. This would definitely help with predators. Great build, Antonio.
Ashley’s husband built her this cute chicken coop. What a great gift! It is darling.
This build comes from Becky, and it is absolutely darling! I love that sign on the outside.

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!

cute chicken coop
 

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:

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Comments

  1. Hey –

    I’ve paid for chicken coop plans and have not received them yet. It’s been five hours. I sent an email several hours ago and hoped I’d get a link.

    Please send link at you’re earliest convenience.

    Waiting for coop plans,

    Holly

    Reply

  5. Hi Natalie,

    I just wanted to thank you for being so helpful when I had a problem finding the plans I purchased (user error on my part). You responded immediately and helped me resolve the issue. I really appreciate your help and kindness!

    Reply

  6. Natalie,
    I bought your coop but never got the plans! How do I download? I sent you an e-mail and you didn’t respond. Please help me. You have my money already

    Reply

    • Hi Heather,
      I’m so sorry for any confusion. You should have received a download link in your email upon purchase. I have responded to the email, and sent those plans over. I appreciate your purchase and wish you the best of luck on your build!
      Natalie

      Reply

  8. 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.

    Reply

  9. 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.

    Reply

  10. 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

    Reply

  11. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  13. 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!

    Reply

  14. 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.

    Reply

    • 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..

      Reply

  16. 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?

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  17. 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.

    Reply

  19. 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.

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  20. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  23. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  24. 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.

    Reply

    • Maybe hey are called fence clips? They fit a 2×4 vertically. Little metal brackets typically used to place 2x4s in between fence posts.

      Reply

      • 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″”

        Reply

    • 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″”

      Reply

  25. 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.

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  26. 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!

    Reply

  28. 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?

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

      • 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

        Reply

  29. 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.

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  31. 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

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  33. 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!

    Reply

  34. 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

    Reply

    • 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)

      Reply

  35. 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.

    Reply

  36. 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?

    Reply

  38. Thanks for the design plans–one question–what about food and water? Do you hang feeder/waterer from chains in the roof?

    Reply

  39. 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?

    Reply

  40. 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! 🙂

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  42. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

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