How to build a chicken coop – step by step

In order to keep chickens healthy and happy, you will need to build a chicken coop for them. A chicken coop will protect them from predators, keep them comfortable in extreme temperatures, and make it easy for you to care for them and harvest eggs.

There are different kinds of coops, and different styles and plans available. Here is a step-by-step guide to how to build a chicken coop.

Make your plan

When planning, make sure to take the following into account:  

Regulatory

• Review local regulations and requirements. Your city or county may have rules about how many chickens you can keep, where a coop can be located, or whether your coop needs a building permit. Make sure you check all the applicable rules before you invest too much in plans you will have to change
• Plan the location where the coop will be. You will need to site your coop on dry soil with good drainage. The ideal location will offer shade from midday heat in hot summers, and shelter from harsh cold winter winds. A dry spot beneath a big deciduous tree is a good choice, because it will provide shade in summer but sun in winter. Elevated chicken coops are a good design choice for several reasons and will naturally provide their own shade

Building design

• Plan how large the coop will be. Ideally, every bird would have 2-3 square feet of floor space inside the coop, and 4-5 square feet of space in the outside enclosure, depending on the species. Bantams, for example, are small, and can be happy in nearly half that amount of space. But more room is always better for the chickens and will give your flock room to grow over time. A smart way to plan is to build your coop as large as you can, and then size your flock according to how much space you have
• Plan for your chickens. It may go without saying, but larger birds will need more space, a larger hatch door, and more robust roosts than smaller birds. Silkies famously struggle with ramps and can’t reach higher roosts that might be easy for other chickens. If you have an existing flock, or plan to have specific breeds, make sure that your coop is designed for any particular needs your chickens have

Gather all your materials

Frame, walls, roof

Chicken coops are usually made from wood boards, particle board, or plywood. The roof should be water tight, so often roofs are made from sheet metal or shingles.

Windows, enclosures

Your coop will need to balance allowing light and air for healthy chickens but protecting them from predators. All openings should be covered with galvanized steel wire mesh, with openings no larger than 1/2” (also called “hardware cloth”).

Additional materials

If you anticipate water to be a problem, you may want to add water-resistant materials to the roof or walls.  Insulation is also a great investment in the health of your chickens, particularly if your climate is subject to extreme temperatures.

Hardware and tools

You will need screws and possibly wood staples, latches and hinges for doors, nails and a hammer, a saw, possibly sandpaper, brackets, flashing, and other materials depending on your plan.

Chicken furnishings

You will need to buy or make:

• Roosts
• Nesting box(es)
• Ramp(s)
• Feeder
• Waterer

Build your coop

Your specific coop plans may differ from these, but here is the step-by-step process for building a basic chicken coop.

Framing

1. Start by building a rectangular frame. Your frame can be small: a rectangle of 2x4s that will define the area of the coop, and to which you will attach walls. Or your frame can be large: a rectangle of 4x4s, sunk in concrete, that will define the area of the coop and support the beams for the roof.
2. Add vertical supports along the sides of your rectangle. These vertical supports should divide the long sides of your rectangle into thirds (for example, if your sides are 12′ long, add vertical supports at 4′ and at 8′).
3. Add beams along the tops of your vertical supports, to define the entire area of your coop enclosure and support the rest of the structure.
4. If your plans include a door or other human-sized access to the run, add the vertical and horizontal beams that will define the doorway.
5. Cover the run on all sides and the top with wire mesh.
6. In the back area of the coop, add horizontal supports approximately 24” off the ground to support the floor.
7. Add the floor of the coop, screwing it to the horizontal supports.
8. Install vertical supports around the floor, attaching them to the top of the frame, to provide additional support for the roof.

Walls, Roof, Nesting Boxes

1. Add walls to the frame, enclosing the chicken coop. Cut out the small front hatch where the chickens will exit to the run, and a larger hatch in the rear where you will access the coop for cleaning, feeding, and harvesting eggs. Leave at least two of the walls a few inches shorter than the roof, to allow for light and air circulate inside the coop.
2. Add nesting box(es) and hang roost(s) inside the coop.
3. Add the roof over the top of the coop, with a pitch to allow rain and snow to slide off.
4. Cover the open top of the walls with wire mesh.

Finish Work

1. Use hinges to attach the small front hatch where chickens will enter and exit the coop and add a latch to secure it against predators.
2. Use hinges to attach the larger access hatch in the back, where you will access the hatch. Also use a latch to securely close the hatch.
3. Add a ramp so that chickens can get from the floor of the coop down to the enclosure of the run and back up.
4. Add water and feeder(s).

Congratulations! Your chickens have a new place that they are ready to call home, and you have a convenient, safe place to house them.