How to Build a Backyard Chicken Coop
Construct a sturdy, predator-proof backyard chicken coop complete with an elevated roosting box, nesting area, corrugated roof, and secure hardware cloth run.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Circular saw or miter saw
- ✓ Cordless drill and driver bit set
- ✓ Tape measure and speed square
- ✓ 4-foot spirit level
- ✓ Heavy-duty staple gun or pneumatic stapler
- ✓ Tin snips or aviation shears
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 2x4 pressure-treated and untreated dimensional lumber
- ✓ 1/2-inch exterior plywood or T1-11 siding panels
- ✓ 1/2-inch galvanized hardware cloth
- ✓ Corrugated roofing panels with gasketed screws
- ✓ 3-inch exterior construction screws
- ✓ Galvanized door hinges and locking barrel latches
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Wear heavy leather work gloves and eye protection when cutting and tensioning sharp galvanized hardware cloth.
- • Cut all pressure-treated lumber in a well-ventilated outdoor area while wearing an N95 dust mask.
- • Support long boards securely on sawhorses before cutting to prevent saw binding and kickback.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Assemble and Level the Base Frame
Cut four pressure-treated 2x4s to size to create a rectangular perimeter base. Join the corners using two 3-inch exterior screws per joint, checking with a speed square. Set the frame on level ground or concrete deck blocks, confirming level across all sides and diagonals.
- • A tight rectangular 2x4 base resting firmly on level blocks or ground without rocking.
- • Opposite diagonal measurements from corner to corner match within 1/8 inch.
- • Using non-treated lumber directly in contact with moist ground, causing premature rot.
- • Skipping diagonal cross-measurements, resulting in a skewed, out-of-square frame.
Frame Wall Studs and Rafters
Construct four wall frames using standard 2x4 lumber spaced 16 to 24 inches on center, framing rough openings for the human cleanout door and chicken pop door. Stand each wall onto the base, clamp the corners together, and screw the bottom plates into the base. Cut angled rafters to establish at least a 2:12 roof pitch for rain runoff, then screw them across the top wall plates.
- • Rigid 3D skeleton frame anchored securely to the base with plumb vertical studs.
- • Sloped rafter boards evenly spaced across the top plate with consistent overhangs.
- • Framing walls without double-checking plumb before driving final anchor screws.
- • Failing to slope the rafters, allowing rainwater to pool on the roof.
Attach Siding and Cut Access Doors
Measure and cut exterior plywood or T1-11 siding panels to cover the framed coop walls. Fasten the siding every 8 inches along studs using 1-5/8 inch exterior screws. Cut out the marked openings for the ventilation windows, main cleanout door, and nesting box access using a circular saw or jigsaw.
- • Flush exterior siding covering the entire coop frame with neat, square door cutouts.
- • Clean, splinter-free openings positioned at proper access heights.
- • Cutting door openings without leaving clearance gaps, causing doors to bind when wood swells in rain.
- • Neglecting upper ventilation openings, which leads to toxic ammonia buildup.
Install Corrugated Roof Panels
Fasten horizontal 1x4 or 2x4 purlins across the rafters spaced 16 inches apart. Lay corrugated roofing panels across the purlins with a one-to-two ridge overlap and a 2-inch drip overhang at the eaves. Drive roofing screws with rubber neoprene washers into the panel ridges, tightening just until the washer compresses snug without denting the panel.
- • Evenly overlapped corrugated sheets securely screwed into purlins along panel ridges.
- • Rubber washers compressed flat against panel crowns without crushing or deforming the plastic/metal.
- • Driving screws into the valleys instead of the ridges, which invites roof leaks during rainstorms.
- • Overtightening screws and cracking the corrugated sheets.
Install Nesting Boxes and Roosting Bars
Mount 12x12-inch plywood nesting boxes inside the coop at least 18 inches off the ground, keeping them lower than the roosting bars. Install rounded 2x4 roosting bars (wide side facing up) across the upper section of the coop with 12 inches of horizontal spacing per bird. Build a small hinged hatch on the exterior wall for easy egg collection from outside.
- • Nesting boxes mounted rigidly below the height of the main roosting bars.
- • Smooth, horizontal 2x4 roosting perches fastened securely between coop studs.
- • Placing nesting boxes higher than roosting bars, which encourages chickens to sleep and defecate in the nests.
- • Installing narrow dowels or metal pipes instead of flat 2x4s, which can cause foot sores or frostbite in winter.
Secure Enclosure with Hardware Cloth and Latches
Cover all ventilation gaps, run walls, and windows with 1/2-inch galvanized hardware cloth, fastening every 4 inches with heavy-duty staples or screws with washers. Install exterior doors using galvanized hinges and predator-proof locking barrel latches. Ensure no openings greater than 1/2 inch exist anywhere on the structure.
- • Taut, wrinkle-free 1/2-inch wire mesh covering every opening and vent.
- • All access doors latching tightly with two-step locking latches that cannot be shaken open.
- • Using lightweight chicken wire instead of 1/2-inch hardware cloth; raccoons and dogs can easily tear standard chicken wire.
- • Using simple hook-and-eye latches that raccoons can unhook.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by This Old House — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Miter saw? Circular saw with a clamped speed square as a crosscut guide
- No Corrugated roofing panels? 1/2-inch exterior plywood topped with asphalt roll roofing and roofing nails
- No T1-11 siding? 1/2-inch exterior CDX plywood painted with outdoor weatherproofing paint