Chicken coop for 20 hens
Every board for this coop counted, cut and priced before you drive to the lumberyard. The whole plan is on this page. The full plan set to take to the yard is $19.
- Flock
- 20 hens
- House
- 8 x 10 ft
- Run
- 200 sq ft
- Nest boxes
- 5
- Materials
- $3,573
The list you take to the lumberyard
Every board, sheet and box of nails, packed into the stock lengths the store sells, so nothing is a guess at the counter.
- Lumber
- $887
- Sheet goods
- $1,841
- Hardware and finish
- $845
- 3PT 4x4 x 10 ft$49.44
- 9PT 2x6 x 8 ft$85.32
- 2PT 2x6 x 10 ft$23.96
- 352x4 x 8 ft$152.25
- 262x4 x 10 ft$168.48
- 92x6 x 16 ft$148.32
- 18PT 2x4 x 8 ft$107.64
- 8PT 2x4 x 10 ft$63.84
- 21x4 x 8 ft$9.96
- 21x4 x 10 ft$12.96
- 21x6 x 10 ft$17.96
- 21x6 x 16 ft$28.96
- 1Cedar 1x10 x 8 ft$17.48
- 4T&G plywood 3/4" 4x8$235.92
- 4OSB 7/16" 4x8$67.92
- 11T1-11 siding 5/8" 4x8$692.78
- 1Plywood 1/2" 4x8$39.98
- 23Hardware cloth 1/2" 36in x 10ft$804.54
- 4Shingles (bundle, 33.3 sq ft)$147.92
- 1Synthetic underlayment (roll, 400 sq ft)$89
- 5Drip edge 10 ft$47.40
- 2Framing nails 16d (5 lb box)$49.96
- 2Siding nails 8d galvanized (5 lb box)$55.96
- 1Roofing nails 1-1/4" (5 lb box)$21.98
- 14Hurricane ties H2.5A$13.72
- 6Heavy strap hinges 8" (pair)$113.88
- 3Gate latch / hasp$38.94
- 1.5Gravel 3/4" crushed (cubic yard, bulk)$82.50
- 2Exterior paint or stain (1 gal)$79.96
- 8Galvanized poultry staples (1 lb)$63.84
- 1Exterior construction screws 3" (5 lb box)$39.98
Typical Home Depot and Lowe's shelf prices, October 2026. Your store will differ by a few percent.
Cut list
Every piece, how many, and how long. Tape it to the saw.
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | PT 4x4 | 10' 0" | Skidpressure treated, sits on gravel |
| 2 | PT 2x6 | 10' 0" | Rim joistside band of the floor frame |
| 9 | PT 2x6 | 7' 9" | Floor joist16" on center |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2x4 | 9' 8-1/2" | Sloped top plateends cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | PT 2x4 | 9' 5" | Bottom platepressure treated |
| 4 | 2x4 | 8' 11-1/8" | Stud16" on center |
| 2 | 2x4 | 8' 11-1/8" | King studfull height beside the door opening |
| 2 | 2x4 | 8' 10-1/2" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x4 | 8' 6-3/4" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x4 | 8' 2-3/4" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | PT 2x4 | 8' 0" | Bottom platepressure treated, nailed to the deck |
| 2 | 2x4 | 8' 0" | Top platefirst layer |
| 2 | 2x4 | 8' 0" | Top platesecond layer |
| 2 | 2x4 | 7' 10-3/4" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x4 | 7' 6-3/4" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x4 | 7' 2-3/4" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x4 | 6' 10-3/4" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x4 | 6' 6-5/8" | Side studlong point, top cut at 14.0° |
| 7 | 2x4 | 6' 6" | Stud16" on center |
| 2 | 2x4 | 6' 3-1/2" | Jack studcarries the header, rough opening 77" tall |
| 2 | 2x6 | 3' 5" | Header plytwo plies with 1/2" plywood between, on edge |
| 3 | 2x4 | 2' 2-1/8" | Cripple studabove the header, on layout |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 2x6 | 12' 4-3/8" | Raftertwo birdsmouths, seat 3-1/2", ends plumb at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x6 | 12' 4-3/8" | Barge rafterfly rafter on the side overhang |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2x4 | 7' 5" | Roost barlaid flat, 12 in apart, highest about 4 ft up |
| 2 | 2x4 | 5' 3-1/2" | Nest shelf railcarries the nest box bank 20 in off the floor |
| 1 | Cedar 1x10 | 3' 0" | Pop door rampcleats every 6 in |
| 6 | 2x4 | 1' 6" | Roost supportcleat on the side wall under each roost end |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2x4 | 6' 4" | Door stiledoor frame, laid flat |
| 3 | 2x4 | 2' 5-3/4" | Door raildoor frame, between the stiles |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | PT 2x4 | 10' 0" | Run railbottom rail, ground contact, joins over a post |
| 4 | 2x4 | 10' 0" | Run railtop rail, joins over a post |
| 2 | PT 2x4 | 9' 5" | Run railbottom rail, ground contact |
| 2 | 2x4 | 9' 5" | Run railtop rail |
| 4 | 2x4 | 9' 5" | Run top braceacross the top every 4 ft |
| 16 | PT 2x4 | 6' 0" | Run postset on a buried 2x4 bottom rail or in post anchors |
| 2 | 2x4 | 5' 6" | Run door stilerun door frame |
| 3 | 2x4 | 2' 3" | Run door railrun door frame, 30 in door |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1x6 | 12' 4-3/8" | Rake boardalong the side overhangs |
| 2 | 1x4 | 9' 9-7/8" | Corner boardoutside corners over the siding |
| 2 | 1x6 | 9' 0" | Fasciafront and back eaves |
| 2 | 1x4 | 7' 4-3/4" | Corner boardoutside corners over the siding |
Which piece comes from which board
119 boards, laid out so the offcuts stay small.
Build it in this order
- 01
Check the rules first
Ask your town about permits and setbacks before you buy lumber. Many towns allow a shed of this size (120 sq ft or less) without a permit, but rules and HOA covenants vary.
- 02
Make the gravel pad
Dig out sod for a pad 1 ft wider than the shed on every side (10 x 12 ft), fill with about 1.5 cubic yards of 3/4" crushed gravel 4" deep, and level it.
- 03
Set the skids
Lay the 3 PT 4x4 skids along the depth, evenly spaced, and level them to each other. Shim with solid blocks, never with stacked scraps.
- 04
Frame the floor
Nail the two rim joists to the ends of the 9 floor joists at 16" on center. Check square: the two diagonals must be equal. Toe-screw the frame to the skids.
- 05
Sheath the deck
Glue and screw the 4 sheets of 3/4" tongue-and-groove plywood, long edges across the joists, joints staggered.
- 06
Build the back wall
Frame it flat on the deck: bottom plate, 78" studs at 16" on center, first top plate. Raise it, plumb it, brace it.
- 07
Build the front wall
Same layout with the single door, 36 in opening: king studs full height, jack studs carrying the 2x6 header, cripples above. Rough opening 38" wide and 77" tall.
- 08
Build the side walls
Fit them between the front and back walls. Cut each stud to its own length from the cut list so the sloped top plate runs straight from the tall wall to the short one.
- 09
Cut a pattern rafter
Each rafter gets two birdsmouths, one on each wall. Seat cut 3-1/2", plumb cuts at 14.0°. Test the pattern at both ends of the shed before cutting the rest.
- 10
Set the rafters
Set rafters at 16" on center from the front wall to the back wall and add a hurricane tie at both ends of every rafter.
- 11
Sheath and roof
Nail on 4 sheets of 7/16" OSB, then drip edge at the eaves, underlayment, drip edge on the rakes, and shingles from the bottom up.
- 12
Side it and hang the doors
Nail on the 11 sheets of T1-11 (they also skin the doors). Build the door frames flat, skin them, and hang them on strap hinges. Trim the corners and the fascia.
- 13
Vents and pop door
Leave a 6 in gap under the eaves on the front and back walls and cover it with hardware cloth (at least 1152 sq in for 80 sq ft). Cut a 12 x 14 in pop door low in a side wall with a ramp.
- 14
Roosts and nests
Mount 3 roost bars as a ladder along the back wall, 12 in apart, and a bank of 5 nest boxes 20 in off the floor, lower than the lowest roost.
- 15
The run
Frame a 20 x 10 ft walk-in run, 6 ft tall, beside the coop. Hardware cloth on every side and on top, with a 12 in buried apron.
- 16
Finish
Paint or stain the outside, seal the floor, and add 4 in of pine shavings inside.
- Every drawing at full page size, dimensions on every member
- The cut list on one page, grouped the way you build
- The cutting diagram for every board
- The materials list ready to hand to the lumberyard or load into a store cart
- The build steps with a check at the end of each
- Your exact size, not the nearest one we had
Before the hens move in
How much space do chickens need?
About 4 sq ft of house and 10 sq ft of run per standard hen. This plan gives 20 hens 80 sq ft of house and 200 sq ft of run. Bantams need about half; heavy breeds like Brahmas need more.
How do I keep raccoons and predators out?
Use 1/2 in hardware cloth, never chicken wire (it keeps chickens in, not raccoons out). Bury a 12 in apron of it around the run, fasten it with screws and washers or heavy staples, and close every door with a two-step latch.
How many nest boxes and roosts?
One nest box for every 4 hens: 5 here. Roost bars need 8 to 10 in per hen and must sit higher than the nest boxes, or the hens sleep in the boxes.
Do coops need ventilation in winter?
Yes. Damp air, not cold, causes frostbite. Vents high under the roof (about 1 sq ft per 10 sq ft of floor) let moisture out while the roosts stay out of the draft.
Can I build it bigger later?
Size for the flock you will have, not the one you start with. Most keepers add birds within a year; the next size up costs a little more lumber now and saves a rebuild.