The cost of building coop??

[toasterburn]

My wife and I are in the planing stages of building our first coop. We want to house at least 6 chickens, and have a run for them. We want to do this as cheaply as possible (well, without it looking like an eyesore).

If I do the work myself, how much should I realistically plan on spending? Would it be cheaper to buy one pre-made? Someone is selling one on craigslist custom made for 6 chickens, and they are asking $500. Seems like I could make one cheaper, but I'm not sure as I'm not used to building this sort of thing.

 

[markhaley]

We use pallets for the floor and walls. Fill in the open areas with 1xs. it works very well. Just have add a roof.If you have already built yours then great. I'm new on this sight. I wasn't sure when you was asking for suggestions.

 

[Hooligans7]

Welcome to BYC, toasterburn! Costs to build a safe and functional coop can vary widely according to the materials you choose, site prep, if any, and any labor you hire. If you have carpentry skills, the proper tools, and a good, well thought-out plan, you can build a very good coop with a small investment. Consider using reclaimed lumber, if available, as well as leftover paint and other materials you may have on hand.

However, if you're uncomfortable with the idea of building it yourself, then an existing coop or prefabbed unit or kit can serve your needs provided it is designed and built properly: Not everyone who has a chicken coop to sell you knew what they were doing or cared about doing it right. That's a fact. You don't want to buy someone else's mistakes no matter how much money they invested (or totally wasted) on materials. The same goes for manufactured coops and coop kits. They can be shoddy in both materials and workmanship.

So do your research, look at LOTS of designs, read reviews on prefabs, kits and plans, check out materials costs, and do plenty of comparison shopping before you decide. You'll find many ideas (and lots of free advice!) on this site. Search "coop designs" in the search window and you'll see what I'm talking about. Good luck, and please check in often.

 

[thomasboyle]

If you have access to scrap wood, you can build one pretty cheaply. You may have to buy the wire netting (hardware wire etc) but you can get that by the roll for $50 or so with enough to make a decent run. For 6 chickens, you are looking at a coop around 4x6. I would personally go 4x8 since plywood and lumber all come in 8' lengths, so cutting off 2' is just wasting it, and the extra room will let you have another couple of birds. You can easily build a nice coop for less than $500, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. Plus its an excuse to buy some new tools!

 

[toasterburn]

I have some scrap wood, nothing pressure treated or rated for outdoors though. I have the tools and skills to do it, just haven't taken on a large project before so I wasn't sure what it would cost.

So it sounds like I could build one for less than $500 then?

 

[jimmywalt]

I have some scrap wood, nothing pressure treated or rated for outdoors though. I have the tools and skills to do it, just haven't taken on a large project before so I wasn't sure what it would cost.

So it sounds like I could build one for less than $500 then?

Here are pictures of my 4'x4' coop and 4'x8' run. Total cost about $400ish. I built this with the help of a friend that builds family homes. The $400ish is materials only. This was build last year. My materials list was just my first rough-draft. I had to go back a few times and get other items. If I could do it over I wouldn't just have that little small 2' wide door as my clean-out, I would have made the entire side open. Live and learn!

You need outdoor rated lumber, etc otherwise you will rebuild it again in about 3 to 4 years. Do it right the first time will save you a lot of money!

Don't buy the pre-fab ones. They are made out of cheep wood and rot in no time. People all over this website tell horror stories of it! Make your own especially if you have the skills. Look at Google Images "Chicken Coop Designs" to get ideas.

If you can get free pallets you can find BOAT LOADS of chicken coop plans using them. This will save you a lot of money!

We currently have 5 chickens in our coop..... with 3 babies from this year to be added later in the summer. It might be a bit tight, but I'm sure they will survive!

 

[jetdog]

Here is my new 4X6X7ft tall coop, total cost was around $250 check home depot or Lowe's they have a clearance rack with slightly damaged lumber for 70 percent off, habitat for humanity restore has a lot of good deals, doors windows and paint are alot cheaper just have to keep your eyes open for a good deal.

 

[thomasboyle]

Here is my new 4X6X7ft tall coop, total cost was around $250 check home depot or Lowe's they have a clearance rack with slightly damaged lumber for 70 percent off, habitat for humanity restore has a lot of good deals, doors windows and paint are alot cheaper just have to keep your eyes open for a good deal.

Check Craigslist for windows and doors. I grab them up whenever I see free ones, and have about two dozen in the barn waiting for the right project.

 

[debbiegt]

I used 8'x8' pallets I picked up for free at our local hot tub store. They went up like prefab walls!

 

[nuts4hotwheels]

I posted an ad on craigslist in the free section, asking for old lumber. I got a bunch of old fence pickets and other lumber and built a nice coop and didn't spend a penny on wood.