I have considered building coops to sell also. I agree that all those prefabs are too cheaply built and too small for the claimed number of birds they should hold, and that I couldn't compete in the small/cheap market. I still could in the quality dept. though. I think if I were to start selling coops, I'd begin by building myself a few that I could use even if I sell none, and keeping a journal of what each thing cost, all cuts made, and how much time was spent. Then photo that and put it on CL or something without the price. When people called, there is your opportunity to explain what prefabs are, why they are cheap, how many birds fit, why usually cheap turns out to be the most expensive when it gets thrown away, etc. And that they can buy the one in the photos in the ad, or I can make one to the size they need in a couple weeks for a different price, or asap. You should be able to calculate what that would cost from what materials you've used on the original, and what additional materials you need. I'm sure you would get more calls than you would sell coops, but I also think you'd get calls from people who already had bad experiences with prefabs, and/or who don't want to waste money on junk. You could even in the ad, say it's a quality coop not a prefab. Save where you can, but don't skimp. If you don't sell some, at least you wouldn't have a lot of money and time wasted. A friend of mine sells tool sheds like this, and has a waiting list that he seems to never get caught up with. I figure that even if I didn't end up with a waiting list like he has, I could just stay one coop ahead of orders, one I'd like for my own use, and be out nothing. Also, I have an 8' x 16' car hauler trailer (I could go up to 9'11" wide by getting above the fenders - 10' is a wide load, by law, here at least, I could also haul components to assemble on site, if say the run were too large). I'd haul for them if it were in a certain range, as long as I came out ahead on that too. I've found as a masonry contractor through the years, to sell quality, and avoid those looking for the biggest bargain. It may not hurt to be fairly modest figuring your time on the first few, that would help them sell, and I'm pretty certain that each one built after would go a little quicker, and have slight changes that made it easier or better. For example, making all your cuts in advance, and just needing to assemble it after, or painting all the trim at once before it was assembled, or knowing this piece of falloff works for a place somewhere else, etc., whatever works for your build that you'll find through experience with it. If you ever get to a waiting list, you can give yourself a raise. You could also buy larger rolls of hardware cloth, and possibly get a contractor discount from your lumber yard if you are buying enough materials.
I use tarps for roofing (some have been inexpensive ones that don't always last long), but you can cover w/ a variety of materials and cover 1/2 instead of all to reduce weight. They really aren't hard to build w/o framing experience or the ability to draw/cut a straight line, I still managed to build two of the doors on the first 3. Edited to add - now that I have and am learning to use a Kregg Jig (think that's what it's called? i can't even remember), I could build a stronger door that will last longer. Also, I wouldn't build our doors w/ 2x2 lumber again - it would all be 2x4 at the least.
