How much did it cost for you to build your own coop?

[reptileink]

I am currently at $86. I had to buy a bunch of 2x4's and new "all weather" screws. Most of the wood came from a neighbor's homemade pressure treated playset they gave us! However, I haven't purchased hardware cloth, or more plywood. Brother in law has endless supply of pallets for my siding, father-in-law has tar paper and shingles and my Mom donated a lot of the pressboard for the wall bases from her makeshift box spring...lol. Had the small dog kennel since we bought the house 9 years ago. I am expecting maybe $350 for coop and run before I am finished (hopefully cheaper)

 

[lindseyawest]

I'm currently at about $140 and probably have another $40ish to go (not including the cost of an automatic opener/closer if I end up going that route), but I didn't even have screws I could use and I had no idea what I was doing when I started. Knowing what I know, now, I could probably do the whole thing for $100, maybe less. My coop is 2.5' off the ground, 4'x4' with slanted roof.

 

[ncoston]

Where do you recommend looking for reclaimed materials? We have contacted some local businesses and our waste management facilities and have not been able to find anyone willing to let go of their items. Thanks!

 

[Spartan22]

Where do you recommend looking for reclaimed materials?  We have contacted some local businesses and our waste management facilities and have not been able to find anyone willing to let go of their items.  Thanks!

If you know some construction people or business that are renovating, normally there's some renovations and new construction dumpsters that they are getting rid of perfectly salvable materials like wood, trims, roofing materials and so on. I went to our local hardware and lumber store to buy some screws and they happened to have renovating their displays and back area. I asked if I can have those wood and panels that are protruding in the construction dumpster they gladly comply. I built 6 nests, part of the add-on run, winterized the run with fluted translucent panels and partly shingled my coop roof for free, all I had to do was buy some more of the same materials and brand to match the rest.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Thousands, its outa hand

And its not finished yet

Gary

 

[M T Pockets]

Thousands, its outa hand

And its not finished yet

Gary

Ditto!!!
Seams like there is always something else to get and we don't have the girls yet.

 

[Spartan22]

@ncoston also is there a Habitat for Humanity in your area? I heard that they normally sell very inexpensive building materials since they were donated if they are leftovers from the houses they built.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

@ncoston also is there a Habitat for Humanity in your area? I heard that they normally sell very inexpensive building materials since they were donated if they are leftovers from the houses they built.

X 2 - The "Re-Store" (Habitat for Humanity) is an excellent place to pick up all sorts of things - windows, doors, some wood, tools, wiring, roofing materiel, electric/plumbing stuff, etc --- we stop at our local one at least once a week to see what new treasures have come in and have used them for several projects (they also sell household goods at this location - furnished a lot of our house when we made our recent move and had sold off large items to save on moving them).

You can often find free pallets at various locations in any community -- sometimes the places will post they have them available, other times it's a matter of putting out some feelers and getting "the scoop" that way on who usually has some that can be picked up.

Craigslist, Freecycle, Buy/Sell/Trade groups on FB, etc are also good resources when looking for materiels

 

[Chribroo]

Pallets can usually be found for free on Craigslist. Look around your garage and see what you have you will be amazed in what you could use to build it ! Home Depot had rough sawed 2x4 for less than 1.75 a board. See if anybody is doing and remodel king in your area ask for scrap wood etc.. good luck

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Another savings tip is to ask at your local lumber yard about their "scrap pile" -- a lot of times pieces come in that are blemished, not 100% quality, etc - or customers buy lumber and have it cut on site but don't take the rest with them (don't ask me why - I'd be taking it and keeping it for another project) -- anyway, the end result being that at most lumber yards there is usually a pile of "scrap" that can be had at very discounted prices or even free (depending on the yard). Yes, this may mean you don't get exactly what you want or have to cobble some things together, but when trying to build free/on a budget that is often the case.