How much should a 10 chicken coop cost?

[MaeRain]

I am wanting to have 10 chickens for our backyard. They will be pets and I am wanting a aesthetically pleasing coop to integrate with our landscape and home. We are not really the "convert a shed" type. I have seen several beautiful coops that people have made on this site, but we are neither handy nor have that much time on our hands for coop building. How much should we expect to pay someone to build a coop, and who would we approach with out "list of things we want"? I don't feel as if a conventional contractor would understand the fine details that make a coop functional as well as beautiful. If I could find a well rated, large coop we would just buy, but those don't seem to exist!

 

[Pork Pie]

I guess it's possible that the reason it's difficult to find a recommended coop is because they are rarely up to the job - particularly for housing larger flock numbers. Maybe an attractive garden shed would be something worth considering? The conversion is simply an issue of installing roosts and a couple of nest boxes. The end result can be aesthetically pleasing and be more practical for you and your chickens.

Ct

 

[aart]

1-2K.

 

[barneveldrerman]

I agree it's going to cost1-2 thousand dollars to get someone to build you a coop. I would make a list of things you want and maybe draw a little sketch (doesn't have to be perfect) of what it could look like. I have a friend who is a contractor and he will build it for me with all the details no problem. Any local handyman or contractor should be able to build it. To buy one with all the needs you might want would be very hard to do!


Hope this helped and have a great time with those!

 

[teria]

We are just finishing building an 8x12 structure that we divided between being a coop and a storage shed. We priced shed kits that you build yourself from pre cut sections, and what we found was they provide the walls and roof only. You have to build the floor, foundation, and provide your own shingles and paint. Then you add the roosts etc for the inside, any windows and ventilation you want. The cost for just the kit was $1300.

We built the same thing, with everything (shingles, paint, foundation, floor, vinyl floor covering, three windows, ventilation, a decorative window, two doors, and the roosts) included for just under $1100. We did all the work ourselves, so, if you were to have it built you would also pay for the labor.

Converting a shed into a coop really is pretty simple, and there are tons of pictures on the internet of shed interior modifications, so, that would help to show what you want to any builder. The kits are pre-cut.

You could also just buy a pre-built shed, and have a builder make the modifications you want.

For the kit you will likely be looking at anywhere from $1300 to $1700 plus labor, foundation, floor, paint, shingles, plus modification supplies. .
For the pre-built you will be looking at $1700 to $3000 plus delivery, labor, foundation, and modification supplies.

To have someone build it from the ground up will probably fall somewhere along those same lines.

 

[BBQJOE]

I am wanting to have 10 chickens for our backyard. They will be pets and I am wanting a aesthetically pleasing coop to integrate with our landscape and home. We are not really the "convert a shed" type. I have seen several beautiful coops that people have made on this site, but we are neither handy nor have that much time on our hands for coop building. How much should we expect to pay someone to build a coop, and who would we approach with out "list of things we want"? I don't feel as if a conventional contractor would understand the fine details that make a coop functional as well as beautiful. If I could find a well rated, large coop we would just buy, but those don't seem to exist!

I spent a lot of time looking for a ready to go coop at a lot of places. They are all junk!
I would suggest in your situation of not having much building experience, to just purchase something like a tough shed, or a child's play house if you want something cuter. They last a good long time. When purchased, they usually come with a contractor (suggested) to build it on site. At that point I would work with the contractor to discuss modifications.
Bear in mind, it won't be cheap. But will probably last a good long time.