I really think the cost of a coop depends on... 1) do you want it to look really nice or can it be thrown together out of various non-matching materials 2) Do you already have tools on hand 3) do you have a good source of free materials 4) do you have access to a truck, etc. to pick those free materials up.
Those people who have an active craigslist that has items close by, a truck or a good friend with a truck who won't charge you to use to it, etc. should consider themselves blessed. And yes, women can do this (I am a single mom) but it is very hard. Saturday I was trying to cut a window out and simply didn't have the strength to get the the saw thing going through the wood. It was very frustrating. Eventually I got a neighbor man to come help. He didn't do anything I didn't do... he just had more strength. It is what it is.
More than money, time is an issue. I work full-time outside of the home and then come home and help with homework and cook dinner and feed all the animals, etc. There simply isn't time to hang out at a dump or spend hours on Craigslist or drive 2 hours away to pick up some free material - not that I have a truck to pick them up in! I'm not trying to whine... again, it just is what it is.
So can you build a chicken coop for next to nothing? Of course. If you have the time, skills, manpower, and vehicle to put into it, and don't mind if it doesn't look cute and pristine like many of the pictures posted on BYC. Each person's situation is different and what works for one won't work for another. But I love this site for giving everyone ideas and encouragement (my coop would be so much worse without this site)!
