My new chicken coop just doubled in price!

[Wise Woman]

My husband is supposed to start building my new coop the week before Memorial Day. But as fate would have it, he got a call Thursday night from someone offering him a job. Now he already has a full time day job, but this one is doing something he used to do and is very good at and involves a business he has always wanted to own, but couldn't afford to buy. It was out of the blue from someone referring him to the owner and now his head is spinning. He can't just up and quit his day job due to the little things like health insurance and a 401K. We don't know how this new job would pan out, so it is best to keep the day job too, at least for now. However, this new opportunity, if it goes well, would allow him to double or triplet what he earns now and he would eventually have the opportunity to buy out the other person and own a business he has always wanted to own, but never thought he could.

So he is having a 3rd meeting on Monday to hash out some more details. If he takes it, he will be working non stop, day and night for a long while. He will be exhausted. I will have no one to build my coop. I will have to hire someone to build it for me. I have a feeling this coop is gonna cost a lot more now than I was figuring on, but if hubby is bringing in extra bucks, I guess it will be fine. Have any of you hired someone to build your coop and if you did, how did it go? I know one guy that could do it and he actually listens to what I want and loves to try new things, but he charges $25 an hour. Why does there always have to be a fly in the ointment just when I think I have everything all worked out? I was really figuring on my husband building it to keep down the cost.

 

[NanaLantana]

Well, I guess you could learn to be Mrs. handywoman! Make a plan, and build it yourself - or revise your plan, and build something you can handle. Or, hire the guy for $25.00 per hour. In any case, you'll figure it out.

I've built lots of things myself because my husband was too busy - I remodeled the bathroom, laid tile, tore out walls and put in new insulation and sheetrock, put up ceilings, built a WHOLE kitchen from scratch, even the cabinets and doors, and now I'm tearing the siding off my house and re-siding it. PLUS I've built any coop/shed/lean-to that was needed on our property. So I'm confident that if you want to build it, you will be able to do it. You go, girl!

 

[benjoycei]

You can DO it!!!! Be the handy woman! Do yourself proud! I built mine, though I have had carpentry experience.

 

[Wise Woman]

I thought about doing it myself, but I don't know what the heck I am doing. That is amazing what you ladies are building. Maybe I could hire the handy man and help him as much as possible and learn some stuff. I hate waiting for my husband to do stuff.

 

[Wise Woman]

Quote:
How did you learn how to do all that? I wouldn't really know where to begin. I know what I want the coop to look like, but I don't know how to accomplish that. It would be kind of fun though. I might just have to consider building it myself. What do you do about the really heavy work though, like digging the post holes? I don't have much arm strength any more.

 

[Minniechickmama]

WW- I am a 45-year old woman with 3 children and my husband is on the road Monday-Friday or Saturday most weeks. He isn't even a trucker

So, guess who builds brooders, coops, tractors, arks and mini coops? You guessed it, me.
So, I think if you really want to save money, you should learn to use a saw and hammer. It doesn't take brawn, it takes patience and attention to detail. Any woman who is able bodied can build a chicken coop.

You must have been typing while I was. Go online, you can find 'how to' just about anything. I too have done tile, drywall, trim work, painting, wallpapering. I have done a little plumbing. The only thing I don't like and don't really try is the electrical.

 

[Qi Chicken]

25$ an hour isn't that much for a builder, especially if he says, ok this is the first one and now we have to put on 50 more. The 50 more you could handle! It would teach you a lot and personally I would love to work with someone that could teach me how to do it. I know you CAN learn on the internet and stuff but hands on teaching is always best I think. Good luck will be fun!

 

[Garrison]

What kind of coop are you looking to build? I am a Contractor near your area. If it is not to large I could give you an estimate to build it in my shop and deliver it. You can check out my coop on the thread titled Southern California Coop.

 

[calista]

Do you have any skills where you might trade for the labor you need to have your coop built? Gardening, preserving, crafting, etc. could be offered as barter on your local CL.

You might also check with your local high schools/vocational institutions to see if there are any woodworking classes where the instructor might have his students build your coop labor-free and with reduced costs for materials. (That's what we did.)