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Design a chicken coop for your flock and your yard

Coop Designer is a free online chicken coop design tool. Enter your flock and your yard and it builds the coop and run in 3D from standard lumber, checks the space per hen, the nest boxes, the roosts and the hardware cloth, and lists every board and roll to buy.

What are you building?
The sample design in 3D on a morning lawn: a hen house painted duck-egg blue on 2 ft legs over a run walled in hardware cloth, a ramp from the pop door, a nest box on the end wall with its lid open on four eggs of different colours, and hens in the run and on the grass beside a garden bed. Sample

Sample hen house

5 ft by 5 ft hen house on 2 ft legs over a 12 ft run, 2x3 frame, 6 hens

13fit0to check0fail
Sources read on 12 October 2026Worked out in your browser
1Your flock
2Your yard
3Coop and run sizes
4Lumber, hardware cloth and roof
The link holds your whole design after the # sign. Nothing is sent to a server.

This is a sample: a hen house on legs over a hardware-cloth run for six standard hens, in a yard 20 by 12 ft. Change the flock or the yard to make it yours.

The checks, with their sources

Guidance from university extension services, read on 12 October 2026. Where the guides disagree, each row gives the range and both sources.

Fits means inside the guides; check means worth a second look; fail means change it before you build.
ResultCheckYoursGuideWhy
Space for the flock
FitsCoop floor per hen4.2 sq ft each (25.0 sq ft for 6)1.5 to 4 sq ft a bird; 3.0 sq ft or more fitsAt or above 3.0 sq ft, the lower end Virginia Tech's 2023 table gives for laying hens (3 to 4 sq ft). The guides range from 1.5 to 4 sq ft a bird. Virginia Tech 2902-1092, Penn State Extension, housing, Oregon State EC 1644, Poultry Extension, space
FitsRun per hen10.0 sq ft each (60.0 sq ft, 25.0 sq ft of it under the hen house)4 to 10 sq ft a bird; 10.0 sq ft or more fitsAt or above 10.0 sq ft, the figure Virginia Tech and the Poultry Extension Collaborative give for laying hens and Penn State for large chickens. Virginia Tech 2902-1092, Penn State Extension, housing, Poultry Extension, space, Cornell, Warren County
FitsFits your yard13 ft by 5 ft with the nest boxYour space: 20 ft by 12 ftThe footprint fits the space you entered. Leave room to walk round it, open the doors and reach the nest box.
Nest boxes
FitsNest boxes2 for 6 hens2 to 3 for 6: one per 3 to 5 hensHens share nest boxes. The guides ask for one per 4 to 5 hens (Maryland, Virginia Tech), one per 4 (Oregon State), one per 5 (Maine, Florida) or one per 3 to 4 (Delaware); Penn State, two for the first four hens and one for each four more (3 here). Oregon State EC 1644, Maryland Extension, housing, Virginia Tech 2902-1092, Penn State Extension, housing, Delaware Extension
FitsNest box size12 in square, 12 in tallAt least 12 x 12 in (Penn State); 12 x 12 x 12 in (Oregon State, Florida)The size the guides give. A 3 to 4 in lip at the front keeps the nesting material in (Penn State). Penn State Extension, housing, Oregon State EC 1644, UF/IFAS AN239
FitsNest box heightBox floor 24 in off the ground; roost 48 inAbout 2 ft off the ground, the roost higherAbout 2 ft off the ground (Penn State, Florida; Maryland: 24 in above the floor). Maryland keeps the roost higher so the hens sleep on it, not in the nests; Oregon State would rather the boxes were not lower than the roosts, to keep them clean, and Penn State puts the two 4 ft apart. The tool follows Maryland. Penn State Extension, housing, UF/IFAS AN239, Maryland Extension, housing, Oregon State EC 1644
Roosts
FitsRoost length9 ft 6 in on 2 bars: 19 in a bird5 in to 10 in a bird; 8 in or more fitsAt or above the 8 to 10 in of Virginia Tech's 2023 table: every hen can roost at once, side by side. Virginia Tech 2902-1092, Penn State Extension, housing, Maryland Extension, housing, Oregon State EC 1644
FitsRoost height24 in above the floor, bars 12 in apart18 in to 48 in above the floorPenn State gives 18 to 24 in for standard hens and never more than 4 ft; Oregon State, 2 ft, with 10 in between bars. Penn State Extension, housing, Oregon State EC 1644
NoteRoost bars2x2, top edges rounded1 to 2 in, edges roundedOregon State suggests 1 to 2 in square lumber with the top edges rounded; Maryland, rods or branches at least 2 in across. Use wood: metal and plastic hold the cold (Arkansas). Oregon State EC 1644, Maryland Extension, housing, Arkansas Extension, cold
Air and climate
FitsVentilation360 sq in of vents high on the walls, 10% of the floorVents high, away from the roost; no draft on the birdsNone of the extension guides we read gives a vent area for a backyard coop. They ask for windows or vents high on one side, enough that the litter stays dry and there is no ammonia smell, with no draft on the roosting birds. The tool starts every coop with 1 sq ft of vent for each 10 sq ft of floor, a rule common in keepers' guides that we could not trace to an extension source; open more if the litter gets damp. Penn State Extension, housing, Poultry Extension, housing, Arkansas Extension, cold
Predators
FitsRun walls1/2 in hardware cloth, 19 gauge, galvanizedHardware cloth, 1/4 to 1/2 inHardware cloth of 1/4 to 1/2 in gives the best protection (Utah State), and openings under 1 in stop a raccoon reaching through (UNH). The smallest weasels can pass a 1/4 in hole (extension.org). Utah State, rodents and wire, UNH Extension, predators, Colorado State, predators, Poultry Extension, predators
FitsApron against digging12 in down, 24 in out12 in down, turned out; or 1 ft down and 1 ft outColorado State: bury hardware cloth 1 ft down and one foot out in an L so nothing digs under; Florida, 12 to 18 in in an L. The tool lays the rest of the roll width out flat, so nothing is cut lengthwise. Colorado State, Boulder County, Penn State Extension, housing, Virginia Tech 2902-1092, Poultry Extension, predators, Oregon State EC 1644
FitsRun topHardware clothCoveredA covered run is the easiest protection from hawks and owls (extension.org, UNH); a hawk gets through any loose spot, so fasten the cover well. Raccoons climb, so a top keeps them out too. Poultry Extension, predators, UNH Extension, predators, Maryland Extension, predators
Roof
FitsHen house roof slope9.5 degreesAt least 5 degrees for corrugated sheetSteep enough for rain to run off corrugated sheet; Palram's guide asks for at least 5 degrees. Follow your panel maker's guide. Palram, corrugated sheet guide
NoteSnow and windOpaque corrugated panelsCheck locallyThis tool does not size the frame for snow or wind. If you get heavy snow or strong wind, ask a local builder, anchor the coop and keep snow off the roof.
Materials
NoteLumber2x3, actual 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 inTreated lumber only where it meets the groundTreated lumber is wood impregnated with a pesticide, and old arsenic-treated (CCA) boards still turn up second hand (US EPA). Use lumber rated for ground contact only where the frame meets the ground, and keep treated wood where the hens cannot peck it. US EPA, wood preservatives
Before you build
NoteLocal rules6 hensCheck before you buildMany towns limit the number of hens, ban roosters or set how far a coop must stand from a boundary. Check your town's rules and any HOA or lease first. This tool gives no legal advice.

Shopping list

Type the prices from your store to see a total. The tool ships no prices.

Quantities for this design: 48 boards of 2x3 and 2 boards of 2x2 from 8 ft lengths, the hardware cloth with its apron, and a tenth spare on screws.
ItemQuantityYour unit priceCost
Lumber
2x3 x 8 ftActual size 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. Use lumber rated for ground contact where the frame meets the ground.48 boards
2x2 x 8 ft, for the roost barsRound the top edges.2 boards
Sheet goods
4 x 8 ft exterior plywood, 15/32 inSiding, nest boxes, ramp and any droppings board.7 sheets
4 x 8 ft exterior plywood, 23/32 inThe hen-house floor.2 sheets
Hardware cloth
1/2 in hardware cloth, 19 gauge, galvanized, roll 36 in x 50 ft96 ft 4 5/8 in of strips, the apron included, with 1 in overlaps.2 rolls
Roof
Opaque corrugated panels, 26 in x 8 ftSide lap 3 in.3 panels
Fasteners
Roofing screws with sealing washersAn estimate: about three per panel column at each rafter. Follow the panel maker's fixing pattern.36 screws
Exterior wood screws, 3 inTwo at each end of every piece, plus a tenth spare.414 screws
Exterior wood screws for the plywood, 1 1/4 inAbout one every 8 in (200 mm) round each piece.267 screws
Staples, 1/2 in or longer, for a heavy-duty staplerAbout one every 3 in along every member under the hardware cloth.650 staples
Washer-head screws or screws with fender washers, 1 1/4 inOne every 12 in round the edge of each piece, between the staples.160 screws
Hog rings or stainless zip tiesOne every 6 in (150 mm) along overlaps between members and where the apron meets the walls.135 rings
Hardware
Exterior hingesThe doors, the clean-out door, the nest lid and any window shutter.6 hinges
Latches that need two actions to open, or hasps with snap hooksEvery door, lid and the pop door. A raccoon can work a simple latch open.4 latches
Pop door 12 in x 14 in in a pair of grooved runners, or a bought oneShut it every night.1 door
Total of the prices you entered

The build plan for this exact coop

Pro turns your design into a plan you can build from: every board with its cuts, the hardware cloth cut to your roll with the apron, and the steps in order.

  • Optimised cut listEvery board by stock length with its cuts, packed to waste least, a cutting diagram per board and the leftovers
    Pro
  • Hardware-cloth layout with the apronEach wall cut into strips for your roll width, the apron side by side, the overlaps and the number of rolls
    Pro
  • Step-by-step build plan (PDF)Dimensioned elevations, an exploded view for each step, the order of assembly, the nest box and the apron detail
    Pro
  • Add-onsExtra nest boxes, a droppings board, a second run section, a walk-in run door, a coop raised on legs
    Pro
  • Saved designs and both unitsSeveral designs kept in this browser; the plan in inches and millimetres at once
    Pro
  • 3D files and rendersGLB and OBJ for SketchUp or Blender, and a high-resolution picture to show the household, a neighbour or an HOA
    Pro
The cut list page from the Pro build plan of the sample hen house: each 8 ft 2x3 board drawn to scale, its cuts labelled in inches and the leftover hatched at the end.
A real page from the Pro build plan of the sample design: the cut list, board by board.
Add-ons Pro

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The plan is guidance for a hobby build, not an engineering guarantee.

Before you build

Questions

How big should a chicken coop be?

The extension guides we read give 1.5 to 4 sq ft of coop floor for each standard hen and 0.75 to 3 sq ft for each bantam, plus 4 to 10 sq ft of run a bird. The most recent table, Virginia Tech's of 2023, gives 3 to 4 sq ft inside and 10 sq ft outside for laying hens. Coop Designer sizes a new coop at 4 sq ft and the run at 10 sq ft a hen. Sizes for 3 to 30 hens

How many nesting boxes do chickens need?

One for every 3 to 5 hens: one per 4 to 5 (Maryland, Virginia Tech), one per 4 (Oregon State), one per 5 (Maine, Florida). Make each box about 12 in square, about 2 ft off the ground, with the roost higher so the hens sleep there and not in the boxes. Nest boxes by flock size

Should I use hardware cloth or chicken wire?

Hardware cloth. Utah State's extension wildlife specialist says chicken wire is not a barrier to predators and recommends 1/4 to 1/2 in hardware cloth; UConn Extension says to secure coops with hardware cloth, not chicken wire. Bury it at least 12 in deep, or lay it 1 ft down and 1 ft out in an L (Colorado State). Hardware cloth compared

Is anything I enter sent to a server?

No. The design, the checks and the 3D model are worked out in your browser. The share link keeps the design after the # sign, which browsers do not send to servers. If you buy Pro, only the licence key is sent to Gumroad to check it.

Does it work in metric?

Yes. Switch to metric and the frame uses 45 x 45 mm, 38 x 63 mm CLS, 38 x 89 mm CLS or 45 x 90 mm timber in lengths from 2.4 m to 4.8 m, with 13 mm welded mesh in 900 mm rolls and 2440 x 1220 mm plywood.

Will the coop hold up to snow and wind?

The tool does not size the frame for snow or wind. If you get heavy snow or strong wind, ask a local builder, anchor the coop and keep snow off the roof.

Sources

Every figure the tool uses, with the page it comes from. Each was read on 12 October 2026. Lumber and sheet sizes are facts from the standards and from merchants' listings; hardware-cloth specs are from retailers' listings, without prices; the space, nest box, roost and apron figures are the extension services', cited, not copied. Where they disagree, the checks show the range.

All 40 sources, each read on 12 October 2026
  1. American Softwood Lumber Standard, Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-25 (NIST, January 2025), Table 3, nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension and timbers (read 12 October 2026)
  2. American Softwood Lumber Standard PS 20-25, section 5.3.1: standard lengths are multiples of 1 ft or 2 ft, as the grading rules specify (read 12 October 2026)
  3. Structural Plywood, Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-19 (NIST, December 2019): section 5.4 states its grade rules for 1220 by 2440 mm (48 x 96 in) panels; its thickness table lists the 15/32 and 23/32 Performance Categories (read 12 October 2026)
  4. Travis Perkins: 38mm x 63mm x 3.0m CLS Profile Kiln Dried Studwork and Framing Timber (read 12 October 2026)
  5. Beesley & Fildes: CLS Kiln Dried 50x75mm C16 Graded, finish size 38 x 63mm, lengths 2.4, 3.0 and 4.8 m (read 12 October 2026)
  6. Travis Perkins: 38mm x 89mm x 4.8m CLS Profile Kiln Dried Studwork Timber (also sold at 2.4 m) (read 12 October 2026)
  7. MKM: DAR Redpine 45mm x 45mm, dressed all round, 4.2 m (read 12 October 2026)
  8. Mitre 10 (Australia): Timber Treated Pine F7/MGP10 H3 90 x 45mm, available from 2.4 m to 6.0 m in 0.3 m steps (read 12 October 2026)
  9. Travis Perkins: 12mm x 2440mm x 1220mm Softwood Shuttering Plywood (exterior glue bond, EN 314-2 Class 3; seal it for outdoor use) (read 12 October 2026)
  10. Travis Perkins: 18mm x 2440mm x 1220mm Structural Hardwood Plywood (read 12 October 2026)
  11. Newegg (VEVOR): Hardware Cloth, 1/2 inch, 36in x 50 ft, 19 Gauge, Hot Dipped Galvanized, model SS12123650G; mesh 0.5 x 0.5 in (12.7 x 12.7 mm); also sold 24 in x 100 ft (read 12 October 2026)
  12. Do it Best: Do it 1/2 In. Mesh x 36 In. H. x 100 Ft. L. 19-Ga. Hardware Cloth, item 717834; mesh spacing 1/2 x 1/2 in, galvanized after welded (read 12 October 2026)
  13. Do it Best: Agway 1/4 In. Mesh x 48 In. H. x 100 Ft. L. 23-Ga. Hardware Cloth, item 735884; mesh spacing 0.25 x 0.25 in, galvanized after welded (read 12 October 2026)
  14. Do it Best: 48 In. H. x 100 Ft. L. (1x2) Zinc-Coated Galvanized Welded Wire Fence, item 718003; gauge 14, mesh spacing 1 x 2 in, galvanized before welded (read 12 October 2026)
  15. Do it Best: 48 In. H. x 100 Ft. L. (2x4) Galvanized Welded Wire Fence, item 711517; gauge 14, mesh spacing 2 x 4 in, galvanized before welded (read 12 October 2026)
  16. Alaska Industrial Hardware: Grip-Rite PN36150 Poultry Netting, 1 in hexagonal mesh, 50 ft L x 36 in H, 20 gauge, galvanized (read 12 October 2026)
  17. F.H. Brundle: 6m Roll, 36" x 1/2" x 1/2" x 19g Galvanised Welded Mesh; roll width 900 mm, mesh 13 x 13 mm, wire 1.00 mm (read 12 October 2026)
  18. Screwfix: Apollo 13 x 13mm Galvanised Welded Mesh 0.9m x 6m, "ideal for the construction of pet runs and cages" (read 12 October 2026)
  19. Screwfix: Apollo 25mm Galvanised Wire Netting 0.9m x 10m (gauge not stated) (read 12 October 2026)
  20. Penn State Extension: Small Scale Poultry Housing (Phillip Clauer; reviewed by Gregory P. Martin; updated 25 June 2026) (read 12 October 2026)
  21. University of Maryland Extension: Housing Requirements (Jonathan Moyle; updated 11 May 2022) (read 12 October 2026)
  22. University of Maryland Extension: Prevention of Predation (Jennifer L. Rhodes; updated 21 June 2022) (read 12 October 2026)
  23. Oregon State University Extension: Living on the land, Backyard chicken coop design, EC 1644 (April 2014, reviewed 2023) (read 12 October 2026)
  24. Virginia Cooperative Extension: Small-scale Poultry Housing, 2902-1092 (APSC-186NP), Leonie Jacobs and Phillip J. Clauer, 28 April 2023 (read 12 October 2026)
  25. Small and Backyard Poultry (extension.org): Space Allowances in Housing for Small and Backyard Poultry Flocks (read 12 October 2026)
  26. Small and Backyard Poultry (extension.org): Small-Scale Poultry Housing, Overview (Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky) (read 12 October 2026)
  27. Small and Backyard Poultry (extension.org): Predator Management for Small and Backyard Poultry Flocks (read 12 October 2026)
  28. University of Delaware Cooperative Extension: Steam Team, Chicken Housing and Coop Maintenance (Twila Parish-Short, May 2025) (read 12 October 2026)
  29. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County: Backyard Chickens (last updated 14 November 2022) (read 12 October 2026)
  30. University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Housing Your Pullets, Four Options and Other Considerations (Richard Brzozowski) (read 12 October 2026)
  31. University of Florida IFAS Extension: AN239, Raising Backyard Chickens for Eggs (Mary E. Henry and others) (read 12 October 2026)
  32. UConn Today: Ask UConn Extension, What to Know about Raising Backyard Poultry (Indu Upadhyaya, 14 March 2025) (read 12 October 2026)
  33. Utah State University: Is There a Correlation between Backyard Chickens and Increased Rodents? (Terry Messmer, Extension wildlife specialist; 24 August 2018) (read 12 October 2026)
  34. Colorado State University Extension: Chickens and Predators (read 12 October 2026)
  35. Colorado State University Extension, Boulder County: How to Care for Adult Chickens and Solve Common Problems (2018, PDF) (read 12 October 2026)
  36. UNH Extension: What are the best ways to protect my chickens from predators? (26 February 2019) (read 12 October 2026)
  37. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture: Backyard poultry coops prepped for cold still require good ventilation (11 January 2024) (read 12 October 2026)
  38. US EPA: Overview of Wood Preservative Chemicals (read 12 October 2026)
  39. Palram Australia: SUNTUF Roofing Installation Guide (pitch, purlin spacing, side lap) (read 12 October 2026)
  40. SunCalc 1.9.0 by Vladimir Agafonkin (BSD-2-Clause), sun position from date, time and latitude (read 12 October 2026)

Not affiliated with any maker, retailer or university named here.