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6x8 A-Frame Chicken Coop with Run: 15 sq ft of coop and 26 sq ft of screened run for 3-5 hens. Dimensioned drawings, a complete material list, and every cut length across 17 assembly steps. Beginner build, three weekends (20-28 hrs).
Every dimension, spec table and cut list below is free on this page.
The cover sheet from the plan book — the accurate geometry behind the image above. Every dimension, spec and cut length on this page is computed from this same model, so the drawing and the tables cannot disagree.
| Coop footprint | 6 ft × 3.2 ft — 15 sq ft of bird floor |
|---|---|
| Run | 6 ft × 4.5 ft (26 sq ft), screened |
| Overall length | 96" coop + run |
| Peak height | 65-7/8" (62-3/8" roof rise) |
| Access | Reach-in — 37" × 68" hinged panel |
| Capacity | 3-5 hens |
| Nest boxes | 2 in a 24-1/2" bank |
| Roost bar | 50" minimum (10" per bird) |
| Ventilation | 2.1 sq ft |
| Build time | Three weekends (20-28 hrs) |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Materials cost | $975–$1,275 at 2026 prices |
Sample sheets from the complete 39-page plan book — dimensioned drawings, cut tables and build references drawn at print quality. The previews below are watermarked; the book is not. Everything published on this page stays free.
The complete bill of materials. Quantities carry no waste allowance — add two or three extra boards if you are new to framing.
| Material | Size | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 1x2 lumber | 10 feet | 2 pcs |
| 1x2 lumber | 8 feet | 12 pcs |
| 2x2 lumber | 10 feet | 6 pcs |
| 2x2 lumber | 8 feet | 4 pcs |
| 2x4 lumber | 8 feet | 22 pcs |
| 4x4 lumber, PRESSURE TREATED | 10 feet | 2 pcs |
| — of the 2x4 above, GROUND CONTACT PRESSURE TREATED | — | 6 rungs + 2 floor joists = 8 pcs at 65" |
| Solid concrete block | 16" x 8" x 4" | 6 pcs (3 under each skid) |
| Crushed stone, 3/4" clean, under the blocks | bagged or bulk | 5.3 cu ft (16" square x 6" deep per block) |
| Coarse washed sand or wood chips, run floor | bagged or bulk | 8.2 cu ft (4" deep over 26 sq ft) |
| Drainage stone under the run bedding | bagged or bulk | 4.1 cu ft (2" deep) |
| Drip-strip stone along both eaves | bagged or bulk | 2.7 cu ft (12" wide x 2" deep, over the apron leg) |
| Ground anchor, deformed steel rebar | 1/2" x 24" | 4 pcs (one through each corner of the base frame) |
| 1/4" plywood, exterior grade (skins, doors, gussets) | 4' x 8' | 4 pcs (~79 sq ft of parts) |
| 1/2" plywood, exterior grade (floor, nest, tray) | 4' x 8' | 2 pcs (~31 sq ft of parts) |
| Mineral-surface roll roofing | 36in x 36 ft roll | 1 roll (35 sq ft of coop slope) |
| Aluminium roll flashing, ridge cap | 10" x 10 ft | 1 pc (bend to 60 deg over the peak) |
| Roofing nails, galvanised | 7/8" | 1 lb |
| Roof / flashing screws, neoprene washer | 1" | 50 pcs |
| 1/4" hardware cloth, 19 ga | 36" roll | 50 ft + 25 ft (52 ft needed) |
| Fender washers + screws for cloth | 1" washer | 208 pcs |
| Heavy-duty staples | 1/2" | 1 box (1000) |
| Sod staples, for the buried apron leg | 6" | 60 pcs |
| Angle brackets, rafter feet | 3" galvanised | 12 pcs |
| Structural screws, skid to block-bearing and centre posts | 3-1/2" | 40 pcs |
| 2-1/2" exterior screws | 5 lb box | 1 boxes |
| 1-1/4" exterior screws | 5 lb box | 1 box |
| Exterior primer + paint | 1 qt each | 1 + 1 |
| Hinges | — | 9 (4 openable parts) |
| Two-action latches | — | 5 |
Nominal vs actual: the list uses nominal sizes (2×4), the drawings use finished sizes (1-1/2" × 3-1/2"). Check your own stock before cutting.
Every step, with the cut list it needs. The summaries here are the short version — the complete 39-page book carries the full written instruction for each one, plus the stop-and-measure checkpoints.
Every cut length below is computed from the same geometry that draws the PDF, so the numbers on this page and the numbers in the plan set cannot disagree.
This one does not move, so the ground under it is a permanent part of the structure and it is worth a morning.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid concrete block | 6 | 16" x 8" x 4" | Concrete block | |
| Crushed stone, tamped under each block | 1 | 5.3 cu ft | Crushed stone |
The base frame is the foundation, the floor frame and the tie that stops the A from spreading, all in one — the same job it does on the tractor, in ground-contact timber because it lives on stone for twenty years.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skid | 2 | 96" | 4x4 | PRESSURE TREATED, ground contact |
| Base rung | 6 | 65" | 2x4 | PRESSURE TREATED, on edge between the skids |
| Ground anchor | 4 | 1/2" x 24" | Rebar |
A rib is two rafters meeting at the peak. Build all 6 of them flat on the ground before you stand any, off one set of marks, so they are identical.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafter | 12 | 72" | 2x4 | 30 deg both ends, cuts parallel |
| Peak gusset | 12 | 9" x 14" | 1/4" plywood |
Stand each rib on its rung, outside faces of the rafter feet flush with the outside of the skids, and fix each foot with an angle bracket plus one screw skewed through the bevel.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purlin | 6 | 96" | 2x2 | inside face of the rafters, full length |
| Rafter foot bracket | 12 | 3" | Angle bracket |
The peak is a 60-degree vee, sharper than any ridge cap sold for a house roof.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge flashing | 2 | 10" x 48" | Aluminium flashing | |
| Vent screen cleat | 4 | 37" | 1x2 | staple the cloth to this |
The closed end gets a solid floor; the run end stays open to the ground.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floor joist | 2 | 65" | 2x4 | PRESSURE TREATED, flush with the rung tops |
| Coop floor, closed-end sheet | 1 | 67-15/16" x 18-1/2" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Coop floor, partition sheet | 1 | 67-15/16" x 18-1/2" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Floor cleat | 2 | 37" | 2x2 | inside the skid, under the floor edge |
This is the biggest single difference from the 4-ft tractor, and it is the one thing that does not scale: a 72" triangle does not come off a 48in sheet.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| End centre post | 1 | 62-3/8" | 2x4 | 30 deg BOTH ways at the top — a point, same saw setting |
| Partition centre post | 1 | 47-7/8" | 2x4 | pointed top, foot on the pop-door header |
| Pop door jamb | 2 | 14-1/2" | 2x2 | either side of the opening |
| Pop door header | 1 | 15" | 2x2 | across the jambs |
| Closed end panel half | 2 | 36" x 62-3/8" | 1/4" plywood | right triangle, half the panel |
| Partition panel half | 2 | 36" x 62-3/8" | 1/4" plywood | right triangle, half the panel |
Only the coop section gets skinned. The run stays open mesh, which is the point of the shape.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left coop slope panel | 1 | 37" x 68", hatch cut out | 1/4" plywood | |
| Egg hatch slab | 1 | 13-1/2" x 19-1/2" | 1/4" plywood | |
| Hatch frame | 2 | 13-1/2" | 1x2 | top and bottom |
| Hatch frame side | 2 | 16-1/2" | 1x2 |
Mineral-surface roll roofing over the two coop slopes — 35 sq ft, comfortably inside one 36in roll.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roll roofing, left slope | 1 | 37" x 68" | Roll roofing | |
| Roll roofing, cleanout door | 1 | 37" x 68" | Roll roofing | |
| Drip edge | 2 | 37" | 1x2 | bevelled, at the foot of each coop slope |
The single most useful thing on the coop. The entire right slope of the coop section lifts, so you clean, catch a bird or change bedding from outside standing up, instead of crawling in.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleanout door slab | 1 | 36-1/2" x 67-1/2" | 1/4" plywood | |
| Door frame, long | 2 | 36-1/2" | 1x2 | |
| Door frame, short | 2 | 64-1/2" | 1x2 | |
| Door mid-rail | 1 | 33-1/2" | 1x2 | halfway up — a 1x2 stile this long racks without it |
| Hinge ledger | 1 | 37" | 1x2 | 4" below the peak |
| Door prop | 1 | 34" | 1x2 | drilled both ends |
2 boxes across the closed end, sitting on the coop floor. There is no wall to hang them from, so they stand on it and they genuinely take 2.2 sq ft of floor — already out of the capacity figure on the cover.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nest bank floor | 1 | 24-1/2" x 13" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest bank back | 1 | 24-1/2" x 16" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest divider | 1 | 12" x 13" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest litter lip | 1 | 24-1/2" x 3-1/2" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest bank top | 1 | 24-1/2" x 14" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest cleat | 2 | 13" | 1x2 | under the bank floor |
The pop door is the hens' way between the coop floor and the run, and it is the only opening that gets shut every single night.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop door slab | 1 | 12-1/2" x 14-1/2" | 1/4" plywood | |
| Pop door threshold | 1 | 15" | 1x2 | bevelled, on the sill — the bedding stops here |
1/4in hardware cloth, 19 gauge. Never chicken wire — chicken wire keeps chickens in and keeps nothing at all out; a raccoon opens it with its fingers.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run slope cloth | 2 | 72" x 54-1/2" | Hardware cloth | |
| Run end cloth | 1 | 72" x 62-3/8" triangle, door opening cut out | Hardware cloth | |
| Ridge vent cloth | 2 | 37" x 8" | Hardware cloth |
This is the predator strategy, and it is the one thing that genuinely could not be done on the tractor.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buried apron cloth | 1 | 27-1/2" x 28 ft run | Hardware cloth | |
| Apron batten, sides | 2 | 96" | 1x2 | screwed over the cloth into the skid |
| Apron batten, ends | 2 | 72" | 1x2 | |
| Sod staple | 1 | 6", 60 pcs | Sod staple | |
| Drip-strip stone, both eaves | 1 | 2.7 cu ft, 12" wide x 2" deep | Crushed stone |
A stationary coop needs a way IN to the run. You cannot tip this one up and you cannot reach the far corner from outside, so the far end triangle carries a door: 24" wide by 34" tall, which is a crouch, not a walk.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run door jamb | 2 | 34" | 2x2 | plumb, foot on the base rung |
| Run door header | 1 | 27" | 2x2 | across the jambs |
| Run door stile | 2 | 33-1/2" | 1x2 | |
| Run door rail | 2 | 20-1/2" | 1x2 | |
| Run door cloth | 1 | 24" x 34" | Hardware cloth | |
| Door stop, sides | 2 | 34" | 1x2 | inside the opening, for the door to close on |
| Door stop, head | 1 | 24" | 1x2 |
2 bars, running the length of the coop, straddling the centreline 12" apart. Two, not one: 5 hens need 50in of perch and one bar delivers 35-1/2".
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roost bar | 2 | 35-1/2" | 2x2 | top corners eased |
| Roost support | 4 | 5" x 6" gusset | 1/2" plywood | |
| Droppings tray | 1 | 22-1/2" x 24" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Tray cleat | 2 | 22-1/2" | 1x2 | under the tray edges |
A fixed run turns to bare mud in one wet season if you leave it as lawn, and mud is where worms, coccidia and bumblefoot start.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drainage stone, run floor | 1 | 4.1 cu ft (2" deep) | Crushed stone | |
| Coarse sand or wood chips, run floor | 1 | 8.2 cu ft (4" deep) | Bedding |
The 5-page preview PDF is a free download with no email required, and everything published on this page stays free — every dimension, the spec table, the complete material list and all 17 assembly steps with their cut tables. The complete 39-page plan book — every wall on its own sheet with its own cut table, a board-by-board cut plan and a material buy list — is $4.99 on Etsy.
3-5 hens. At 15 sq ft of floor, 3 birds get about 5 sq ft each, with 26 sq ft of screened run on top of that. The top of the range (5) assumes the birds spend their days outside rather than shut in.
Everything on this page — dimensioned plan and elevation drawings, the complete bill of materials (30 line items) and all 17 assembly steps with per-step cut tables — plus what a web page can't carry: the full written instruction for every step rather than the summary shown here, every wall framed on its own sheet, a board-by-board cut plan, a buy list you can hand to the lumber yard, and stop-and-measure checkpoints at each stage. The free 5-page preview PDF shows the design overview and main dimensions. On-page specs are computed from the same geometry that draws the PDFs, so the numbers can never disagree.
Want a look first? Download the free 5-page preview PDF — no email required.
Different size? See all chicken coop plans, or check the size calculator first.