Four hens need 16 sq ft of coop floor and 32 to 40 sq ft of run, and the 4x6 chicken coop hits the first number exactly: 16 sq ft of floor, a 24 sq ft run, rated 3-4. The 4x8 shed and 4x8 lean-to (23 sq ft, 32 sq ft run, rated 4-6) are the ones that meet both numbers with four birds in them. A 4x4 coop, which is what a lot of people search for, is rated 2 to 3 on our plans and is too small for four.
That last point is where this page starts, because “4x4 chicken coop how many chickens” is one of the most common questions that lands on this site. Four hens in a 4x4 is 2.5 sq ft each on the nominal footprint and about 2.5 on our 4x4 starter’s real 10 sq ft of floor. Penn State would allow it (2 sq ft for large chickens with 10 outside); Oregon State wouldn’t (3 sq ft with a run); we don’t. The 4x4 plans guide goes into it. For four, step up one size.
Four plans that carry four
| Plan | Coop floor | Run | Rated | Coop per hen at 4 | Run per hen at 4 | Nests | Roost allowance | Materials | Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x6 chicken coop | 16 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 3-4 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 2 | 40 in | $1,900-$2,450 | 18-26 hrs |
| 4x8 shed coop | 23 sq ft | 32 sq ft | 4-6 | 5.8 | 8.0 | 2 | 60 in | $2,250-$2,900 | 16-24 hrs |
| 4x8 lean-to coop | 23 sq ft | 32 sq ft | 4-6 | 5.8 | 8.0 | 2 | 60 in | $2,100-$2,750 | 12-18 hrs |
| 6x8 A-frame coop | 15 sq ft | 26 sq ft | 3-5 | 3.75 | 6.5 | 2 | 50 in | $975-$1,275 | 20-28 hrs |
Four hens want 32 to 40 inches of roost at 8 to 10 inches each. Our plans allow 10 per hen at the top of the rating (40 on the 4x6, 60 on the 4x8s, 50 on the A-frame), and the 4x8 shed’s cut list builds three 25-inch bars, 75 inches. Nest boxes: Oregon State’s one-per-four says one, Penn State says two for the first four hens. Every plan here has two, which is right. One box means the second hen in line lays under the roost.
4x6: the exact fit
The 4x6 is 16 sq ft of floor for four hens, which is 4.0 sq ft each, our target to the decimal. The run is 24 sq ft, 6 per bird, which is short of our 8 to 10. In practice the 4x6 is the four-hen coop for a yard where they come out most afternoons. It’s the cheapest fixed coop on the page at $1,900, two windows, 2.4 sq ft of vent, on 18-inch legs with a 30 by 30 inch access door. Two weekends.
The catch is the rating: four is the top. If a fifth hen is ever coming, this isn’t the plan.
4x8: the comfortable fit
Both 4x8s give four hens 5.8 sq ft inside and 8 sq ft of run, which meets both targets. The run is the difference that matters day to day; 32 sq ft is enough that four birds shut in on a wet week don’t start on each other. Their rating runs to six, so the fifth and sixth hens fit. For $200 to $350 more than the 4x6 at the low end of the ranges, that headroom is the best money on this page.
Shed versus lean-to: the shed has a gable roof, 48-inch walls, three windows, and stands alone. The lean-to has a single-slope roof from 48 inches, two windows, costs $150 less, and builds in 12 to 18 hours against 16 to 24. Put the lean-to against a fence with its tall side out. Put the shed in the open.
6x8 A-frame: the budget pick
The 6x8 A-frame coop is a fixed A-frame (not a tractor) at $975 to $1,275, 15 sq ft of floor and a 26 sq ft run inside the triangle. At four hens that’s 3.75 sq ft each, above Oregon State’s 3 and under our 4, and 6.5 of run. It’s rated 3 to 5. The A-frame shape wastes the floor along the two bottom edges where a hen can’t stand up, which is why 6 by 8 feet of footprint turns into 15 sq ft of usable floor. It’s a lot of coop for the money and the right call if $1,000 is the budget; it’s not the one to build if you expect to be in it with a rake.
Footprint and rules
Coop plus run: the 4x6 is 4 by 12 feet (48 sq ft), the 4x8s are 4 by 16 (64 sq ft), the A-frame 6 by 8 (48 sq ft). All under the 100 to 120 sq ft local permit triggers and far under IRC R105.2’s 200. Flock caps and setbacks are a separate zoning question; the permit guide shows where to find your town’s numbers in ten minutes.
Cost per hen
At the low end: the A-frame $244 a hen, the 4x6 $475, the lean-to $525, the shed $563. Those are the generator’s 2026 materials prices with quarter-inch, 19-gauge hardware cloth on every opening and a 12-inch buried apron, the lines we won’t let you cut; the 4x6 alone takes 68 feet of cloth and 272 washered screws to hang it. The plans here are free on their pages, cut list included; the $4.99 Etsy book is the printable copy.
If four is really going to be six or eight, skip ahead to the plans for 6 chickens, where the 6x8 chicken coop starts.
