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A bat house has exactly two jobs: give bats something to grip while roosting vertically, and keep enough airflow moving that the inside doesn't overheat. This single-chamber box does both with a grooved back panel and a deliberate 1/4" gap between the front boards.
The grooves matter more than the finish. Bats climb rather than perch, so shallow saw kerfs across the interior face of the back panel are what let them grip and hang — skip that step and a perfectly built box goes unused.
Leave it unfinished or use only a non-toxic exterior treatment. Paint and stain are common on birdhouses but most formulations are harmful to bats, who spend far more skin-contact time against the wood than a bird does.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Cedar or weather-resistant lumber, 1x10, 6 ftAvoid pressure-treated stock — bats are in close, prolonged contact with this wood. | 1 each |
| Cedar or weather-resistant lumber, 1x3, 6 ft | 1 each |
| Cedar or weather-resistant lumber, 1x6, 6 ft | 1 each |
| 1-5/8" screws | 12 each |
| 1-1/4" pocket screws | 6 each |
| Wood glue | 2 oz |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Back1x10Joined edge-to-edge to form the full back panel; grooved on the interior face. | 2 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 16 1/2" |
| Sides1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 20" |
| Front, lower1x10 | 1 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 18" |
| Front, upper1x6Mounted with a 1/4" gap below it, against the lower front board, for ventilation. | 1 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 18" |
| Top1x6 | 1 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 19 1/2" |
Buy 3 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Cut the two 1x10 back boards to 16-1/2" and join them edge-to-edge with pocket screws and glue to form the full back panel.
Cut shallow, parallel grooves — about 1/8" deep — across the interior face of the back panel, spaced every inch or so. This is the surface the bats will actually grip and climb, and it's the one detail that determines whether the house gets used at all.
Cut the two 1x3 side boards to 20" and attach them flush to the back panel's edges with glue and screws.
Attach the 1x10 lower front board and the 1x6 upper front board, leaving a deliberate 1/4" gap between them — that gap is the bat house's ventilation, not a construction error.
Cut and center the 1x6 top board (19-1/2") flush to the back, securing with glue and screws.
Sand all edges smooth. Leave unfinished or use only a non-toxic exterior treatment — skip paint and stain entirely.
Mount high on a wall or tree in a spot that gets morning sun; bats favor roosts that warm up early.
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