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A slant-roof coop that doesn't look agricultural: cedar picket siding, an off-the-shelf tin roof panel, removable floor, and doors sized for actual cleaning access.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side frame top rails Both ends 5° off square, parallel, long point to short point — the roof slope. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 94 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Side frame uprights, tall One end 5° off square, long point measurement. From the 10-footers. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 61" | — | ☐ |
| Side frame uprights, middle One end 5°, long point. From the 10-footers. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 58 1/4" | — | ☐ |
| Side frame uprights, short One end 5°, long point. From the 10-footers. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 53 1/4" | — | ☐ |
| Side frame bottom rails | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 91 1/8" | — | ☐ |
| Side frame mid rails From the 10-footers. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 52 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Cross members | 7 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 33" | — | ☐ |
| Floor cleats | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 55" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Interior trim | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 34 1/8" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Floor Then trimmed ~1/2" small to lift out — see the steps. | 1 | 3/4" × 32" × 54 1/2" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Front door stiles From the 10-footers. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 64" | — | ☐ |
| Back door stiles Reduced from the drawn 56-3/8" for swing clearance. From the 10-footers. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 56" | — | ☐ |
| Door rails | 5 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 29" | — | ☐ |
| Nesting box floor | 1 | 3/4" × 13" × 31 1/2" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Nesting box dividers | 3 | 3/4" × 6" × 13" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Nesting box lip | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 31 1/2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 10 ft The starred long cuts come from these — cut the longest pieces first. | 6 each | ☐ |
| 2x4, 8 ft | 8 each | ☐ |
| 2x2, 8 ft Floor cleats and interior trim. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72" (Cedar) All the siding. (1/2" exterior plywood substitutes, but the source warns: two full sheets and a lot of waste.) | 15 each | ☐ |
| Exterior plywood, 3/4", 4x8 sheet Floor and nesting box. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Tin roof panel, 37-1/2" x 8 ft The design is dimensioned around this stock sheet — buy it first and confirm the size. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Metal roofing screws With sealing washers. | 16 each | ☐ |
| Chicken wire or hardware cloth, 36" wide Hardware cloth costs more and is worth it — raccoons open chicken wire. | 20 linear ft | ☐ |
| Chicken wire or hardware cloth, 24" wide | 15 linear ft | ☐ |
| Staples, 1/2" | 1 box | ☐ |
| Exterior pocket hole screws, 2-1/2" | 100 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, 1-1/4" to 1-3/4", star drive Siding. | 120 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive | 20 each | ☐ |
| Exterior hinges Two sets — front and back doors. |
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw, Pencil, Pocket Hole Jig, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 10 ft, 2x4, 8 ft, Exterior pocket hole screws, 2-1/2"
Lay out the first side frame (sloped top rail, three graduated uprights, bottom and mid rails), mark and drill the 1-1/2" pocket holes, and assemble with 2-1/2" exterior pocket screws. Build the second frame IN MIRROR — the frames face each other.
Do the builder's regret-tip now: paint or seal the frame interiors before any wire goes on. Painting through stapled mesh is the worst hour of the whole project.
Tools: Staple Gun. Materials: Chicken wire or hardware cloth, 36" wide, Staples, 1/2"
Staple chicken wire or hardware cloth to the frame insides. Trim the excess and FOLD the cut edges over before the final staples — trimmed wire ends are needle-sharp, and both you and the birds will find them otherwise.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive
Screw the 2x2 floor cleats to the frame insides with the 2-1/2" screws — these carry the removable roost floor.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Self-tapping screws, 1-1/4" to 1-3/4", star drive
Cut the first cedar picket with its top at 5° (long-point measurement) and attach to the side wall inside face, flush with the 2x2 top, leaving at least 1-1/2" of frame exposed above. Two of the shorter screws per joint.
| 4 each |
| ☐ |
| Latches Raccoon-resistant style. | 2 each | ☐ |
| 1x3, 8 ft Nesting box lip. | 1 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Self-tapping screws, 1-1/4" to 1-3/4", star drive
Measure the SHORT point of the picket you just installed — that's the LONG point of the next one. Cut, install, repeat down the slope. The first few cuts need fresh pickets; before long the offcuts are supplying the pieces, which is the method's whole economy.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Exterior pocket hole screws, 2-1/2"
Drill two 1-1/2" pocket holes in each end of the 33" 2x4s and attach them to one side frame, then flip the assembly onto the second frame and attach. The coop becomes three-dimensional here — a second pair of hands saves a lot of awkward propping.
(The source left one bottom-end 2x4 off for easier cleaning access — shown in photos, optional.)
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Self-tapping screws, 1-1/4" to 1-3/4", star drive
Add the 2x2 interior trim, then side the interior wall with pickets and the shorter screws, saving offcuts for the doors. The upper opening this creates is both ventilation and the birds' door to the run — it stays open because the run below is enclosed.
Tools: Circular Saw, Tape Measure. Materials: Exterior plywood, 3/4", 4x8 sheet
Cut the plywood floor to fit its opening MINUS about 1/2" all around, set it on the cleats, and do not screw it down. A floor you can lift out is a coop you can actually clean. Add a lip strip at the back edge — the source's own improvement — so bedding doesn't pour out when the door opens.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Staple Gun. Materials: 2x4, 10 ft, Chicken wire or hardware cloth, 24" wide, Exterior pocket hole screws, 2-1/2", Exterior hinges, Latches
Pocket-hole the front door frame together, staple wire to its back, and hang it with hinges and a latch. Check the swing clears the siding before final hinge screws.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Staple Gun. Materials: 2x4, 10 ft, Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Chicken wire or hardware cloth, 24" wide, Exterior hinges, Latches
Build the back door — pickets over the upper portion, wire over the lower — and hang it. This full-height door is the source's post-build upgrade: it makes the lower level cleanable without crawling, which is the feature you'll thank yourself for monthly.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Tin roof panel, 37-1/2" x 8 ft, Metal roofing screws
Slide the 37-1/2" x 8 ft tin sheet onto the sloped frame tops and fasten with the metal roofing screws into the 2x4s. The whole coop was dimensioned around this off-the-shelf panel — no cutting, no seams, no leaks to create.
Tools: Circular Saw, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Exterior plywood, 3/4", 4x8 sheet, Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive, 1x3, 8 ft
Assemble the nesting box from the plywood pieces — floor, three dividers, 1x3 lip — with pocket holes or 2-1/2" screws, and install it in the roost. Bed it, introduce the flock, and accept that the coop now looks better than the shed.