Free chicken coop plans: The Four
A complete, buildable set of plans for a 4 × 4 ft chicken coop and its run, for four hens. 21 pages of PDF: dimensioned drawings, the full cut list, a material list in lengths you can buy and the build sequence. Free, and not a sample.
The coop at a glance
| Coop | 4 × 4 ft (16 sq ft of floor), raised 18 in off the ground |
|---|---|
| Holds | 4 standard hens, at 4 sq ft of floor each |
| Run | 4 × 10 ft (40 sq ft), 6 ft tall walk-in run, fully covered, 30 in gate, 18 in hardware-cloth apron laid flat around it |
| Roof | Single slope, 48 in inside at the front, 40 in at the back, 12 in front overhang |
| Inside | 40 in roost bar at 24 in, 2 nest boxes 12 × 12 in, 1.6 sq ft of vents |
| Openings | 16 in access panel opening into the run, 12 × 14 in sliding pop door, four two-step latches |
Material list
This is the shopping list from the plans, so you can price the build at your own lumber yard before you decide. The PDF breaks it down piece by piece in the cut list.
| Material | Quantity | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 2×4 lumber | 42 boards, 8 ft (5 pressure-treated) | coop frame, rafters, roost, run frame and gate |
| 4×4 pressure-treated | 2 skids, 4 ft + 6 run posts, 6 ft | skids keep the frame off the ground; posts stand on post anchors |
| 3/4 in plywood | 1 sheet | floor deck |
| T1-11 or 1/2 in plywood | 4 sheets | siding on all four walls |
| 1/2 in plywood | roof deck + offcuts | roof deck, droppings board, nest boxes, pop door |
| Metal or asphalt roofing | 27.5 sq ft + 10% | the roof |
| 1/2 in hardware cloth, 36 in roll | about 241 sq ft | run walls 144, run roof 40, apron 54, vents 3.2 |
| Hardware | 8 hinges (3 in), 4 two-step latches, 6 post anchors | screws with washers for the mesh, never staples alone |
Buy one extra 8 ft board: there is always one too twisted to use. Add exterior screws (1¼ in and 2½ in), paint or stain, and bedding (pine shavings or chopped straw, never cedar).
Why this coop is built the way it is
Hardware cloth, not chicken wire. Chicken wire keeps chickens in; it does not keep a raccoon out. The run, vents and the apron are all ½ in hardware cloth, fixed with screws and washers. The detail is in our predator-proofing guide.
Vents high, roost low. The vent strip runs under the front overhang, above the roost, and stays open all winter: damp, not cold, is what causes frostbite. The roost sits above the nest boxes so hens do not sleep in them. See coop ventilation.
An honest capacity. Four hens, because 16 sq ft of floor is right for four. If you are unsure how many you will keep, run your numbers in the coop size calculator first.
Need more room?
The Four is one of six designs. The Complete Pack adds coops for 6, 12 and 30 hens, a walk-in coop you can stand up in, and an A-frame chicken tractor, with the same drawings, cut lists and material lists (124 pages in all). It also includes The Four, so there is nothing to lose by starting here.
Common questions
- Are these chicken coop plans really free?
- Yes. The complete 21-page PDF for The Four is free in exchange for your email address, and the download opens straight away. It is the same set that is included in our paid pack, not a cut-down sample. You can unsubscribe in one click and we never sell or share your address.
- What is in the free PDF?
- Dimensioned drawings (plan view, front elevation, section and wall framing), the run plan with its predator apron, a complete cut list with every piece, length and quantity, a material list in lengths you can buy, the build sequence, and the reasoning behind the roost height, nest placement and ventilation.
- How many chickens does The Four hold?
- Four standard hens. It gives each bird 4 sq ft of coop floor and 10 sq ft of run. You will see coops of this size sold for eight birds; that is how many physically fit, not how many live well. For more hens, see the other five designs.
- Can I build it with basic tools?
- Yes. It is square cuts and screws, no joinery: a circular or mitre saw, a drill/driver, tin snips for the mesh and basic marking tools. Plan on a weekend for the coop and another for the run and mesh, which always takes longer than people expect.
- Is it cheaper to build this coop than to buy one?
- Usually, per square foot of usable space, provided you already own the tools. Lumber prices move, so rather than print a figure that will be wrong by next season, the material list above gives you the quantities to price at your own yard, and the coop cost calculator does the comparison for you.
- What if I need a bigger coop?
- The plans explain how the design extends in 2 ft steps along its length. For 6, 12 or 30 hens, a walk-in coop or a chicken tractor, the other five designs are in the Complete Pack, which also includes this one.
Prefer not to give an email? The file is here: The Four plans (PDF). We would still rather hear from you.