The Garden Loft chicken coop plans show you how to build a beautiful, spacious, secure walk-in coop to house and protect up to 16 hens (or add run space for more). Our largest chicken coop design, The Garden Loft expresses your passion for backyard chicken keeping, while rewarding it handsomely. . .

>> SCROLL DOWN for dimensions, estimated costs, time, and tools <<


KEY FEATURES OF THE GARDEN LOFT DESIGN:

» Keep up to 16 hens, or add day run space for more (see dimensions below)

» Secure all around from predators and pests

» Ample ventilation and light

» Full-sized people door and egg collection door on the side

» Full-width, waist-high henhouse

» Four nest boxes, generous roosting space, plus room to add storage or extra features

» Hardware quick kit available (U.S. only, see plans for ordering details)

» Built with pride. . . by you!


ABOUT THE GARDEN LOFT CHICKEN COOP PLAN:

» 89 pages of illustrations, photos, and step-by-step instructions (you print at home)

» Written for beginners with simple cuts and techniques (having some DIY building experience is a plus given the scope of the project)

» Includes full tool and material lists

» Features details and construction tips based on years of customer feedback

» Includes both U.S. (feet/inches) and metric units (millimeters)

» Compatible with iPad and other PDF-friendly mobile devices

» Password protected for security. You will receive your file-open password after checkout. (Visit your Etsy Purchases page and click the Download button next to the order. Guests may find it easier to create an Etsy account and log in first. More details here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949)

» Comes with email support, directly from the designer.


SPACIOUS, INTEGRATED DESIGN

The Garden Loft is a large, raised henhouse loft that spans the full width of the coop, opening into a secure, covered, fully enclosed run. Everything is within easy reach for care and cleaning. And because the run is integrated with the henhouse, your chickens are free to move between the spaces as they please — no need to go let them in and out every morning and night!


FULL-SIZED. FULLY SECURE.

From the ground up, the Garden Loft protects your chickens from predators, pests, and the weather. The frame is wrapped with with heavy-duty hardware cloth and plywood siding, and you can customize this any way that you like. There's a hardware cloth ceiling above the henhouse and run and a hardware cloth skirt at the base, which deters rodents and predators from digging in while leaving the ground inside the run open for your chickens to scratch in.


EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN A COOP. EVERY STEP EXPLAINED.

We designed The Garden Loft so you could build it with easy-to-find materials — and the plans show you how to make the most of them all. They spell out exactly what you need to buy or borrow and exactly what to do with it. So you get a stunning, professional-looking coop at a much more doable do-it-yourself price.


BUILD WITH CONFIDENCE

When you set out with any of our original design plans, you not only get responsive email support from the designer, but you also enjoy the benefit of the collective knowledge, ideas, and examples from our large and ever-growing community of builders.


MORE DETAILS. . .

ACCESSING YOUR DOWNLOAD:
After your purchase, a link will be made available to you for downloading your files. If you have any trouble accessing your files or your file-open password, please follow the easy steps shared by Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949. Feel free to contact us as well.

DIMENSIONS:
Outer, about 11.5'w x 9'd x 8.5'h (3.6 x 2.75 x 2.6 m). Henhouse, 34.5 sq ft (3.2 sq meter). Integrated enclosed/covered run, 102 sq ft (9.5 sq meter). You also want to leave about 2–3 feet of working space on all sides.

Each of the 4 nest boxes measures 15.5"w x 12"d x 15"h (395 x 305 x 380 mm). Total roost length in the henhouse is 19' (5.75 m); in the run, 22.5' (6.8 m).

HOW MANY CHICKENS:
The Garden Loft will comfortably house up to 16 hens, or you can add run space for more. There is actually enough roost space in both the henhouse and run to accommodate 20+ hens in each area, so you have some flexibility if you want to grow your flock.

COST AND MATERIALS:
The coop is made primarily of lumber, hardware cloth, polycarbonate roofing, plywood siding, paint/stain, etc. and the hardware to bring it all together. Purchased new at a big-box store like The Home Depot or Lowe's, these materials should run you roughly $1,800–$2,350 USD, pre-tax (priced at $2,100 in January 2024). A complete, detailed materials list is in the plan — as well as info on ordering a pre-packaged hardware quick kit.

TIME TO BUILD:
If you've read through the plan, have your materials together, and allow time for treating or sealing the wood, you could build The Garden Loft in about 2 weeks. That's if you stay busy and are working mostly alone. Help from a friend or two should speed things along. And of course, factor in some extra time for any changes or additions you make to the design.

TOOLS:
This plan is written for beginners, though some prior DIY experience is helpful given the scope of the project. The cuts are straightforward, and the tools are pretty standard ones that you likely either have or can easily borrow or buy. Here's the tool list from the plan:

» Circular saw
» Power drill/driver, with various bits
» Tape measurer at least 25' (7.5 m) long
» Standard level and optional cross-check level
» Pencils
» Sawhorses
» Handsaw
» Hammer
» Pliers
» Combination square or speed square
» Clamps (2) with at least a 6" (150 mm) capacity
» Wire/metal snips that can handle 19-gauge wire or heavier
» Shovel
» Bow rake
» Step ladder
» Sanding block and sandpaper, or a power sander
» Paintbrush
» Dropcloth
» Rubber mallet
» Personal protective gear: work gloves, eye & ear protection, dust mask/respirator, work boots, etc.
» Pneumatic narrow crown stapler, with compressor (optional, but helpful given the size of the project)
» An extra pair of hands, on occasion

CLIMATE:
You'll find The Garden Loft to be an ideal chicken house in just about every climate. Our open-air designs have proven themselves from sunny Florida, Australia, and Texas to chilly Wisconsin, Alaska, Germany, and even the Rockies (at an altitude of 7,000 feet!).

That's because what chickens need most of all is proper ventilation and fresh air. In the winter, the enclosed henhouse section of The Garden Loft offers refuge from the bitterest cold, and you can easily add extra shading, windows, electric heat and light, or whatever your climate demands.



NOTE: The Garden Coop LLC is the legal copyright holder of the content on this shop and in our plans, including all designs, photos, descriptions, and text. It is intended solely for the use of the purchaser and may be printed for personal use only. No images or content from this Etsy shop or our eBooks and plans may be published, resold, shared, or distributed without written consent from the copyright holder. (That's us.)


More questions? Please convo me anytime!