Chicken Coop Ideas: 14 Walk-In Designs by Style and Size
The best chicken coop ideas start with flock size, not looks. A walk-in coop for 15 to 20 hens usually needs a coop of about 8' x 12' to 10' x 12' plus an attached covered run, and almost any roof style, from a red barn to an Alpine chalet, can be built around that footprint. Below are 14 walk-in coop designs from our plan library, grouped by style and size, with the real dimensions and flock sizes from each plan.
Every design here is a full walk-in build: you can stand up inside to clean, collect eggs and refill water. If you are still deciding between that and a smaller raised coop, read our walk-in vs raised chicken coop comparison first.
How do you choose a chicken coop design?
Pick the size first, then the style. The roof shape changes how the coop looks and how it sheds snow and rain, but the floor area decides how many hens it can hold.
- Count your hens, then add a few for the flock growth that almost always happens.
- Choose a coop and run size that fits that number. Our chicken coop size guide for 3 to 20 hens walks through the math.
- Decide where the run goes: in front, behind, beside or wrapped around the coop. That is a layout question, covered in our chicken coop layout guide.
- Only then pick the roof style and siding that suit your yard and house.
Chicken coop ideas at a glance
All sizes below come from the plans themselves. The material cost column only shows figures that are printed in the plan listing; where a listing does not give one, it says unknown.
| Design | Coop | Run or extra space | Flock size | Estimated materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor roof red barn | 12' x 8' | 16' x 8' run | 15-20 hens | $4,300-$5,800 |
| Bellcast cottage | 12' x 8' | 16' x 8' run | 15-20 hens | $4,000-$5,400 |
| Cross-gable farmhouse | 12' x 8' | 8' x 16' run wing | 15-20 hens | $3,900-$5,300 |
| Step-gable barn | 12' x 8' | 16' x 8' run | 15-20 hens | $3,700-$5,000 |
| Saltbox | 10' x 9' | 16' x 9' run | 15-20 hens | $3,900-$5,200 |
| A-frame | 10' x 10' | 16' x 10' run | 15-20 hens | unknown |
| Alpine chalet | 12' x 10' | 4' x 10' porch | 15-20 hens | unknown |
| Gambrel barn with cupola | 8' x 10' | 15' 11" x 10' run | 15-20 hens | unknown |
| Hayloft barn | 8' x 8' | 12' x 8' run | 12-16 hens | unknown |
| Cedar shingle cottage | 8' x 10' | 12' x 10' run | 15-20 hens | unknown |
| Clerestory with garden run | 6' 8-1/2" x 10' | three-bay garden run | about 10 hens | unknown |
| Red gable with two-part run | 12' x 12' | 29' 9-7/8" run in two parts | 30-40 hens | unknown |
| Breezeway with feed room | 12' x 14' | 18' x 14' run, 6' x 14' feed room | 30-40 hens | unknown |
| Coop and shed combo | 12' x 12' | 14' x 12' run, 8' x 12' shed | 20-25 hens | $8,500-$10,900 |
Classic barn chicken coop ideas
Barn styles are the most requested coop look. They suit farmhouses and rural lots, and the tall roofs give room for vents high on the gable walls, where stale air can escape.
Monitor roof red barn (12' x 8' coop)
The raised center roof of our red barn chicken coop plan carries a row of clerestory windows, so light reaches the back of the coop. The 12' x 8' coop and 16' x 8' run sit on a 28' x 8' base, and the 80-page plan is sized for 15 to 20 hens.
Step-gable barn (12' x 8' coop)
Two stepped 9/12 roofs give the step-gable barn style coop a farmhouse barn outline with green siding and white trim. It has the same 28' x 8' base as the red barn and the lowest printed material estimate in this group, about $3,700 to $5,000.
Gambrel barn with cupola (8' x 10' coop)
Our gambrel barn chicken coop plan fits a 10' x 24' footprint with an 8' x 10' coop and a run just under 16' long. A cupola on the ridge and a Dutch door make it look like a small barn, and the run is designed to be predator-safe for 15 to 20 chickens.
Hayloft barn (8' x 20' footprint)
For a smaller flock of 12 to 16 hens, the hayloft barn walk-in coop puts an 8' x 8' coop with its floor 18" off the ground beside a 12' x 8' run. The gambrel roof uses green metal panels over cedar-stained board and batten.
Cottage and farmhouse coop ideas
Cottage designs fit suburban yards where the coop sits close to the house and needs to look finished from the patio. Window boxes, painted trim and shingle roofs do most of the work.
Bellcast cottage (12' x 8' coop)
The flared 12/12 bellcast roof on our cottage chicken coop with run plan is the detail people notice first. Slate-blue siding and cream trim keep it soft, and the coop and 16' x 8' run hold 15 to 20 hens.
Cross-gable farmhouse (L-shaped footprint)
The white farmhouse chicken coop plan turns the run into a side wing, so the whole build is 12' wide and 24' deep in an L shape. It suits a corner of the yard. The cross-gable roof makes it rated intermediate to advanced.
Saltbox (10' x 9' coop)
A saltbox roof has one long slope and one short one. Our saltbox chicken coop with run plan uses it on a 10' x 9' coop with a 16' x 9' run, on a 26' x 9' base that is a little narrower than the barn designs above.
Cedar shingle New England cottage (8' x 10' coop)
Natural cedar shingles, navy doors, a white window box and a louvered cupola give the Nantucket cedar shingle walk-in coop a coastal look. The 10' x 20' footprint holds an 8' x 10' coop and a 12' x 10' run for 15 to 20 hens.
A-frame and chalet coop ideas
Steep roofs shed snow well and look striking, but they cut usable wall height near the eaves. Plan nest boxes and roosts in the center where the headroom is.
A-frame walk-in coop (10' x 26' base)
Our A-frame chicken coop plan combines a 10' x 10' coop and a 16' x 10' run under one roof that rises 13' to the peak. A pentagon window in the gable lights the coop, and the run is fully roofed.
Alpine chalet with porch (12' x 10' coop)
Heart-cut shutters and flower boxes set the chalet chicken coop plan apart. It has a 12' x 10' coop and a 4' x 10' covered porch instead of a run, so it suits 15 to 20 chickens that free-range or use a separate run.
Modern and garden coop ideas
Modern designs use single-slope or monitor roofs, big windows and clean siding. They often double as a garden feature.
Clerestory coop with a garden run (about 10 hens)
The clerestory walk-in coop with garden run joins a bright 6' 8-1/2" x 10' coop to a three-bay covered run, for a total footprint of about 10' x 18' 8-1/2". It is sized for about 10 hens and rated intermediate to advanced.
Large chicken coop ideas for 20 to 40 hens
Once a flock passes 20 birds, storage becomes the bottleneck. The designs below add a feed room, a tool shed or a very long run.
Breezeway coop with feed room (14' x 36')
Our breezeway chicken coop plan lines up a 12' x 14' coop, an 18' x 14' open covered run and a 6' x 14' feed room under one long roof. It is sized for 30 to 40 hens, with an 80-page plan.
Red gable coop with a long two-part run (12' x 12' coop)
The red gable chicken coop plan uses a Scandinavian falu-red look, a Dutch door and a run that steps down in two parts for almost 30' of length. It also suits flocks of 30 to 40 hens.
Coop and storage shed combo (12' x 12' coop)
If you need a place for feed bins and tools, our chicken coop shed combo plan puts a 12' x 12' coop, an 8' x 12' feed and tool shed and a 14' x 12' run under one 36' single-slope roof. It is sized for 20 to 25 hens, with an estimated material cost of about $8,500 to $10,900.
What should every coop design include?
Style is a choice, but a few features are not. Whatever look you choose, check that the plan covers these points:
- Ventilation high on the walls, so moisture leaves without a draft at roost level. See our chicken coop ventilation guide.
- Nest boxes and roosts sized for your flock, as covered in our nesting box and roost height guide.
- Hardware cloth on the run, not chicken wire, and a buried apron or skirt against digging predators.
- A door wide enough for a wheelbarrow or a large scoop when you clean out bedding.
Browse every design in our chicken coop plans collection to compare more sizes.
Images are illustrative renders of the plan design.
FAQ
What is the 90/10 rule for chickens?
It is a feeding guideline: about 90% of what chickens eat should be a complete layer feed, and no more than about 10% should be treats and scraps. Too many treats dilute the protein and calcium hens need for steady laying.
What is the ideal chicken coop layout?
Roosts go along the back or side wall, highest in the coop, with nest boxes lower and in a darker corner. The run attaches to the pop door side, and the human door opens where you can reach feed and water easily. Our coop layout guide compares run positions in detail.
How can I make my chicken coop more interesting?
For you, a distinct roof style, window boxes and painted trim make the coop a garden feature. For the hens, add perches at different heights in the run, a dust-bathing area and a few logs or stumps to climb on.
How many eggs will 4 hens lay a week?
It depends on breed, age and daylight. Productive laying breeds in their first seasons often lay several eggs a week each, and production drops in winter and during molt. Expect noticeably fewer eggs from older hens.
What size coop do I need for 20 chickens?
Most of the walk-in designs above are sized for 15 to 20 hens with a coop of about 8' x 12' or 10' x 10' and a covered run of about 16' long. For 20 to 25 hens, the shed combo and the 12' x 10' layouts in our layout guide give more room.
About the author: KRMPLANS designs DIY building plans for backyard structures, from chicken coops and sheds to greenhouses and cabins. Each plan is an instant-download PDF with step-by-step drawings, a shopping list and a cut list.
