9 Supplies for Building a New Chicken Coop

Building a chicken coop is more than just a weekend project; it’s about creating a safe, durable home that will protect your flock from predators and the elements for years to come. The difference between a flimsy shack that lasts a season and a sturdy coop that becomes a permanent farm fixture often comes down to the tools you use. Having the right equipment doesn’t just make the job easier—it makes a better, safer, and longer-lasting result possible.

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Planning Your Coop: Essential First Steps

Before a single piece of wood is cut, the most critical work happens on paper and in your yard. First, determine your ideal flock size, not just for today but for two years from now. A common mistake is building too small; a good rule of thumb is to allow for at least 4 square feet of indoor space per standard-sized bird and 10 square feet in the run. Overcrowding leads to stress, illness, and pecking issues.

Next, consider your coop’s location carefully. It needs a spot with good drainage to avoid becoming a muddy mess. Morning sun is excellent for warmth, but access to afternoon shade is crucial in hot climates to prevent heat stress. Finally, don’t start without a solid plan. Whether you buy a set of plans online or draw your own, having precise measurements and a clear cut list will save you countless hours, reduce material waste, and prevent the frustration of re-cutting and re-building sections that don’t fit.

Circular Saw – DEWALT 20V MAX 7-1/4-Inch Saw

A reliable circular saw is the heart of a coop-building project, responsible for turning a pile of lumber into a functional frame. It handles everything from cross-cutting 2x4s for the walls to ripping down plywood sheets for sheathing and siding. Without one, you’re left with the slow, exhausting work of a handsaw, which makes achieving straight, square cuts nearly impossible.

The DEWALT 20V MAX is the right tool for this job because of its blend of power and freedom. Its cordless design means you aren’t dragging a cord across the yard, getting it tangled on sawhorses or scrap wood. The 7-1/4-inch blade is the standard size for a reason; it can cleanly slice through 2x dimensional lumber in a single pass. This saw has enough power to handle pressure-treated lumber for the base and tough plywood without bogging down, making for a faster and safer workflow.

Before you start, make sure you have at least one fully charged battery, though having a second one ready to go is a smart move to avoid downtime. The blade that comes with the saw is decent for rough framing, but upgrading to a blade with more teeth will give you cleaner cuts on siding and trim. This saw is a serious investment, but its utility extends to nearly every building project on a small farm, making it a purchase you won’t regret.

Cordless Drill – Milwaukee M18 Compact Drill/Driver

If the circular saw is the heart of the project, the cordless drill is the muscle. You will drive hundreds, if not thousands, of screws to assemble the frame, attach the roof, install hardware cloth, and hang doors and nesting boxes. A good drill saves your wrist, speeds up the work immensely, and ensures every connection is tight and secure.

The Milwaukee M18 Compact Drill/Driver is an outstanding choice for its legendary durability and performance. On a farm, tools get dropped, left in the sun, and covered in dust—this drill is built to handle it. Its M18 battery system provides long-lasting power, so you can work for hours without needing a recharge. The compact frame is also a key feature, allowing you to maneuver easily inside the coop’s frame to drive screws in awkward corners.

To get the most out of this tool, invest in a quality set of driver bits, especially star-drive (Torx) bits that match your exterior screws. Having two batteries is essential; one can charge while the other is in use. This drill is perfect for the homesteader building a robust tool collection, as the M18 battery platform powers a huge range of other useful farm tools. For someone building a simple kit coop, it might be overkill, but for a scratch build, it’s indispensable.

Speed Square – Swanson Tool Co. 7-inch Speed Square

Accuracy in construction starts with accurate marks, and that’s the speed square’s entire purpose. This simple triangle is a builder’s best friend, used for quickly marking perfectly straight 90-degree lines for cross-cuts and 45-degree lines for braces. It also serves as a guide for your circular saw, ensuring your cuts are truly square—the foundation of a structure that isn’t wobbly or crooked.

The Swanson Speed Square is the original and remains the benchmark for a reason. Made from a solid piece of heavy-gauge aluminum alloy, it won’t bend, break, or lose its accuracy when dropped. Its deeply etched markings are easy to read in bright sunlight and won’t wear off over time. Beyond marking lines, it includes degree markings for angled cuts and can be used to find the pitch of your roof.

This tool has virtually no learning curve for its basic functions, and its small size means it lives in your tool belt. For a few dollars, it provides more value than almost any other tool in your kit. There is no project involving cutting lumber that doesn’t require a speed square. It is an absolute essential for everyone, from first-time builders to seasoned carpenters.

Box Level – Stabila Type 80 AS-2 48-Inch Level

A level ensures your coop is built straight and true, which is about more than just aesthetics. A foundation that isn’t level creates stress on the entire frame, causing doors to bind, windows to fit poorly, and the structure to weaken over time. The level is used at every stage: setting the foundation blocks, plumbing the wall studs so they are perfectly vertical, and leveling the roosting bars.

Stabila levels are the professional standard, known for unmatched accuracy and extreme durability. The vials are guaranteed to never fog, leak, or become inaccurate for life. A 48-inch length is the ideal size for coop building, long enough to span across several wall studs to ensure the entire wall is plumb, yet manageable enough to handle easily. Its sturdy aluminum frame and shock-absorbing end caps mean it can withstand the inevitable drops and bumps of a construction site.

While a smartphone app can find level in a pinch, it’s no substitute for a true box level when framing. You need the length to accurately check surfaces and the physical straightedge to verify your work. This tool is for anyone building a permanent, freestanding coop. If you want your structure to stand strong for a decade or more, a quality level is a non-negotiable investment.

Exterior Screws – Deck-Drive DWP Wood SS Screws

The fasteners you choose are just as important as the lumber. Using the wrong screws—like interior drywall screws—is a recipe for disaster. They will rust and fail within a year or two when exposed to moisture and the ammonia from chicken manure, compromising the entire structure. Proper exterior-rated screws are essential for a coop that will last.

Simpson Strong-Tie’s Deck-Drive DWP screws are an excellent choice for their corrosion resistance and superior driveability. Opt for the stainless steel (SS) version for maximum longevity, especially for the coop floor and areas that will see a lot of moisture. A more budget-friendly but still effective option is the version with a corrosion-resistant coating. The most important feature is the star-drive (Torx) head, which provides a positive, non-slip engagement with the drill bit. This virtually eliminates the stripped screw heads that are a constant frustration with Phillips screws.

Be sure to buy screws in several lengths. You’ll want longer screws (like 3-inch) for joining 2×4 framing and shorter ones (around 1 5/8-inch) for attaching siding and hardware. While they cost more than generic screws, the extra expense is minimal in the context of the whole project and buys you peace of mind that your coop won’t slowly fall apart.

Hardware Cloth – YardGard 1/2-Inch Galvanized Cloth

This is the single most important material for keeping your chickens safe. Do not confuse it with chicken wire. Chicken wire is designed only to keep chickens in an area; its thin wire and large hexagonal openings offer zero protection from a determined raccoon, which can tear it open or simply reach through it. Hardware cloth is a rigid, welded wire mesh that keeps predators out.

YardGard is a common, reliable brand, but the key specifications are what matter: a 1/2-inch mesh grid and a galvanized coating. The 1/2-inch spacing is small enough to stop raccoons, weasels, and even large snakes. The galvanized finish protects the steel from rust, ensuring it remains strong for years. It should be used to cover every single opening in your coop, including vents, windows, and any gaps larger than half an inch.

Working with hardware cloth requires patience and protection. The cut edges are incredibly sharp, so wearing a sturdy pair of leather gloves is mandatory. It is best cut with tin snips or angle grinder. This material is an absolute necessity for every chicken keeper. Skimping on this is the most common and tragic mistake a new coop-builder can make.

A Quick Tip for Predator-Proofing Your Coop

Even with a secure structure, digging predators like foxes, coyotes, and raccoons can be a threat. They will often try to dig under the walls of the coop or run to gain access. A simple and highly effective deterrent is to create a "predator apron" around the entire perimeter of your coop and run.

To do this, use the same 1/2-inch hardware cloth you used for the vents. After your coop walls are up, dig a shallow trench about 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide around the outside base. Cut a 24-inch wide strip of hardware cloth. Secure the top 12 inches vertically against the base of the coop, then bend the remaining 12 inches outward at a 90-degree angle to lay flat in the bottom of the trench. Secure it with landscape staples and backfill the trench with dirt or gravel. When a predator tries to dig down at the wall, it will hit this buried wire barrier and give up.

Heavy-Duty Stapler – Arrow T50 Heavy Duty Staple Gun

Attaching hundreds of square feet of hardware cloth to a wood frame with screws and washers is a slow, tedious process. A heavy-duty staple gun makes the job dramatically faster and more efficient. It allows you to quickly and securely fasten the mesh to your window frames, vents, and the predator apron, placing staples every few inches for a tight, impenetrable barrier.

The Arrow T50 is a classic, no-frills tool that gets the job done. Its all-steel construction is tough enough to survive the worksite, and it has enough power to drive staples deep into standard pine framing lumber. Its simple, reliable mechanism means it rarely jams when used with quality staples. It’s a purely manual tool, so it requires a firm grip and some hand strength, but its effectiveness is undeniable.

For the best results, use stainless steel staples, especially for areas exposed to rain. Regular steel staples will rust over time, potentially weakening the connection and staining your wood. While a pneumatic stapler is faster, the manual T50 is affordable, portable, and more than sufficient for a single coop-building project. It’s the right tool for anyone who values simplicity and reliability.

Corrugated Roofing – Tuftex SeaCoaster Panels

The coop roof needs to be completely waterproof, durable, and relatively easy for a DIYer to install. While asphalt shingles or metal roofing are options, corrugated panels made from PVC or polycarbonate offer a fantastic combination of simplicity and performance for a small structure.

Tuftex SeaCoaster panels are an excellent pick because they are extremely lightweight, making them easy to lift and position on the roof by yourself. They can be cut to size with the same circular saw you use for the lumber, simplifying the process. Unlike metal, they won’t rust, and unlike shingles, they don’t require a heavy plywood underlayment, which saves on cost and weight. Some translucent versions even allow for diffused sunlight to enter the coop, creating a brighter and more pleasant environment for the chickens.

Installation requires special fasteners—gasketed roofing screws—that have a rubber washer to create a watertight seal at every screw hole. It is crucial to drill pilot holes and drive these screws through the raised part of the corrugation, not in the valleys where water flows. These panels are perfect for the DIY builder who wants a long-lasting, low-maintenance roof without the weight and complexity of other systems.

Safety Glasses – 3M Virtua CCS Protective Eyewear

This is the most important and least expensive tool on the list. Building a coop involves countless opportunities for eye injury, from sawdust being thrown by a circular saw to a wire shard flying off a piece of hardware cloth. A single accident can have permanent consequences, and wearing safety glasses is the simple, effective way to prevent it.

The 3M Virtua CCS glasses are a significant upgrade over the cheap, scratch-prone glasses often found at checkout counters. Their wraparound design provides better peripheral protection, and the lenses feature an anti-fog coating, which is incredibly helpful when you’re working hard on a humid day. The "CCS" model includes a removable foam gasket that seals the area around your eyes, offering superior protection from fine dust.

These glasses should be on your face from the moment you start cutting wood to the moment you sweep up. There are no exceptions. They are comfortable enough to wear for hours and cheap enough that there is no excuse not to own a pair. This is a mandatory piece of equipment for every single person on the build site.

Assembling Your Toolkit for a Job Well Done

Building a chicken coop from scratch is a deeply rewarding project that connects you directly with the well-being of your animals. The process itself, however, can be either a source of pride or a series of frustrations. The difference often lies in having the right tools for the job before you begin. A sharp saw, a powerful drill, and accurate measuring tools don’t just speed up the work; they enable a higher standard of craftsmanship.

Investing in quality tools means you can make straight cuts, drive screws without stripping them, and build a frame that is square, level, and strong. This translates directly into a coop that is safer from predators, more resilient to weather, and a healthier environment for your flock. While the initial cost may be higher, these tools will serve you for countless other projects around the farm or homestead for years to come, making them a wise and practical investment in your self-sufficiency.

When your flock finally moves into their new home, the satisfaction comes from knowing you built it right, with the right equipment. A solid coop is the foundation of a healthy, happy flock, and it all starts with having the proper tools in hand. Now, get ready to build a structure that will serve you and your chickens well for many seasons.