We chose to build our chicken coop from plans we got off the internet from a fellow in Seattle. Here is a link to his site: http://www.thegardencoop.com/. We think the finished coop is just beautiful, and it was so fun to have built it from the ground up. It took us two full weekends, and mainly involved Kevin, my Dad, and our neighbor Jay. 
Here is the pile of wood that eventually became the finished coop. 
My Dad had done quite a bit of work on his own down in Saratoga before the official "work weekend" in San Francisco. He built the nesting boxes (and then had to rebuild them after finding out they were too big for the hen house!) and a plank walkway that the chickens use to climb into their henhouse. He also brought up some of the walls for the hen house with the paneled siding already attached to plywood.
Here is a picture of the guys planning and recalculating. They did as much planning and calculating as they did drilling and sawing. The coop plans were for a larger coop than we wanted to build, so they needed to recalculate lots of measurements. Sometimes, they even needed to redo a few cuts -- ooops!
Pics of Roan and Elsa getting in on the action. It was a beautiful weekend -- typical late summer/early fall in SF with sunny days, turning into foggy windy afternoons. Mom and Dad got to experience the Jeckyll and Hyde weather in San Francisco this time of year, when you can be in a tank top at 3:00, but need to put on a sweater and windbreaker by 4:00, as the wind kicks up and pulls the fog in off the ocean in the late afternoon.
Jay and his son Cobalt helping with construction. We couldn't have done the coop building without Jay's help. He has so much experience with home construction projects -- and he has all the tools. Love that table saw!
The idea to build a chicken coop on our own was inspired by my Dad, who has built all manner of things throughout his life. He built my brother's childhood bed in the shape of a truck, with a toy box under the hood of the truck's "engine," and a secret hiding compartment in the side. He built a Boston-Tea-Party Boat tricycle float for a 4th of July parade. He built our dog house, our rabbit hutch, a tree fort, a playhouse... the list goes on and on. Every summer he and my mom take on a new project at their cabin in Minnesota. From watching him I learned that it is fun to plan, design, and build things. Working on projects with my Dad is a wonderful way for us to spend time together. These memories are special to me. 
The coop was built in a part of the yard that used to be covered by a large, overgrown camellia bush. The bush is still there -- we built the coop around it! I wonder if it will bloom this winter?
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