Address search by Nominatim, © OpenStreetMap contributors.
3. Draw your yard
Click or tap each corner, then click the first point (or press Finish) to close the shape.
After you draw your lot, tap the lot edge along the street. Then Coop Ready knows your front, side and rear lines. On a corner lot, tap both street edges.
Distance rules used
Filled in from your city's rules. Change a number to test a different reading or a rule for your exact lot. Leave a box empty if there is no rule.
4. Drop in a coop
5. Share or print
The plan file keeps your drawing, city and settings, so you can carry on on another device. GeoJSON opens in mapping apps.
Your coop check
Based on your sketch. Lines drawn on satellite imagery can be several feet off, so measure on the ground before you build.
- Pick your city, find your home and draw your lot to start.
Planning aid only. Satellite imagery and hand-drawn lines are not a survey, and Coop Ready cannot see zoning, HOA rules, easements or every local exception. Your plan is saved in this browser only. Confirm with your city before you build.
How it works
What Coop Ready measures
You draw your yard. Coop Ready measures the gaps your city cares about and compares them with its rules.
- Coop to lot line: the shortest gap to the edge of your lot
- Coop to neighbor's house: the gap to the closest home next door
- Coop to your house: some cities set this too
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Pick your city
Its hen limit, rooster, permit and coop distance rules load in.
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Draw your yard
Click the corners of your lot, your house and the house next door, then tap the lot edge along the street.
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Drop in a coop
Place a coop and run at their real size, then drag them where you want.
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Get your check
See each rule marked OK, close or too close. Then share or print a site plan.
Reading your results
- Looks OK on your sketch for that rule.
- Close call, or part of the rule can't be measured yet (mark the street side of your lot so Coop Ready knows your rear line).
- Too close: the sketch breaks the rule. Move the coop.
Lines drawn on satellite photos can be a few feet off, so measure on the ground before you build.
Space per hen, rule of thumb
For standard-size hens. Work out your flock with the coop size calculator.
Questions
How far does a coop have to be from my house or my neighbor's?
It depends on the city. Some set no distance for a small flock, many use 10 to 25 feet, and a few require 50 to 100 feet from a neighbor's home. Look up your city to see its rule and the source.
Can I print a site plan for my permit?
Yes, free. "Free permit site plan" makes a one-page drawing with your lot, house, neighbor's house, coop and run, the distances marked, a north arrow, a scale bar, your city's rules and a signature line. Type in your name and parcel number, then print it or save it as a PDF. It is drawn from satellite imagery, so it is not a survey; if your city wants a surveyed plot plan, use it as your starting sketch.
How do I share my plan?
Press "Share my plan" to get a link. Your drawing is packed into the link itself, so anyone who opens it sees your lot, house, coop and run and can change their own copy. Your street address is not in the link.
Is my plan saved? Is anything sent to you?
Your plan is saved in this browser only, and your drawing is never sent to Cooped Up Life. The address you search goes to OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service to find it on the map. To check city limits, the map point of your lot (not your address) goes through our server to the US Census Bureau; we do not log it. To move your plan to another device, use "Save plan to a file" and open it there.
How does Coop Ready know which city's rules apply?
When you find your home or draw your lot, Coop Ready checks the spot against US Census Bureau city boundaries and picks that city's rules for you. This matters because a mailing address can say one city while the house sits outside its limits, in unincorporated county land with different rules. If your spot is in a city or county we have not covered yet, Coop Ready tells you so instead of guessing.
What is the green safe zone?
It is the part of your yard that clears every distance rule: lot lines, your house and your neighbor's house. Keep the whole coop inside it. Mark the street side of your lot so the front, side and rear lines each get their own number; until you do, Coop Ready uses the strictest number on every line, so the zone is on the safe side.
Can I change the distances Coop Ready uses?
Yes. Open "Distance rules used" in the panel. The numbers come from your city's rules, and you can change any of them to test a different reading, a variance or a rule for your exact lot. If your city is not listed, type in your city's numbers and the checks and safe zone use them.
Can I get a drawing of the coop itself?
Yes, free. "Free coop layout drawing" turns the coop and run sizes and your hen count into a top-view layout with nest boxes, roost bars, doors, vents, a feeder and waterer, and the space math for your flock. Download it as SVG or PNG, or print it or save it as a PDF. You can also use the free coop floor plan maker on its own.
