Easy Birdhouse Plans for Beginners: Build a Bird-Friendly House From One Board
A birdhouse is one of the most rewarding beginner projects. It is small, inexpensive and quick, and within a season you might have a family of chickadees or wrens raising their young in something you built. It is also a surprisingly good teacher: you will practice angled cuts, drilling a clean round hole and assembling a box that stays square.
There is one important difference from decorative birdhouses you see in craft stores: a house that birds will actually use needs the right hole size, ventilation, drainage and a way to clean it out. This plan includes all four.
What makes a birdhouse bird-friendly
- Untreated wood: cedar, cypress or pine. Never use pressure-treated lumber.
- The right entrance hole: hole size decides which birds can get in and helps keep larger, aggressive species out.
- No perch: cavity-nesting birds do not need one, and a perch helps predators and competing birds.
- Ventilation and drainage: small gaps under the roof and holes in the floor keep nestlings from overheating or sitting in water.
- A cleanout door: old nests should be removed after the breeding season.
- Rough inside walls: leave the inside unsanded below the hole so fledglings can climb out.
Entrance hole sizes for common backyard birds
- House wren: about 1 to 1-1/8 inch
- Chickadees: about 1-1/8 inch
- Tufted titmouse, nuthatches: about 1-1/4 inch
- Tree swallow, Eastern bluebird: about 1-1/2 inch (bluebirds prefer a slightly larger floor, around 5 x 5 inches)
The plan below has a 4 x 4 inch floor, a good size for wrens, chickadees and titmice. For species-specific dimensions and placement, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch project publishes free, detailed nest box guidelines and is well worth checking for your area.
Materials
- One cedar 1x6 board, 6 feet long (actual size about 3/4 x 5-1/2 inches)
- 1-1/2 inch exterior screws or galvanized deck screws (about 20)
- Two 1-1/2 inch galvanized nails for the pivot door
- Exterior wood glue (optional; do not glue the cleanout side)
- A screw hook or a short piece of wire for latching the door
Tools
- Tape measure, speed square and pencil
- Miter saw, circular saw or hand saw; a jigsaw helps for the peak
- Drill/driver, a 1/4 inch bit and a spade bit or hole saw for the entrance
- Clamps and sandpaper
- Safety glasses and hearing protection
Cut list
- Front and back: 2 pieces at 5-1/2 x 10 inches, with the top cut to a 90-degree peak (see step 2)
- Sides: 2 pieces ripped to 4 inches wide x 6-3/4 inches tall
- Floor: 1 piece at 4 x 4 inches (ripped from an offcut)
- Roof: 1 piece at 5-1/2 x 8 inches and 1 piece at 4-3/4 x 8 inches
All of this fits in one 6-foot board with a little left over.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cut the blanks
Cut the front and back pieces 10 inches long. Rip enough board to 4 inches wide for the two sides and the floor, then cut the sides to 6-3/4 inches and the floor to 4 inches. Cut the two roof pieces to 8 inches long, then rip one of them down to 4-3/4 inches wide.
Step 2: Cut the peak on the front and back
On each front/back piece, mark the center of the top edge. Then mark a point 2-3/4 inches down each long side. Connect the marks to form a 90-degree point and cut along the lines. Stack the two pieces and sand them so they match.
Step 3: Drill the entrance hole
On the front piece, mark the center about 6 inches up from the bottom edge. Clamp the front to a scrap board and drill the hole with a spade bit or hole saw, drilling halfway from each side to avoid tear-out. Sand the edges of the hole smooth. Before assembly, cut a few shallow horizontal grooves on the inside of the front below the hole with a saw, or leave it rough, so young birds can climb up.
Step 4: Prepare the floor
Cut about 1/4 inch off each corner of the floor piece. These small gaps let water drain. You can also drill four 1/4-inch holes through the floor for extra drainage.
Step 5: Assemble the box
Attach the fixed side first. Stand it between the front and back, flush with the back edge and the bottom, and screw through the front and back into the side. The sides are shorter than the front's side edge, which leaves roughly a 1/2-inch gap under the roof for ventilation. Then fit the floor between the front and back, recessed about 1/4 inch from the bottom so the walls drip water past it, and screw it in place through the front, back and fixed side.
Step 6: Install the cleanout door
The second side becomes the door. Set it in place without glue, flush with the bottom edge; the gap at the top lets it swing freely. Drive one nail through the front and one through the back into the door, both at the same height near the top edge. These act as hinges so the door pivots outward from the bottom. Near the bottom, drill a small hole through the front into the door edge and use a screw hook or bent wire as a latch.
Step 7: Attach the roof
Place the narrower roof piece on one slope, flush with the peak, and screw it into the front and back. Place the wider piece on the other slope so it overlaps the edge of the first piece at the peak. The roof overhangs the front to keep rain away from the hole. Glue the roof joint for a tighter seal if you like.
Step 8: Finish (or not)
Cedar weathers well with no finish at all. If you want color, use a light-colored, water-based exterior paint or stain on the outside only; never paint the inside or around the hole. Light colors help keep the box from overheating in the sun.
Where and when to hang your birdhouse
- Mount it on a post or pole with a predator baffle if possible, about 5 to 10 feet high depending on the species.
- Face the entrance away from prevailing winds, and avoid all-day direct sun in hot climates.
- Put it up in late winter or early spring, before nesting season starts.
- After the season, open the door, remove the old nest, and leave it open over winter if you do not want mice moving in.
Common beginner mistakes
- Adding a perch: it is decorative, but it helps predators.
- Using treated wood or interior paint: both can harm birds.
- No ventilation or drainage: nests can overheat or flood.
- Sealing every side: without a cleanout door, the box becomes unusable after one season.
Safety tips
- Small parts are hard to hold safely. Cut small pieces from a longer board, and clamp workpieces when drilling.
- Cedar dust can irritate skin and lungs, so wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding.
- Wear safety glasses and keep fingers well away from the blade.
Next steps
A birdhouse is a fun weekend project to share; see more ideas in our simple wood projects for kids. Birdhouses are also among the easier woodworking projects that sell at craft fairs. For your next build, try our pallet wood projects for beginners or the cedar planter box.