How to build a wooden dog kennel

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. This walk-through draws on the popular UK video "Making a Wooden Dog Kennel - DIY Dog Crate", which shows a solid timber construction method and covers the detailing needed to keep a kennel weathertight and comfortable.

1. Work out the right size for your dog

The kennel should be big enough for your dog to stand up fully without their head touching the roof, turn around in a full circle, and lie stretched out. That is the minimum. Going a bit bigger is fine, but a very large kennel for a small dog loses its warmth quickly - the dog cannot heat the space.

As a rough guide: measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail for the internal depth. Add 30% to that for the internal width. For height, measure from the ground to the top of the head when sitting, then add about 150 mm clearance. The door opening needs to be at least as wide as the dog's shoulders and tall enough to walk through without ducking badly.

2. Choose the right timber and materials

Use pressure-treated softwood throughout - C16 or C24 structural timber for the frame, and exterior-grade plywood (9 mm or 12 mm) for the walls, floor, and roof deck. Untreated timber will rot within a couple of years outdoors, especially in the wet English climate.

Do not use MDF, chipboard, or OSB for any part that might get wet. Tongue-and-groove cladding boards are a good alternative to ply for the walls - they look smart and can be replaced individually if damaged later. Fix everything with exterior-grade screws, not nails, so the kennel can be taken apart and repaired.

3. Build the floor frame first

The floor needs to be raised off the ground to keep it dry and prevent the underside from rotting. Build a simple rectangular frame from 47 mm x 75 mm treated timber, with cross-members every 400 mm or so for support. Screw the frame together with corner brackets for rigidity.

Screw exterior-grade plywood onto the top of the frame. Once built, treat the underside of the whole floor assembly with exterior wood preservative before it goes down, as this is the hardest area to reach later. Adding short legs or runners to the frame lifts it off the ground and allows air circulation - this alone dramatically extends the life of the floor.

4. Frame and clad the walls

Build each wall as a flat frame of 47 mm x 47 mm treated timber, with uprights at corners and at roughly 400 mm centres. The front wall needs the door opening framed out - cut the header and the cill to the right height and width, and add a short upright on each side of the opening for the jamb fixings.

Clad the outside of each wall frame with your chosen material - ply or t&g boards. Stagger the board joints if using t&g, and leave a 2 to 3 mm expansion gap between boards. Fix walls to the floor frame using screws from inside, toe-screwing through the bottom plate into the floor frame around the perimeter. Check each wall for square before tightening fully.

5. Build and fit the roof

A simple pitched (lean-to or apex) roof sheds water better than a flat one, which will pool and rot. For a lean-to, cut the back wall slightly taller than the front to create a slope - 25 to 30 mm of fall per 300 mm of run is enough to shed water in heavy rain.

Build a simple roof frame with rafters at 400 mm centres, clad with exterior ply. Overhang the roof by at least 50 mm on all sides so water does not run straight down the walls. Cover the ply with roofing felt (torch-on or self-adhesive) or corrugated bitumen sheet, starting from the lowest edge and lapping each course over the one below by at least 75 mm. Tack down with clout nails through the felt onto the ply.

6. Weatherproof and finish the timber

Once assembled, treat all exposed timber surfaces with a good exterior wood preservative or microporous paint. Pay particular attention to end grain - this is where water enters and rot starts. Apply two coats, allowing the first to dry fully before the second.

Check the door opening is square and fits the dog. A simple door is not always necessary - many kennels work fine with an open entrance and a draught-excluding flap of thick rubber or heavy canvas hanging from the top of the opening. If you do fit a door, hang it with exterior hinges and use a simple hook-and-eye catch so it cannot blow shut on the dog.

7. Position the kennel and add bedding

Sit the kennel in a sheltered spot - ideally against a fence or wall that breaks the prevailing wind. In Sandwich and East Kent, the wind often comes from the south-west, so face the entrance away from that direction where you can. Keep the kennel off lawns and soft ground where it can sink and trap moisture underneath.

Line the inside with wood shavings, straw, or a dedicated kennel mat. Avoid damp-retaining materials like old blankets or towels left out in all weathers. Check the kennel every few months, especially after winter, for any signs of rot at the floor or wall joints.

When to call a handyman

Building a dog kennel is a good DIY project if you are comfortable with basic carpentry. If you want something larger, need it built to match existing garden structures, or want a kennel with a run attached, call Richard. A properly built outdoor kennel takes a full day and requires a level base, the right materials, and some care with the weatherproofing details.