Need advice on foundation for raised coop, location MA, Frost line 32,” Not a forever property

[Chicken Adam]

*Edit* - this is for a raise coop. Coops are considered sheds and with the plans it fall under the condition of not needing a permit.

We are planning for a chicken license as some may know from previous posts. Just found out about Frost Lines. Which is crazy to have to take these in consideration. Frost line for my state is 32.” I was planning a 2-3’ foundation and pest barrier. I will scrap the idea for hardware cloth and only use for any openings there happen to be in the foundation. As I said this property we live on is not a forever property as it is planned that we will all leave at some point in the future. We are naturally hoping for in 5 years. Me, sooner then that as I would like to get married one day and God willing it does not take 5 years to find the women God wants me to marry. So with that said once we move the coop will follow my mother or I to the property we go to next as long as we can have chickens in that town or city.

As it is seen as this will not be here for that long I am seeing what your thoughts are on a few possibilities to what I will do for the foundation.

1) Preferred: dig trench to 3’ deep. Compact soil to ensure level. Lay cinder blocks, cinder caps and then the sill plate. Not sure i should secure the sill to the cinder caps or how. I can also fill in the rest of the open trench with the soil or rocks. Then when we move I can take all the stuff with me after I dismantle the run roof and rest of the open run from the coop. I don’t see doing this as a problem to the structure of the coop as this is a plan for us to take with us to where ever we go next.

2) Dig a 3’+ trench. Lay concrete, then cinder blocks, cinder caps and then the sill plate. Fill in with soil or rocks.

3) About 3’ trench. Can lay cinder blocks on dirt or concrete. Fill some or all holes of cinder blocks supporting the chicken coop and run roof. Then cinder caps and sill plate.

Note: I do prefer not to lay any form of concrete as we don’t plan to be here forever it would be a bitch to have to remove or lower the value of the house if the new owners don’t want to keep chickens as I don’t expect any buyers to want chickens.
Anything anyone says will be taken into consideration as to what I will have planned and take action once i submit we gain a license to have chickens.

Thanks y’all

 

[avjudge]

I don’t know what the requirements are for construction in your area, but all of our agricultural buildings (barn, run in sheds, chickens’ summer coop) are either pole/pier foundation or sit on top of the ground. None have foundation walls.

 

[Penpal]

Look up frost free shallow foundation. I live in Michigan. We built this house. You don't need 3 feet for the foundation.

 

[saysfaa]

Frostline here is 3' (rule of thumb anyway). My coop is on skids. There has been no problem other than I had to move the flat cement block I used as a step the first winter. It heaved up enough to use up the clearance between its top and the bottom of the door.

I didn't bother to put it back the next spring, it was there for a place to put the extra block than because the step needed it.

I'm sure the coop moves up and down some but the coop is small enough and open enough that the whole thing moves the same amount at the same time. Since it isn't connected to anything that moves differently, and it is wood so flexible enough, there is no problems.