House Wren birdhouse dimensions & cut list
The exact entrance hole, floor size, depth, and mounting height for a House Wren nest box — plus a cut-list generator for your lumber and a printable diagram.
Quick-answer dimensions
Cut-list generator
Printable dimension diagram
Placement & mounting
| Mounting height | 5-10 ft |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Yards, gardens, thickets, woodland edges near shrubs. |
| Placement notes | Mount within ~100 ft of shrubs/woody cover, with open flying space at the entrance (NestWatch). Wrens are not fussy about facing direction and will pack the box with twigs. |
Materials & cautions
Materials checklist
- 3/4 in untreated cedar or pine (~1x6 board, ~3 ft)
- 1 1/4 in galvanized or exterior deck screws
- 1 in spade/Forstner bit
- Drainage gaps at the floor corners; small high vent slots
Cautions
- Males build multiple 'dummy' stick nests; expect heavy twig fill.
- A 1 in hole keeps out House Sparrows.
- No perch.
Sources & how the cut list is computed
The biological requirements above (entrance hole 1 in round, floor 5.5x5.5 in, interior depth 8 in, entrance 5 in above the floor, mounting 5-10 ft) are taken from the sources below and last reviewed 2026-06-18.
Data basis: NestWatch 'Right Bird, Right House' — House Wren (1 in hole, 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 in floor, 8 in interior depth, 5-10 ft height, any facing, ~100 ft spacing), fetched 2026-06-18.
The interactive cut-list is DETERMINISTIC GEOMETRY, not an official plan. It assumes a simple back-mounted butt-joint box: the front and back panels overlap the two side panels (front/back width = interior floor width + 2x board thickness), the side panels fit between them (side run = interior floor depth), the floor sits inside (interior floor width x depth), and the roof overhangs. Heights come from the species cavity depth; a sloped roof makes the back panel taller than the front by the chosen slope. It is labeled a STARTING cut list; users should verify against the linked official plan and their own joinery.
Hobby-woodworking and backyard-habitat information only. Not wildlife-rescue, veterinary, or medical advice. Follow local regulations; for native cavity-nesters, monitor responsibly and control invasive House Sparrows and European Starlings per local guidance.