Is Building Dog Houses Profitable? (Solved & Explained!)

Making dog houses can be profitable, but most often custom work of this sort is going to be better suited as a side business, rather than a career.

Your profit margin with a dog house is generally going to be around 65%, so when you start getting into custom work you’ll have to be very careful as certain upgrades can really cut into your profits.

That said, if you manage to design a line that can be easily mass-produced, there are certainly opportunities to market these – just expect things to be slow in the beginning.

You’ve got to design them, market them, and get a lot of attention before you can generate the kind of demand that will turn your dog houses into a full-time business.

In this article, we’re going to answer popular questions trending on the web about building and marketing doghouses. How do you advertise custom dog houses? What can you do to ‘modernize’ them when building a better doghouse?

Read on for the answer to these questions and more – the details are waiting for you below!

Is there a market for custom dog houses?

Yes, there is a market for dog houses, and clever and attractive designs can command a pretty penny. Keep in mind that anywhere from 68 to 70% of American households have pets, so if you think that you can build a better doghouse then it might just be lucrative indeed!

How do I advertise custom dog houses?

The easiest and one of the most effective ways to advertise is going to be on social media resources such as Facebook.

Here you can attract attention by making videos showcasing your houses or even various parts of the construction process to attract DIYers and potential buyers alike, while showing off the quality of your work.

Do a search for your city name and the name of any areas you will be working with and type ‘dogs’ and you’ll see a number of groups. Just make sure before you join and advertise that you read their rules – not all groups allow advertisements and you don’t want to get banned.

There are plenty of groups that will allow it and you can generate a lot of business there.

Where can I sell custom dog houses?

Aside from social media, you can sell doghouses at venues such as flea markets, you can create an online store on your own, or use online selling options such as Etsy or Amazon. You can even check with local ‘mom and pop’ pet businesses and often work out a deal to distribute your houses there.

Get creative and make sure that people know you are there – people love getting unique and quality goods for their beloved pets and once people take notice, you might be able to sell quite a few custom doghouses.

Do I need a license to sell custom dog houses?

Yes, you are going to need a business license to sell custom doghouses or any doghouses, for that matter. A simple business license will be needed and you can also open a business bank account to keep track of your finances more easily.

After that, you’ll be ready to do business!

How much would it cost to build a doghouse?

The cost of building a doghouse is going to vary. A basic doghouse might cost you about 70$ to make, including materials such as wood, insulation, roof shingles, and non-toxic paint, but when you are producing more than one then buying your materials in bulk is going to save you a lot on your costs.

Aside from the basic design of your houses, extras such as electrical heating or AC, superior insulation, and other extras will definitely drive the price up, so to make things more manageable you should start off small.

Make a small, medium, large, and ‘deluxe extra large’ size and establish a baseline cost for these, decide what you want to sell them for, and make an itemized list of available upgrades and costs.

Generally with doghouses your profit margin is around 65%, and extras can really affect this depending on how easily you can get the materials. Setting a baseline will give you a proper perspective specific to the type of doghouses that you intend to provide.

Should dog houses be insulated?

You’ll want your doghouses to have at least basic insulation, otherwise they won’t be much warmer than the outside when it’s cold and they can also get quite hot in the summer as well.

Simple fiberglass insulation works and you can also offer an upgrade to superior insulation, which can make a dog house as much as 25 degrees warmer inside during the winter months and much cooler in the summer.

Whatever you choose, don’t skip insulation in your custom doghouse models – just settle on a basic kind and offer upgrades.

What modern amenities can you add to a doghouse?

There are a surprising number of amenities that you could add to a doghouse. Heating lamps, heaters and air conditions, a warming base – get creative! Many of these products, such as dog heating and AC are currently available commercially and you can likely get a discount on bulk purchases.

This will let you go a little wild with designs and if they are unique enough and people can find them, you’re going to generate interest.

Should doghouses have windows?

Windows are great for doghouses, as they not only give the dog a view of the outside, but they can often be opened for extra ventilation. Additional insulation is a good idea to help make up for lost energy from the window, however, though you might just tint the glass a little to reduce the impact.

What can I use for dog house roof?

Treat it like you would with a regular house and you can really build a solid, quality roof. A tar paper layer should go on first to help keep out water and after that, overlapping shingles will make sure that it rolls right off of the house.

Just be mindful when building the roof of your ventilation placement. You don’t want water to end up getting in the ventilation holes, but that’s easy to avoid with a little planning and a careful eye.

Should dog house roofs be removable?

A great option to include in your custom homes is a removable roof. There are different ways to implement this, so DIY types out there can have a lot of fun with it!

At it’s most basic you could have one side attached to a securing pivot, with latches on the opposite side, so that the roof may be lifted and you need a means of supporting that roof on the other side it it doesn’t simply rest on the ground.

This kind of accessibility makes it easier to clean the doghouse from the inside as-needed and it’s a nifty feature that your customers are sure to appreciate.

Kevin "Ken" Davies

My name is Ken and I’m one of the staff writers at Petloverguy.com. I’ve cared for pets most of my life starting with hamsters, turtles, and snakes. Then moving up to parakeets, guinea pigs, and even ducks.
I currently live with two yorkies and a chihuahua mix.