A hoop house is a simple tunnel of bent hoops and plastic that shelters crops from wind, rain, and early frost. It costs far less than glass, and it can be built in a weekend. This free planner takes your tunnel length, width, and hoop spacing. It works out how many hoops you need, the tunnel area, and the total bed length inside.
What this tool does
This free hoop house layout planner runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server, and nothing is stored online. You open the page, enter your own measurements, and the plan appears at once, with a simple drawing of the layout below the result. You can try again as often as you like, which makes it easy to test a bigger or smaller layout before you buy soil, pots, or timber. A short plan like this beats guessing, because a garden built on guesses often wastes space, water, and plants in the first season.
How to use it
Start by measuring the real space you have, not a rough guess: length, width, and height in the same units. Enter those numbers in order, then press the calculate button and read every result line, not just the total. If a line looks wrong, change one input at a time and run the tool again, so you can see exactly which input moved the result. Check the drawing too, because it shows whether the layout fits the space you measured. Save or copy the final numbers before you shop, while they are fresh.
Reading your result
The result lines break the plan into parts, so you can check each part against your space and your budget. A total alone rarely tells the full story, but a total built from visible parts does. If a result surprises you, trust the maths first and check your inputs second: most garden surprises come from a mistyped number, mixed units, or a measurement taken from the wrong side of a bed or sill. Fix the input, not the plan, and run it again.
Worked example
Try a tunnel 6 metres long and 3 metres wide, with hoops every 1.5 metres and 2 beds inside. Hoops are 6 divided by 1.5, plus one end hoop, which is 5. Tunnel area is 6 times 3, which is 18 square metres. Total bed length is 2 times 6, which is 12 metres. That leaves a central path about right for a wheelbarrow.
Why this matters for a gardener
Tunnel planning keeps a cheap structure strong. Hoop spacing decides whether plastic sags under rain or holds through a storm, and bed layout decides whether you can work inside without trampling crops. A planned tunnel also fits organic growing well: warm, sheltered beds with good airflow give steady crops without heated glass, and a door at each end helps venting on hot days.
Gardening tips
Anchor hoops deep, and pull plastic tight so wind cannot flap it loose. Add a door frame at each end, even if one door stays shut most days, because airflow saves crops in summer. Roll up the sides on hot days, and close them before a cold night. Replace torn plastic early, before a small tear runs the full length.
Common questions
Is this tool really free? Yes. It runs in your browser, needs no account, and has no sign-up step. You can use it as often as you like, for as many garden plans as you like.
Is the result exact for my garden? No. It is a planning estimate from the numbers you enter. Sun, wind, drainage, and local frost dates also affect real results, so check those on site before you build or plant.
Who is it made for? Home gardeners, balcony growers, and small-space growers who want a clear plan before they spend money on soil, pots, or timber.
Spanish version: Diseño de Túnel de Cultivo Para Huertos Ecológicos