A dog house under stairs works best as a simple den: a bed sized to your dog, a gate or vented door, a floor you can mop, and 1/2-inch drywall inside if you close the space in. DIY materials run about $200 to $1,500, and a carpenter’s build about $900 to $3,200. Below are 10 under stairs dog room ideas, plus how to check your space, keep it cool and clean it without crawling in on your stomach.
Before You Build: Is Your Space Right for a Dog House Under Stairs?
Check two things before you pick from the dog house under stairs ideas below: what’s behind the wall, and whether your dog fits.
Check What’s Behind the Wall
Under the stairs there can be many things like a furnace, water heater, ductwork, piping, or wiring, and some of the walls are used for supporting the stairs or landing.
One r/DIY user who constructed an under-the-stairs dog house checked from the coat closet located on the other side: “I cut a small hole in the back of that and then just patched it up.” On a diy dog house under stairs, studs that only back the drywall can usually come out. Anything that carries the stairs or the landing stays unless a builder says otherwise.
On basement stairs, check for damp too. A cold, musty corner isn’t a good bed spot.
Measure Your Dog and the Space
A dog house under stairs has to fit your dog, so start there. The AKC sizes crates this way: measure your dog from nose to tail tip, and from the floor to the top of the head while standing, then add 3 to 4 inches to each.
MidWest’s standard crate sizes make a handy guide. Treat them as minimums:
| Dog’s weight | Crate size | Floor space | Height at the bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 25 lb | 24 in | 24 x 18 in | 19 in |
| 26 to 40 lb | 30 in | 30 x 19 in | 21 in |
| 41 to 70 lb | 36 in | 36 x 23 in | 25 in |
| 71 to 90 lb | 42 in | 42 x 28 in | 30 in |
| 91 to 110 lb | 48 in | 48 x 30 in | 33 in |
Measure the area. Code stairs cannot go up higher than 7-3/4 inches for each 10 inches of tread depth; therefore, the ceiling height will increase by about 3/4 inch per inch of movement backwards. In most homes, the first few feet will be too low for any function except storage. The width is usually not an issue because code stairs are at least 36 inches wide.
Keep your own body size in mind. If you are unable to kneel in the doorway and reach the far wall, you will never clean the space. If the space is too shallow for your dog, put storage there instead, and decorate the wall.
10 Dog House Under Stairs Ideas
These dog house under stairs ideas go from a weekend job to a full build.
1. Open Cubby With a Bed
The simplest version: open up the side of the stairs, finish the inside and add a bed. With no door, your dog can come and go and still see you. It’s the dog nook under stairs one r/Homebuilding poster planned, “a cubby they can go into to feel safe.” No usable stairs? Our dog corner ideas cover nooks elsewhere in the house.
2. Built-In Kennel With a Vented Door
For a crate-trained dog, a dog kennel under stairs is a familiar den. One Reddit commenter suggested an opening with an angled top that follows the stairs, and a maple plywood door with vents cut in. A slatted or barred door works too. You can also buy a ready-made under stairs dog kennel door in your opening’s size.
3. Gated Den
A pressure-fit baby gate or a half door would turn the open cubby into a den that you can close during the nighttime. Your dog can still see out into the room while fresh air circulates. As some UK owners on Mumsnet said, “don’t shut them in with a solid door!”
4. A Crate Slid Into the Cupboard
Already have an under-stair cupboard? Take the door off and slide in a wire or furniture-style crate. A dog crate under stairs is the cheapest idea here. Check that the crate door opens fully, and leave a few inches behind it for air.
5. A Walk-In Dog Room
Tall stairs can fit a full under stairs dog room with a bed, a water bowl and toys. Make the door big enough to get through on your knees. You’ll be in there to vacuum, mop and fetch the toy that rolled to the back.
6. Modern Slatted Front
Vertical wood slats across the opening look like built-in joinery, not a kennel. Keep the gaps too narrow for your dog’s head. Paint the slats to match the stair trim for a modern dog house under stairs that hardly reads as a dog house.
7. A Little-House Front
Frame the opening like a tiny house, with pitched trim for a roof and a name sign. It’s an easy diy dog house under stairs project: mostly trim, paint and a jigsaw. One Reddit commenter’s pick for the sign: “Security.”
8. A Window Into the Room
The r/DIY project with 8.7K upvotes had a small window cut into the side of it, and people were very fond of it. The dog is able to keep tabs on the surroundings, and you can check on the dog without having to open the door. Use acrylic or tempered glass at your dog’s eye level.
9. Nook Plus Storage
Split the space. Put a pull-out drawer for leashes, food and toys at the low end and the bed at the tall end. A built in dog house under stairs like this keeps all the dog gear in one spot and turns a dog nook under stairs into a full dog station.
10. A Low-Entry Nook for an Older Dog
Adult dogs sleep 8 to 13.5 hours a day, according to the Sleep Foundation, and seniors nap even more. Keep the entry flat, with no sill to step over, and use a thick orthopedic dog bed under stairs with a washable cover. A soft night light makes a dog nook under stairs easier to find for a dog whose eyesight is fading.
Fire Safety and the Code
Whichever of these under stairs dog room ideas you pick, a few safety rules apply.
If your dog house under stairs is closed in and has a door, the International Residential Code says its walls, underside and soffits need at least 1/2-inch drywall on the inside. Local codes vary, so check with your building department.
Keep heaters and heat lamps out, and don’t run an extension cord in. For a light or an outlet, hire an electrician. Leave the stairs alone too: don’t narrow them or cut into the stringers.
Keep It Cool and Fresh
A closed dog house under stairs holds heat and smell. Provide an inlet and outlet for fresh air through a slatted door, a vent grille in the door or side wall, or both. On Reddit, one person used a cast iron register as a screen. You can use a little low-voltage fan on hot days. If there is a return-air grille in the space, keep it clear.
Bright lighting focused on the bed is the opposite of a den. You can use either a warm dimmable light bulb or an LED strip pointing at the wall. A smart bulb lets you dim it from your mobile phone.
Make It Easy to Clean
The main concern posted on Reddit is cleaning. “Who has to crawl in there to vacuum?” said one of the commenters. Take these factors into consideration when designing the space:
- Design an opening that lets you kneel in and reach the back wall.
- Choose flooring that can be mopped, such as ceramic tiles, vinyl or sealed plywood.
- Use scrub-resistant semi-gloss paint on the walls.
- Select a bed with a washable cover and a rug that can be removed and washed.
One of the r/DIY owners was happy they went for tiling because one of their dogs had an accident every month, and it was always in the same place and easily accessible for cleaning. If accidents happen frequently, setting up an outdoor dog potty area and training your dog to use it is recommended. An under stairs dog room that’s hard to clean usually ends up as storage.
How Much Does a Dog House Under Stairs Cost?
A dog house under stairs can cost almost nothing if you already have a cupboard and a crate. These figures come from LatestCost’s under-stair storage price guide (October 2026):
| Project | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Crate in an existing cupboard | The price of the crate |
| DIY materials for an enclosure | $200 to $1,500 |
| Closet-style enclosure built by a pro | $900 to $3,200, about $1,800 on average |
| Carpentry labor | About $50 to $100 an hour |
| A light near existing wiring | About $150 to $500 |
| Longer wiring runs or a new switch | $500 to $1,200 or more |
Rural and Midwestern areas run about 10 to 20% lower, and expensive cities 15 to 30% higher. A diy dog house under stairs saves most of the labor, but budget for an electrician if you want a light.
Will Your Dog Actually Use It?
Not all dogs will use it. One Reddit user states, “My dog would never use that. He lays by me.” There are other dogs that like to have a den. The AKC writes, “Dogs are den animals.”
Here are some things you can do to increase the chances that your dog will use it:
- Provide them with their regular bed inside, along with a worn T-shirt of yours.
- Place some treats or chews inside and let them explore on their own.
- For the first few weeks, make sure that the door or gate is open.
- Never use it as a punishment.
Be patient. One Mumsnet user says their puppy “really hated being in there when we were in the same room at first.” Also, there was another owner whose dog used the same under-stairs spot for 16 years. The best of these under stairs dog room ideas is the one your dog walks into on its own.
Dog House Under Stairs FAQs
Yes, as long as air can move, there’s no heater or loose wiring inside, and your dog can see out or leave. Treat a dog house under stairs as a den your dog chooses, not a place to shut them away for hours.
Do I need a permit?
Usually not, if your dog house under stairs only adds a door, trim and paint. New wiring or changes to the stair framing are different, so ask your local building department.
Should a dog kennel under stairs have a door?
Not a solid one. A dog kennel under stairs needs a door that lets air through, like a gate, a slatted door or a door with a vent grille. Crate-trained dogs often settle well behind one.
Will stair noise bother my dog?
Most dogs adjust well to footsteps above them. Dogs can hear frequencies up to 47,000 to 65,000 Hz, compared to our 20,000 or so, so a nervous dog may need more time. A padded bed on a rug muffles the echo effect.
Can I put a cat’s litter box under the stairs too?
Not a great choice. An owner who tried placing the litter box under the stairs said that the area was “really hard to clean (even with the door) and hard to keep from smelling.” Keep the litter box somewhere that is easy to reach and well ventilated.
How do I stop an under stairs dog room from smelling?
Keep the space vented, wash the bedding once or twice a week, and use a floor that you can mop. Clean up any accidents with an enzyme cleaner, which neutralizes the urine rather than masking it.