A hoop house is a semi-permanent, plastic-covered arched frame that uses passive solar energy to extend growing seasons by 6–8 weeks in fall and enable earlier spring planting without supplemental heating.
If your frost ends harvest weeks too early, a hoop house is the lowest-cost way to keep growing. Unlike a full greenhouse, it has no heater, fan, or temperature controls — just solar gain and airflow. Crops grow directly in soil under the cover, protected from rain, wind, and cold. For two extra months of tomatoes and greens without paying for a greenhouse, this is the structure.
How a Hoop House Works
A hoop house captures solar heat during the day and releases it slowly overnight, creating a warmer microclimate. The single layer of greenhouse-grade polyethylene film lets sunlight in, then traps heat radiating from warmed soil and plants. Temperature management is entirely passive: doors and roll-up sides open for cooling, close to hold warmth. The plastic also blocks rain and wind, reducing disease pressure and preventing soil splash.
Plants sit in open ground, getting natural rainfall through open ends while the covered top keeps heavy rain from damaging crops or compacting soil. The structure is a Quonset-hut shape — hoops of PVC or steel pipe, covered with a single layer of plastic, anchored to a wooden ground frame.
Hoop House vs. Greenhouse: Key Differences
A hoop house lacks supplemental heat, automated ventilation, fans, and temperature controls. It buys moderate season extension — roughly 6–8 weeks on each end in most US climates. For winter growing in cold zones, it needs additional heat or double-layer plastic with an inflation fan. The trade-off for simplicity is cost: a DIY PVC hoop house runs $300–$600, while a basic greenhouse starts at several thousand dollars.
If you are ready to buy, our tested roundup of the best hoop houses for garden beds compares ready-assembled options for raised beds and open soil.
Building a DIY Hoop House in 6 Steps
- Select and prepare the site. Pick level ground with good drainage and water access. Orient open ends to face the prevailing wind for natural airflow.
- Build a four-sided lumber frame. Use rot-resistant 2×6 lumber for 14–18-foot-wide structures, or 2×4 for smaller ones. Screw together on your prepared site.
- Drive rebar anchors. Use 18-inch reinforcing bars. Drive 12 inches into the ground at each corner and every 3 feet along both long sides, leaving 6 inches exposed above the lumber.
- Form the hoops. Bend 18-foot lengths of ¾-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe into arches and slide ends onto rebar anchors. For a 42-foot structure, place roughly 13 hoops spaced 3 feet apart.
- Add purlin pipes and secure the plastic. Run a horizontal PVC pipe along the ridge inside the hoops, attach with carriage bolts. Drape a 45-foot length of 6-mil greenhouse-grade polyethylene over the structure. Pull tight and sandwich edges between hoops and side boards, or secure with wooden slats.
- Frame a door and secure the ends. Cut a door opening, frame with lumber, attach a door. Secure loose plastic with strapping. The plastic should be drum-tight — loose film flaps in wind and tears quickly.
For wider spans, use tubular steel hoops, which raise materials cost but handle snow load better.
What You Can Grow and What to Avoid
Hoop houses excel at heat-loving crops and leafy greens: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, strawberries, and brambles. Rain protection also makes them ideal for crops prone to fungal diseases — basil, which blackens quickly in rain, does noticeably better under cover.
Cold-tolerant crops like kale and carrots grow fine but do not need the structure unless pushing into early winter. The structure cannot substitute for a greenhouse for truly cold-sensitive plants — tomatoes stop setting fruit below 50°F regardless of cover.
Common Mistakes That Shorten a Hoop House Life
The three failures that kill a hoop house before its first winter: using standard hardware-store plastic instead of 4–6 mil greenhouse-grade polyethylene, poor anchoring (wind lifts an inadequately staked structure in minutes), and skipping ventilation — a closed hoop house on a sunny 45°F day can hit 90°F inside and cook plants before noon. Roll up sides on warm days; seal before frosty nights. The structure will see three to four seasons before plastic replacement.
FAQs
Can I use a hoop house over raised beds?
Not with the standard in-ground design — the lumber frame sits directly on soil and hoops anchor beside it. Some commercial hoop houses offer raised-bed-compatible base kits, but a standard DIY hoop house requires direct soil access.
Will a hoop house work in winter without heat?
In most US climates, a single-layer hoop house alone will not keep plants alive through deep winter. It extends fall by weeks and allows early spring starts but cannot maintain above-freezing temperatures during prolonged cold snaps. Double-layer plastic with an inflation fan improves insulation but still has limits.
What is the cheapest way to build a hoop house?
PVC pipe over a lumber base with a single layer of greenhouse-grade polyethylene. Use Schedule 40 PVC rather than thinner Schedule 20 to prevent collapse under light snow.
References & Sources
- New Mexico State University Extension. “Hoop House Construction for New Mexico.” Details steps and materials for building a DIY hoop house with PVC hoops and lumber base.
- Chicago Botanic Garden. “Hoop Houses.” Explains how hoop houses extend growing seasons and manage temperature through passive solar gain and natural ventilation.