diff --git a/client/http_socket.c b/client/http_socket.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efc2908
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/http_socket.c
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#include "http_socket.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+/**
+ * Gets the buffer size to allocate based on the given components.
+ *
+ * @param components An array of null-terminated C strings to measure the length of
+ * @param num_components The number of items in the components array.
+ *
+ * @return The buffer size to allocate, excluding the null terminator
+ */
+static size_t get_buffer_size(const char **components, int num_components) {
+    size_t buffer_size = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < num_components; i++) {
+        buffer_size += strlen(components[i]);
+    }
+
+    return buffer_size;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a basic request into an http_message
+ *
+ * @param method The HTTP method to use
+ * @param host The host requested
+ * @param path The path on the host requested
+ * @param port The port of the host requested
+ *
+ * @return A http_message - note that the contents field has been mallocced and must be manually freed.
+ */
+struct http_message build_basic_request(const char *method, const char *host, const char *path, const char *port) {
+    const char *request_line_components[] = {method, " ", path, " ", HTTP_VERSION, "\r\n"};
+    const char *host_header[] = {"Host: ", host, "\r\n"};
+    int message_buffer_size = get_buffer_size(request_line_components, 6) + get_buffer_size(host_header, 3) + 1;
+    char *message_buffer = malloc(message_buffer_size * sizeof(char));
+    sprintf(message_buffer, "%s %s %s\r\nHost: %s\r\n\r\n", method, path, HTTP_VERSION, host);
+    struct http_message message = {host, port, path, message_buffer};
+
+    return message;
+}
diff --git a/client/http_socket.h b/client/http_socket.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e90bd77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/http_socket.h
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#ifndef HTTP_SOCKET_H
+#define HTTP_SOCKET_H
+
+#include "../common/http_message.h"
+
+#define HTTP_VERSION "HTTP/1.1"
+
+struct http_message build_basic_request(const char *method, const char *host, const char *path, const char *port);
+
+#endif