How to Build the Best Treehouse

I built a lot of treehouses in my younger days. For the most part, they resembled a tangle of trash a tornado might have left behind. But as kids, we had hours and hours of fun. Treehouse living sparks the imagination and reignites the kid in each of us. Could we really live in a treehouse?

Pete Nelson is the world’s best-known treehouse designer and builder. His new book is a comprehensive source of inspiration and practical information about treehouse design and construction. In it, he shares the basics of treehouse construction with his own recent projects as case studies. Using photographs taken especially for this project along with diagrams, he covers the selection and care of trees, and explains the fundamentals of building treehouse platforms.

Treehouse Living

Building a treehouse is neither economical nor easy. You build a treehouse because something in your heart drives you to do it. You live in one to fulfill a dream.

There are many books about building treehouses, but again, the best expert is Pete Nelson at Nelson Treehouse. As seen on his TV show Treehouse Masters, Pete designs and builds absolute masterpieces in the woods. These are usually on the property of some very wealthy people who will use it as a retreat area, not a full-time residence. While sketching the designs himself, he employees a crew of specialists from designers to carpenters and craftsmen to complete the final product. What the show barely touch on, however, is the infrastructure. Just how do you bring in the water and electricity, and dispose of the waste?

Treehouse Infrastructure

Several inherent issues complicate the treehouse infrastructure building process. The most obvious is that you are several feet above ground. The trees that lend themselves to treehouse support are deciduous hardwoods like oak, maple, alder, balsa, beech, hickory, mahogany, teak, and walnut. Some softwood trees like cedar, Douglas fir, juniper, pine, redwood, and spruce can also be used.

All of these trees grow in climates that are cold part of the year. This means that your above-ground water lines will need to be heated in some way to prevent freezing.

The Ins and Outs of Treehouse Infrastructure

In one episode of Treehouse Masters, I noticed an eight-inch pipe from the treehouse to the ground. That large pipe provided a safe housing for a freshwater feed, a wastewater disposal tube, and a conduit containing the electrical lines. The freshwater feed was wrapped in heat tape to prevent freezing. Then the entire pipe was packed with insulation. Heat tape is a must in cold climates, but it draws a great deal of power. Designing an off-grid power system that could handle this kind of load would be costly, but your on-grid electric bill might burn through your budget as well.

Trees Move

Trees are alive. They grow and change. They move in the wind. Like all plants, trees are susceptible to bugs and are homes for many other creatures besides you.

Featured on Treehouse Masters, this magical retreat was built by Pete Nelson in 2017. Includes hot tub and 100′ TV. Click on image to see how you can stay in this treehouse thru Airbnb in Redmond, Washington.

One builder I saw used old telephone poles instead of actual trees. This solved a number of issues, but did add dangerous creosote to his building site.

Using professional fasteners

The most important part of treehouse construction is how you attach the structure to the tree. Special bolts have been designed and are available that protect the trees’ health, and allow for growth and wind movement. The bolts are know as Tree Attachment Bolts or TABs. Trees will react to each insertion as a wound, so use TABs sparingly and get as much information as you can beforehand.

Can you even get a building permit for a treehouse?

Less than 1% of treehouse builds have gone through the building permit process. Most areas do not actually have treehouse building codes. Each county has its own rules. Without a permit, you risk having your zoning officials slap you with a “stop-work” injunction and possible a removal order. To get a permit, you would need to supply an approved engineering plan and expensive architectural drawings, and pay a permit fee.

People get around zoning and building codes by calling their treehouse a kids’ playhouse or a non-residential structure. Sometimes you don’t need a permit for a temporary dwelling. There are over 300 tree house listings on Airbnb.

Here is an excellent article on permits from Tree Top Builders.

Final thoughts about treehouses

I do not know of anyone living full-time in a treehouse. These structures certainly do not lend themselves to solving the current housing crisis like a tiny home can. However, they continue to capture our imaginations. Here is a YouTube® video of more treehouses: