Yes. Our independent design services range from creating only a conceptual design to producing a full set of permitted architectural drawings in partnership with engineers. In some cases, we can assist with the installation of hardware onsite before leaving the remainder of the build to your construction team to complete.

If you are interested in contracting our design services, please submit an inquiry. Read about the steps to our design and build process here.

We do design and build treehouses that function as full- or part-time residences. Our clients who choose to live full-time in a treehouse are typically committed to leading a semi-rustic, tiny-house lifestyle. Our average treehouses range from 200 to 800 square feet and can include most amenities of a typical "ground" house.

That being said, our treehouses are emblematic of small-scale living—we make an effort to downsize most of the features to fit within the constraints of building in living organisms. Yes, we can integrate a kitchen, bedroom, full bathroom, and living room into your treehouse—but we do not build 1,000+ square-foot, tree-supported structures with expansive floor plans fit for a full family's lifestyle.

Please note that permitting for a full-time residence in the trees is similar to the permitting process for a typical ground house. We recommend contacting local building authorities to understand regulations pertaining to treehouses on your property, but don’t stress: this is one of our areas of expertise, and we are happy to help. Please see the FAQ on permitting for more information.

In order to install amenities like running water and electricity in your treehouse, all necessary infrastructure (e.g., a septic system, water service, and electrical service) must be established at the location of the treehouse before construction begins. The permitting and installation of this infrastructure on the site of the treehouse will be your responsibility and is above and beyond the purview of our design and build services. However, once the necessary infrastructure is installed onsite, Nelson Treehouse and Supply will oversee installation of these amenities within the structure.

During the design stage and prior to building, it's important to research code standards, zoning regulations, and permitting pertaining to treehouses in your local jurisdiction. We recommend beginning this process by visiting your local building department and speaking with a building official.

In most scenarios, obtaining a permit for a treehouse is similar to the process for a ground house. In these cases, it may be necessary to consult an architect and engineer to produce construction documents and drawings. Regulations differ widely per jurisdiction; contact your local building and zoning departments to understand the specifics of your area.

If you plan to rent out your treehouse and/or use your treehouse for any commercial purpose whatsoever, you may be subject to different code standards and zoning regulations than if your treehouse is for private use only.

While you're researching your local regulations, make sure to consider how your project will affect your neighbors. Will your new, lofty view invade their privacy? Will your structure obstruct their existing view? Undoubtedly, you'll want to be conscientious of the impact on your neighbors.

It's also savvy to consider your property options. If you're looking for property with the intention of building a treehouse, you have the luxury of checking the building codes for each area you are considering. This may enable you to buy property where you know you will be allowed to build a treehouse.

Your local building department will dictate what you need for your permitting application, if a permit is required in your area. Before approaching your building department about your project, it may be helpful to prepare responses to the following questions:

• What is the purpose/intended use of the treehouse?
• Will the treehouse have utilities (e.g., heating, plumbing, electricity)?
• What is the square footage of the exterior and interior?
• What is the height from ground to top of roof?
• Where is the treehouse located on the property? (You may need a site plan.)

Although permitting may seem daunting, Nelson Treehouse successfully obtains treehouse permits across the country for all the projects that require it. Despite how it may feel during the permitting process, building codes are not intended to inhibit innovative ideas or technological advances. We have found that the vast majority of jurisdictions support our safe and sustainable science of treehouse-building.

Interested in seeing treehouses that DIY-ers have built with our hardware? Check out these blog posts:

• DIY-Builders Craft Incredible Treehouses Around the Country
• Enormous tree-deck built by a father for his daughter's wedding
• Projects by Treehouse DIY-ers!

To learn about our methods for treehouse design and build, we recommend these blog posts:

• Hardware Highlight: Treehouse Attachment Bolt
• Testing the Strength of Treehouse Attachment Bolts
• 6 Steps of the Nelson Treehouse Design Process
• Technology That's Revolutionizing the Way We Build Treehouses
• One-Stop Shop for Your Treehouse Build
• Pete Nelson's Treehouse Designs for DIY-ers
• DIY Ships Ladder
• DIY Hog Wire Railing
• Treehouse Framing DIY Tutorial: Your First Rake Wall
• How to Build a Fibonacci Bench

Also, watch these videos:

• What is a TAB? (Treehouse Attachment Bolt)
• TAB Installation Tips
• Installing a Treehouse Suspension System
• Basic Tree Entry SRT Climbing

We have even more videos on treehouse technique, tips, and timelapses on our YouTube channel.

For more in-depth information, we recommend purchasing our Treehouse Instructional Guide, which covers everything from tree selection to platform design.

We hope you find these resources useful!

Our costs vary widely depending on the range of services required as well as the location and scope of your treehouse. Our current baseline price for fully designing and building a custom treehouse is around $300,000. Design services account for 10 to 15 percent of the total price. So the price of your treehouse is equal to our design-services fee plus the cost of our fixed-bid construction contract.

Our average treehouses range from 200 to 800 square feet and can include most of the amenities of a typical "ground" house. Learn more about the steps and costs of our design and build process.

Our treehouses are highly site-specific, integrated with the unique layout of your trees and property. Our designers, project managers, and carpenters work closely with you to manifest your vision and bring years of experience in innovative small-space design and build to the process. The following factors (among others) may affect the cost of your treehouse:
• Number of trees you wish to connect to
• Desired amenities (e.g., kitchen, bathroom, water, electricity)
• Site access
• Distance of the treehouse from the ground
• Materials, seasonality of the structure (e.g., all-season, three-season), and desired degree of finish
• Travel and logistics (e.g., crew accommodations, plane tickets, car rentals, freight).
• Time of year (e.g., peak travel season costs, weather)

Here are some additional things to note:

• Customers typically engage Nelson Treehouse to design and build their projects, but either service can be contracted independently. Some customers contract only our design services or purchase our plans and then hire a local contractor to build their treehouse. These moves can prove more economical than a fully designed and built Nelson Treehouse.

Treehouses more than an hour’s drive from our Fall City, Washington, headquarters may be subject to logistical costs of travel and crew accommodations associated with long-distance builds.

If you would like utilities such as water and electricity in your treehouse, it is your responsibility to permit and install the necessary infrastructure (e.g., septic system, water service, electrical service) at the location of the treehouse before construction begins. These costs are above and beyond the costs of our design and build services. Once utilities infrastructure is established at the site of the treehouse, we will oversee the installation of these amenities within the structure.

Adding plumbing to a treehouse can be very expensive, and we encourage you to consider more economical and environmentally friendly options like compostable toilets and gray-water sinks.

Obtaining a building permit in your jurisdiction may be required. Costs associated with this process are similar to those of typical residential construction. We strongly recommend researching the regulations of local building authorities regarding treehouses, as they vary from place to place. Please review our FAQ on permitting for more information.

We can customize our services to fit your goals and budget. We encourage all those interested to submit an inquiry here.

Yes. To be considered for a contribution, you must be a nonprofit organization. Because of the costs and logistics involved in building a custom-designed home in the trees, we do not provide donations of full treehouses.

We strongly believe in and have a long history of supporting the community around us through charitable activities. However, because we are a small, family-owned business, and because of the tremendous number of inquiries we receive, we cannot fulfill every request.

In the continued spirit of goodwill, we have made the decision to support several local organizations with whom we have a special kinship. Recipients of our charitable contributions for 2021 have already been selected.