A treehouse might look simple from the ground. Designing and building one that is safe, lasts for decades and does no harm to the tree is a specialised job, and after more than twenty years we have learned a great deal about how to do it well.
We have been designing and building bespoke treehouses since 2003. We build around 15 to 20 a year, and have now built more than 400, each one designed for its own trees, its own site and the people who will use it.
This guide brings that experience together. Each entry answers one question we are regularly asked, from how much a treehouse costs to which trees can carry one and what happens as the tree grows. Use the filter to go straight to the subject you are thinking about, or read from the top.
One idea runs through all of it. We start with the site, not with a design. The trees, the ground, the access, the views and the way you want to use the space come first, and the building grows out of those. There is no High Life style that every project has to follow. The style belongs to you. Our job is to make it work.
This is usually the first question we are asked, and the honest answer is that it depends on the treehouse you want to create. Our bespoke treehouses start from around £15,000. The final cost can vary a great deal depending on the size, the design, the trees, the access and the level of specification.
There is no single species that suits every treehouse. The health, size, structure and position of the individual tree usually matter more than what kind of tree it is. Two oaks standing fifty metres apart can have completely different characteristics. That said, after twenty years we have clear views on the trees we meet most often.
Whether we fix a treehouse to the tree or build it alongside on its own supports depends mainly on the size and age of the tree. There is a simple rule of thumb we have arrived at over the years.
The most important part of any treehouse is not the building. It is the tree. A treehouse has to live alongside something that grows, moves and changes over time, and a good design takes all of that into account from the start.
The first time we used screw piles, it changed the way we build. They look like enormous screws and are mechanically rotated deep into the ground, creating a strong foundation without the need for traditional excavation.
Access is one of the most overlooked factors when estimating the cost of a treehouse. A spot hidden at the bottom of a large garden or tucked into woodland might be perfect from a design point of view, but getting timber, tools and equipment there can be considerably harder.
Planning is one of the first things to think about when considering a treehouse in the UK, and it is where a lot of online advice goes wrong.
Planning permission and Building Regulations are two separate things, and a treehouse can need both.
Commercial treehouses have become an increasingly important part of the UK's glamping and tourism industry. Glamping showed that people love being close to nature but do not necessarily want the discomfort of traditional camping. Tents, tipis, yurts and cabins became more and more sophisticated. Treehouses take the idea further still.
A well designed and properly maintained treehouse can last for decades. Treehouses are rather like cars: the better you look after them, the longer they last. The materials, the construction, the detailing and the maintenance all play a part, and some components will naturally need replacing before others.
Treehouses have moved a long way beyond the traditional children's playhouse. Many of our clients now commission a treehouse as a sophisticated outdoor living space, somewhere to work, entertain or simply get away from the main house.
One of the great advantages of a bespoke treehouse is that you are not restricted to a standard design. The treehouse is designed around the people who will use it and the way you want to enjoy it.
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