Building a treehouse is one of the greatest acts of love a father can express to his children. It’s more than an outbuilding — it’s a sanctuary for a kid exercising independence and celebrating privacy. Although only some parents know how to build a treehouse, it’s never too late to learn.
How to Build a Treehouse for Kids — What to Remember
Treehouse construction doesn’t require masterful carpentry skills. My father gave me my most unforgettable birthday gift ever without being an advanced woodworker.
I wanted to share the joys of my childhood with my son, so I also built him a sanctum in my backyard tree, where he and his friends can hang out. If you want to do the same for your children, remember these tips.
Research Relevant Regulations
Before planning anything, find out if your municipality allows treehouses. Many local governments regulate outbuildings, so consult the authorities for information.
If you can build one where you reside, familiarize yourself with building standards, such as minimum and maximum height requirements, restrictions and the permit application process.
Know What Constitutes an Ideal Tree
Ideally, you should choose a towering, healthy tree with strong Y-shaped branches with deep roots. Hickory, maple and oak are excellent candidates.
Mind Tree Health
Minimize environmental impact during the project to keep the tree as stable as possible. You may avoid piercing the bark by using bolts or brackets instead of nails and screws to secure the structure. Think twice about building a ground-level structure to avoid any activity that may damage the roots.
Check Stock Treehouse Plans
Although your treehouse can be anything your children want, adopting or drawing inspiration from existing plans rather than sketching something from scratch helps prevent you from making cardinal errors — like getting fewer than five air changes per hour due to limited ventilation.
Consider the Climate
Trees are hazards to nearby homes — imagine how dangerous they can be to structures attached to them.
You may need to incorporate insulation and HVAC equipment into the treehouse design if you experience extreme weather fluctuations. Use pressure-treated lumber instead of its untreated counterpart to protect against moisture — and salt when building near the coast.
Think About Maintenance
Ensure your treehouse is easy to clean and repair to keep it safe, healthy and structurally sound for many years.
Don’t Skimp on Materials
Want to know how to build a treehouse for kids that can stand the test of time? Use the highest-quality construction supplies your money can buy.
Even when constructed properly, a treehouse built with substandard materials may fail to support its contents and occupants and collapse.
Consider Minimizing Construction
Modular foundation systems and prefabricated hardware kits are on the market to accelerate treehouse construction. The less you build by hand, the less likely you are to blunder — and the safer the structure will be.
Be Honest With Your Capabilities
Many of us will put in blood, sweat and tears to build something for our children. However, there are limits to what you can do. They become more pronounced as your treehouse design’s complexity increases.
If you insist on getting your hands dirty, practice by building a two-board bench or garden trellis before tackling a more challenging project. Seek professional assistance when necessary. Getting the job done flawlessly matters more than doing it yourself.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Treehouse?
A treehouse project can set you back four to six digits. Structure size, design complexity, materials, construction tools and labor are the primary factors that affect the job’s cost. A treehouse with all the bells and whistles requires trade contractors to properly set up the electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems.
Property location can also inflate your expenses. Living in a place where you must pull a permit to commence construction, transport building supplies over long distances or choose from a few subcontractors makes this project more costly.
Simplifying your treehouse’s design, putting in sweat equity and renting equipment from a big-box home improvement retailer are surefire ways to minimize your expenses.
How to Build a Treehouse — A Step-by-Step Guide
The Materials
Building a no-frills treehouse may only take a day or two to complete with these tools:
- Carpenter’s square
- Drill driver with a circular saw kit
- Framing nailer
- Hammer
- Impact wrench
- Jigsaw
- Jobsite table saw
- Ladders
- Level
- Miter saw
- Reciprocating saw
- Tape measure
- Safety glasses
- Spade bit set
Your treehouse design dictates the building materials and lumber dimensions you need. Ensure your list includes these:
- 1-inch galvanized nails
- 2-inch wood deck screws
- 3-inch wood deck screws
- 3-inch framing nails
- ⅜-inch framing nails
- ⅝-by-6-inch lag screws
- Concrete deck blocks
- Joist hangers
- Prebuilt handrails
- Pressure-treated lumber — such as scrap pieces, posts, deck boards and siding panels
- Plywood sheathing
- Rail connector brackets
- Washers
The Process
Once you select a tree, understand the building standards you must observe and finalize your blueprint, begin construction by following these steps.
- Set the Foundation
Lay the concrete deck blocks to set the posts. Use scrap lumber to hold them up when nailing the bands connecting them.
- Affix the Floor Joists
Anyone who knows how to build a treehouse would advise you to predrill lumber — and the tree — to ease installation and reduce the chances of the floor joists cracking. Attach a board to the tree with a lag screw and tighten it with an impact wrench.
Install the other floor joists while observing ample clearance from the center. After placing all the boards, hammer the galvanized nails to add the joist hangers.
- Reinforce the Foundation
Make shorter posts with a miter saw and cut one end at a 45° angle. Then, attach the angle braces to the foundation with 3-inch nails to lend more stability to the treehouse.
- Connect the Deck Boards
Attach the deck boards to the floor joists using 2-inch wood nails. When necessary, cut around the trunk, limbs and branches.
Eliminate protrusions. Almost 80% of the 47,000 accidents involving treehouse users under 19 stem from falls, so ensure everything is level.
- Build the Wall and Roof Frames
Cut studs, rafters and the ridge beam based on the platform’s perimeter and your desired treehouse height. Frame out with your planned door and windows in mind. Attach the pieces using the framing nailer.
- Add the Siding Panels
Attach the siding with ⅜-inch framing nails. Cut the panels to your desired fit.
- Create Wall Openings
Fire up the reciprocating saw to make holes for your door and windows.
- Install the Roof
Cut the plywood sheathing to fit the tree and attach them to the rafters with ⅜-inch nails. Ensure they extend a couple of inches beyond the walls to minimize solar heat gain with overhangs.
- Trim the Door and Windows
Create trim out of lumber and nail the pieces around the wall openings to put the finishing touches on the treehouse.
- Attach the Handrailing
Screw the rail connector brackets to the posts to set up the handrails throughout the deck area — except for the entrance.
- Construct the Ladder
Determine the number of steps your children need to get into the treehouse from the ground easily and safely. Make enough rungs out of lumber and drill them into the posts using 3-inch deck screws. Space them out accordingly.
Are You Excited for Your Treehouse Project?
Building a treehouse can be intimidating if you’re new to woodworking. Although even the most straightforward designs require skill and circumspection, you can pull it off properly when you think everything through.