It is not unusual for our crew to be asked to relocate our past play structures to new homes and families, but relocating treehouses presents a particular challenge. Each treehouse is designed by Barbara to fit the tree, yard and family.

Recently, a family that Barbara built a treehouse for in 2018 moved to a new city and put their beloved treehouse in storage. When the new property was ready, they asked Barbara to re-install the treehouse on a new tree at their new home.

Barbara visited the new property early to help select a suitable tree. Fortunately the site boasted several beautiful mature oak trees. Several were considered as the location of the treehouse. Barbara selected this tree for its branching and for its location - not too close nor too far away from the house.

Next, the team does an on site “stick-out.” A basic frame of the treehouse is built around the tree, allowing the crew to get the measurements needed to modify the treehouse to this new tree. Marco is assessing for the new knee brace locations.

The stick-out also helps Barbara and the family to visualize how the treehouse will look in the new tree. Barbara’s goal is to find a spot for the tall Clubhouse that works with the tree branches. This spot is perfect! The crew returns to the shop to make the modifications, leaving the stick-out in place for when they return.

Finally, it’s installation day! Actually more like installation week - even a small treehouse like this one takes time to get properly fitted into the tree. Barbara and the crew start by using the stick frame to set the new girders in place and install the Tree Attachment Bolts (TABs). Once the girders are in place & secured to the tree, the stick frame comes down and the real parts start going up.

The installation goes great! Barbara snaps a photo of the crew just after the heavy roof parts are lifted into place. The 6-man crew has worked with Barbara for many years - a combined total of 95 years of experience!

And the final result! The treehouse looks as if it was built for this tree.

From Tree to Tree . . . How We Relocated a Treehouse