FAQs

Can we have a tree house when we haven’t got a large tree?

Yes. We can build your tree house using discreet support legs, and can build the tree house balcony around smaller trees.

Do you need planning permission?

There are officially certain stipulations that can apply to tree houses and create the need for planning:

• Roof ridge higher than 4 metres
• Use for non-domestic purposes
• Less than 20 metres away from any highway
• In the grounds of a listed building and/or a conservation area

We would be happy to discuss this issue further and guide you through the process, but if you are in any doubt, we recommend that you contact your local planning office. Neighbours are often the greatest consideration that you have to take.

We can help you through the process of applying for permission for your treehouse. Do remember that if planning permission is to be applied for you need to allow at least 8 weeks for processing. Squirrel Design charges from £150 for putting the planning documents together. We give a specific quote prior to carrying out this work.

There are then 3 routes to processing the planning application for your tree house:

• Client does this themselves
• Client uses the services of their own architect / planning consultant
• Squirrel Design uses the services of our preferred planning consultant, which will incur a fee from around £450, for which we would quote before the work commences.

How long will it take to build?

An average sized tree house will take around 2-3 weeks to build. Larger tree house schemes will obviously take longer.

Can we build the tree house project in stages?

Yes – you could build a tree house/den, balcony, and access in one stage, then a rope bridge, platform and zip wire at another stage. However do bear in mind this is not necessarily the most cost effective way to go about creating your tree house.

Can you put a glamping accommodation in a tree?

The simple answer is yes. But it is not usually the route taken for a commercial project due to the added maintenance involved. We have built plenty of live-able tree house structures up in the trees with trunks or branches running through them, but this is usually the way a private client will go rather than someone building for commercial reasons as they aren’t looking at the return on investment as the main reason for build. There are also more size and weight restrictions involved in this type of build, so we would recommend if you are interested in putting your accommodation up in the trees that you consider keeping the main services ground based or using ground pole support to help distribute the weight sufficiently.
With the right size tree though, anything is possible so please don’t hesitate to call us for further consultation.

What is my tree house going to cost?

Nothing for a site visit – we come and discuss your site and ideas free of charge.

Prices for our treehouse projects vary as each project is bespoke, but as a guideline it could cost from around £10,000 – £15,000 for a children’s enclosed tree house. A more exciting treehouse scheme with additional rope walkway, tree platform and perhaps a zip wire will tend to be from £20,000 – £25,000. Higher spec tree houses with full utilities and more sophisticated finishes will be from £45,000 upwards. Alternatively, a covered platform with accessories (e.g. ladder, button swing, rope ladder) could be from around £5,000.

There is a design charge (from £300 excluding VAT) for putting together illustrations, plans and detailed costings for your tree house. For larger scale tree house projects this fee will be higher, and will be discussed with you prior to work commencing.

This fee is refundable against the final invoice for a project should you decide to go ahead.

To request a brochure or speak to our dedicated team call 0117 3258325 or write to us via our contact us page.

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