Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

related page: Play Structures

Looking for a carpenter with experience in treehouses

We're looking at building a treehouse over the next two years, starting with a swing set partly supported by a large tree. Can anybody recommend a carpenter with experience in treehouses? Thanks! Kate

I highly endorse Idan Bearman of Bearman and Sons. He built a wonderful little tree-fort for my son in our backyard. He is a green builder and was more than happy to use the salvaged lumber and drift wood that my family has gathered for this purpose. He was also happy to let my 4 yr old son ''help'' him with the construction. He is very accommodating and pleasant to work with and I really appreciated his attention to details, cleanliness and punctuality. I originally hired him to replace a door and sash window. Because I was so pleased with his work, Idan was my 1st and only choice when I decided to get a tree fort for my son. Idan's tel # is 510 830 7927 and his email is

Custom shed with an open-air treehouse on top

We're looking for recommendations for a carpenter/builder to tackle a job in a tight corner in our yard where we'd like to build (have built) a small shed or enclosed storage space on bottom with an open-air loft ''tree'' house on top. This is definitely a custom job and we need someone with a creative eye who can take our vision and build a sturdy structure from the ground up. Thanks for any suggestions! Michelle

Who can build a tree house for us?

Our 4.5-year-old daughter has started begging for a tree house in our back garden. We are lucky enough to have a big garden and I think the largest of our trees has some wide branches that could easily support a simple tree house, with a ladder up to it. I'd love to fulfil her request but neither of us (her 2 mothers) is that handy with lumber or building. Any ideas how we could go about finding someone to build us a nice but not too fancy tree house/platform and sturdy ladder up? Kate

Looking for a Treehouse designer/builder

My middle child is about to turn 8 and he is yearning madly for a Treehouse/enclosed outdoor space of his own. I am looking for a Treehouse designer/builder - this is above and beyond my and my husband's skills. The available space to do it is beyond our grassy back yard and is downslope - so not super easy. Also, if you could include the rough amount you spent that would be helpful. Hoping for a Treehouse

We built a treehouse in our backyard plum tree ... it was a real hit with our two kids (and their friends) when they were about 7 to 11. The kids helped make it (especially the ropes and netting)

It was about 7 feet off the ground, with a homebrew rope ladder. We connected 2x4's to the limbs using rope and a several big screws & lag bolts. The floor was pieces of 1x6 screwed to the 2x4's We kept the sides open, but used netting to reduce the chance of falling over the edge. Cost perhaps $100 and a weekend.

The kids painted it with random housepaint (Mark's Paints on Telegraph Ave sells cheap quarts of wrong-mixed paint). Later, the kids added a twine pulley and basket to bring stuff up from below. Then we made a marble chute from a few 8 foot lengths of 1'' PVC tubing & couplings. And every July, we'd use the treehouse as a platform to pick the plums, and then make plum jam.

Because we used fir and other scrap lumber, the wood did not weather well, but it lasted 7 years. With the kids now well into teenagerhood - and the wood starting to fall apart - we've just taken it down.

Rereading this, it sounds like Little House on the Prairie. It was cheap, homemade fun and the kids learned a bit about construction. Cliff

Carpenter for backyard fort?

We don't have any trees appropriate for a tree house, which is what we really want. So, we're trying to figure out how to build a structure NEXT to a tree, for a faux tree house.

We're looking for a carpenter who doesn't mind kids who will be very interested in the project. It would be a plus to have someone who's done something like this, so we have an idea of labor and material costs at the outset.

We're also interested in hearing from anyone who has advice -- should we buy a pre-fab fort (they seem more play structure than we need)? Are we nuts? Our trees are redwoods but we've been told that they sway too much for a tree house (there's a design which encircles a trunk) -- has anyone successfully built one in a redwood? thanks, anne

Looking for someone to build a tree house or fort

We are looking for someone to build a tree house or fort in our backyard for our boys. Does anyone know someone who does this for a living or on the side? Reasonable cost is a factor - did find one person that charged $25k! Not sure where to begin...thanks! hf

Affordable Wood Outdoor Playhouse

I would like very much to get a small (6'X6') wood playhouse for my backyard. My initial search has not turned up much under $1,500. Yeow! I was hoping to find one for less money. Does anyone have any recommendations about where I can find an affordable wood playhouse for the outdoors? Thanks. Hilary

Looking for a cute wooden playhouse

We are looking for a large cute wooden playhouse for our girls. (around 6' x 8' w/ loft) Has anyone had any experience looking for one of these? I've been looking on the internet and most of the companies that sell these are back east...Also, do you need to obtain a permit in Berkeley to have a playhouse in your backyard? Thank you! Laura

They have a ''Safari Sam'' that has a footprint of 5' by 6', with a 3' porch. A larger ''Jungle Pad'' has a 6' by 8' footprint, with a 2' porch. Neither has a loft, but you can get an 11'' height increase, so maybe can build a loft yourself someday. I'm pretty sure the maximum height inside is 6'. At The Backyard Factory, they have the Safari Sam on the floor to look at. Costs vary depending upon the wood you choose, ranging from plywood to cedar. The summer 2002 pricing for the Safari Sam in cedar was $2,195 for the basic unit, $150 for the height extension,$75 for delivery, and $375 for installation. Not cheap, but I found far more expensive in my search process. Will be interested to see what others have to say. Amy