‘Treehouse Master’ Draws Fine in OR
Contractors' licensing officials in Oregon have slapped the host of the Animal Planet show “Treehouse Masters” with a fine for allegedly building a tree abode sans license.
Nelson’s Treehouse and Supply, based in Fall City, WA, has been fined $5,000 for “illegally” building a single-family treehouse in Sitka spruce in Neskowin, OR, the state’s Construction Contractors Board reported Monday (Nov. 30).
The company is owned by Pete Nelson, the host of the television series. Nelson travels around the country building elaborate treehouses with electricity and plumbing, the board notes. According to the contractor's website, the average starting cost for the custom dwelling is $150,000.
“These treehouses are intended as residences and require a contractor’s license, as do most all home building or home improvement projects,” CCB Enforcement Manager Stan Jessup said in a statement.
Nelson featured the Neskowin project, a house built 46 feet off the ground, in a "Treehouse Masters" episode that aired in September. The board reported that it caught wind of the project after a local newspaper covered the upcoming broadcast.
The contractor maintains it had obtained supplemental coverage to cover the project.
Second License Case
This is not the first time Nelson’s Treehouse has been fined for building treehouses in Oregon.
In 2014, the business was reportedly fined $1,000 for working without a license on a treehouse in Central Point. Therefore, the Neskowin project was considered a repeat offense, the board said.
“Licensing in Oregon carries important protections for the consumer,” Jessup said. “It means the contractor is bonded and insured, and the CCB can help mediate any disputes between the homeowner and contractor.”
The CCB licenses more than 33,000 contractors in the state.
Company Comments
Nelson’s Treehouse and Supply told Durability + Design News in an e-mailed statement that it was a “licensed, bonded and insured treehouse building company.”
It said that while working in Oregon, the company “purchased supplemental L & I coverage which comprehensively insured the talented team who worked on the project.”
The company also noted that the structure itself was “fully engineered, permitted and signed off by the local building authorities.”
