Custom Treehouse Design & Construction in West Columbia, SC
Some ideas don't fit a standard plan. Maybe you're picturing something built around an unusual tree, a specific style, or a feature you haven't seen offered anywhere else — the kind of place that turns your backyard into wherever your kids decide it is that day: a ship, a castle, a hideout — and every option you've looked at feels close, but not quite it. This is the service for that. Instead of starting from an existing design, we start from your idea, however finished or unfinished it is.
A full design-and-build process, not construction from a plan you bring us.
Standard designs work well for a lot of families, but they're built to fit an average yard and an average tree — which means anyone with an unusual lot, a specific tree they want to build around, or a genuinely one-of-a-kind idea often finds the standard options don't quite match what they're picturing.
Custom design closes that gap. We take the time to understand what you actually want — not just "a treehouse," but the specific version of it in your head, fireflies-at-dusk daydream and all — and design around your real yard and tree before construction ever starts.
This is probably your service if…
You have an idea or inspiration, but not a finished design or set of plans.
You've looked at standard installation options, and none of them quite match what you're picturing.
Your tree, yard or property has something unusual about it — shape, slope, or an uncommon tree that a standard design wouldn't account for well.
You want to be part of the design process, not just choose from existing options.
Budget and design need to be worked out together, rather than picking a fixed package and hoping it fits.
Five things the design
process is actually for.
We start from your idea — however finished or unfinished — and shape it against your real tree and real yard before anything is built.
Start your custom design →Turning an idea into a plan
Starting from a rough concept, inspiration photos or a general feeling of what you want, and developing it into something that can actually be built.
Designing around your tree
We design around your specific tree or yard, rather than fitting your yard to a standard template.
Revisions, together
Refining the plan until it actually matches what you're picturing, not settling for the first draft.
Design and budget, honestly
If part of the vision doesn't fit the budget, we'll tell you and talk through what does, rather than letting cost surprises show up after construction starts.
The same build standard
Construction uses the same materials and building standards as our other services — custom design changes the planning process, not the quality of the build.
An unusual lot, a specific tree, or a genuinely one-of-a-kind idea is exactly where a catalog design runs out.
Most custom projects start from something informal — a description, a few photos, a feeling — not a finished plan.
Treehouse Installation & Contractor Services
If you already have a finished design or a clear plan and mainly need someone to build it, this may be a faster fit.
See the service →Backyard Treehouses & Playhouse Construction
If your priority is a kid-focused play structure rather than an architecturally custom build.
See the service →From a rough idea
to a final walkthrough.
A conversation about your vision
We start with whatever you have — a sketch, inspiration photos, or just a description of what you're picturing — and talk through what matters most to you about it.
Design and revisions
We develop that idea into an actual plan, and go through revisions together until it genuinely reflects what you want, not just a version close enough to build.
Site assessment
As with every project, we assess your tree and yard directly, so the final design is something your property can actually support — not just something that looks good on paper.
Construction and walkthrough
Once the plan is set, we build it, then walk the finished structure with you.
The person shaping your idea is the person putting it together.
Custom design only works if the person building it is genuinely involved in designing it — not handed a finished plan from someone else to execute. Rob Patterson works through the design and the build directly.
Because this process includes a design phase on top of construction, custom projects generally take several weeks longer than a standard installation, and cost more. We'll be upfront about that trade-off as part of the planning conversation, before you're committed to anything.
More about Rob and how Falconhurst started →Questions about custom design
Still unsure? Call (803) 445-4180 and ask — no quote required.
That's what the revision process is for. We don't move to construction until the plan actually matches what you're picturing, and not just a version that's close.
Yes. Most custom projects start from something informal — a description, a few inspiration photos, a general feeling of what you want — rather than a finished plan.
Pricing for a standard installation starts at $5,000; custom projects typically cost more than that, since they include a full design and revision process in addition to construction. The exact cost depends on the scope of what you're picturing, which is why we quote after understanding your project specifically rather than using a flat rate.
It depends on how developed your idea is going in and how many rounds of revision it takes to get the plan right, but plan on several weeks at minimum — longer than a standard installation, since design work happens first. We'll give you a realistic timeline once we understand what you're picturing.
The best way to judge fit is to talk through your specific idea with us directly during the initial conversation. Bring your inspiration photos or sketches, and we'll tell you honestly what's realistic.
We'll tell you directly where the mismatch is and talk through what would bring them in line — smaller scope, different materials, or a phased approach — rather than letting it become a surprise mid-project.
Yes. Custom design changes how the plan is developed, not the materials or construction approach used to build it.
If you've got an idea that doesn't quite fit anything standard, that's exactly what this is for.
Or call (803) 445-4180 to talk it through first.