5 DIY Treehouse Ideas Built with a Portable Sawmill (Real Customer Builds)

Sawmill Used: LT15WIDE

William W. set out to craft a simple treehouse for his children, but what he ended up with was a work of art. Featuring cedar decking, lap siding, and handrails, William’s treehouse had every piece custom cut from reclaimed logs on his sawmill.

The treehouse itself is roughly 6x6’, but it rests on a 10x10’ deck platform. Completed over the span of two years, William estimates he saved around $3,000 by completing the project himself.

Along with red cedar reclaimed from power poles, the house also consists of yellow pine stair risers and white pine logs, both reclaimed from local warehouses.

Finding the right location is a must for any aspiring treehouse builder. “I knew the giant tree was the perfect spot for a tree house the first time I saw it,” William tells us. Though one of the trees ultimately died before construction, the house was still able to be completed. For help deciding on what trees to use for your treehouse, see this guide to picking the right trees for a treehouse.

What is William’s best advice for building a treehouse?

“Don’t hesitate, buy a mill.”

Sawmill Used: LT40HD Super Hydraulic

If you’re located in the southwest corner of the United States, mesquite is likely one of the woods you’ll have at your disposal to build a treehouse with. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, though. “We specialize in indigenous Sonoran Desert Velvet Mesquite which, due to the slow growing and harsh conditions of the desert, is extremely dense, irregular in shape, inherently imperfect, and never easy to mill. In general, we were lucky to mill more than four slabs before needing a fresh blade,” says Arthur F., builder of all things mesquite.

Arthur constructed the treehouse for a rancher and his grandchildren in Tubac, Arizona. He knew he wanted the project to match the aesthetic of the Southern Arizona area, and mesquite, though difficult to work with, was the perfect match.

“Mesquite has been a staple to the Native Americans for centuries,” he tells us. “The bean pods have been grounded to make bread, the limbs have provided building materials for shelter, and the firewood has been used for cooking, heating, and ceremonial fires. So the prospect of utilizing mesquite for the treehouse took it to a whole different level.”

It’s said that what is worth doing is worth doing well. With that in mind, Arthur not only added a living area and a bedroom loft but also running water and electricity to the treehouse.

The milling itself took about ten weeks. All said and done, Arthur estimates that milling his own mesquite saved him $30-40,000. The result is well worth it, as the finished treehouse is a gorgeous masterpiece and well-loved by the rancher’s grandchildren.

For more information on mesquite and how to work with it, check out Woodcraft’s Mesquite Spotlight.

Sawmill Used: LT40WIDE HD

They say to go big or go home, and with this treehouse, Joseph T. definitely did not go home.

Joseph’s three-year-long project features not only two rooms and a screen porch, but an outdoor deck connecting the two. The kitchen area is host to black cherry cabinets and countertops, and the structure consists of repurposed metal windows, doors, and roof.

This massive structure is supported by five large maple trees and a large cedar post. Running water comes from a 250-gallon tank and an RV demand pump. Propane powers a refrigerator, stove, heat, and lighting. Whew!

Interestingly, Joseph and his wife were inspired to complete this project by the television show Treehouse Masters. In classic DIY-fashion, they watched several seasons before deciding, “we could do that.” And they did.

The treehouse itself is mostly hemlock wood, with some white pine and hard maple mixed in as well. The lumber was harvested from the family’s 85-acre property, dried on site, and taken via tractor to the final location. One room was built per summer with floors and plumbing added last. As Joseph notes, the project goes beyond the treehouse itself. “Words cannot express what it has been like having my three grandsons be a part of the construction. We just love the serenity there,” he says.

Sawmill Used: LT40WIDE HD

In the flood lands of Louisiana, one can never be too careful when it comes to flood prevention. Such was the case for Warren S. and his family.

When the area flooded in August 2016, both the house and the children’s playhouse were flooded. After a few months of repairing the damage to the house, Warren decided to make something special for the kids. He gathered a few friends, and over the next six months, they milled cypress pine and magnolia, dried it, and assembled the treehouse you see here.

The treehouse itself sleeps four people and features air conditioning and heat. It’s trimmed with live-edge cypress and measures around 200 square feet in total. Warren estimates that he saved around $5,000 on his project.

Building a treehouse without plans can sometimes be intimidating. For a step-by-step guide, check out Enchanted Forest Treehouse.

Sawmill Used: LT15START

For an example of a true family project, look no further than Trevor S.’s Nut Hut Treehouse. “This was designed and constructed as a family project, with active participation from the kids in both the planning and building. Their direct input shaped the layout, features, and functionality of the structure,” Trevor says.

Inviting your children or grandchildren is an innovative way not only to spend time with them, but to invigorate their imagination and allow them to get a glimpse of The Wood Life.

All the lumber was sourced from Trevor’s property and milled on site, with the kids measuring, cutting, and assembling pieces throughout.

The treehouse was completed over a two-year period and was designed to integrate with four existing fir trees on the property. Those four trees were cut and left tall to support the treehouse platform. A slide and ladder were salvaged from a local park and added the perfect amount of whimsy to the structure. Local parks departments can be a great source of where to find playground equipment, but in the absence of that, you can always purchase it directly. Finally, a deck railing was added as the final touch before the inaugural celebratory sleepover.

Trevor says of the project, “Our family really loved imagining and then building this project and now adults and kids alike are enjoying the shady deck in the afternoon. Seeing something constructed from growing tree to a final house was an amazing experience.”

Every treehouse on this list started the same way: with a tree, a plan, and a portable sawmill turning logs into lumber. Whether you're working with reclaimed cedar, dense desert mesquite, or fir milled from your own backyard, cutting your own lumber is one of the most effective ways to build a bigger, better DIY treehouse for a fraction of retail costs. Ready to start milling your own treehouse lumber? Explore Wood-Mizer portable sawmills to find the right model for your project.