# Pete Nelson tree house builder



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

As a licenced contractor in Oregon every now and then I get notices about unlicensed contractors getting fined.
This notice goes to show that even builders on TV shows don't play by the rules.

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The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) recently fined a Washington-based business $5,000 for working without a license while building a single-family tree house in a Sitka spruce in Neskowin.

â€œThese tree houses are intended as residences and require a contractorâ€™s license, as do most all home building or home improvement projects,â€ CCB Enforcement Manager Stan Jessup said.

The business, Nelsonâ€™s Treehouse and Supply, is based in Fall City, Wash., and is run by Pete Nelson, host of the Animal Planet television series Treehouse Masters.

Not only was the business operating illegally, but Nelson featured the Neskowin project on his television show. A news story about the upcoming broadcast caught the attention of a CCB investigator who was already familiar with Nelsonâ€™s Treehouse.

Thatâ€™s because the business was fined $1,000 in 2014 for working without a license when constructing a tree house in Central Point, Oregon.

The Neskowin tree house on the Oregon Coast was built this past summer, 46 feet off the ground. As a repeat offender, the second violation resulted in the $5,000 fine.

Nelsonâ€™s Treehouse travels the country building elaborate treehouses with electricity and plumbing.

â€œContractors need to know how to operate legally in whatever state they are doing business in,â€ Jessup said. â€œLicensing in Oregon carries important protections for the consumer. It means the contractor is bonded and insured, and the CCB can help mediate any disputes between the homeowner and contractor.â€

Any subcontractors who might work for this business or any other unlicensed contractor can be fined for knowingly assisting an unlicensed contractor.

Nelsonâ€™s Treehouse and Supply has yet to obtain a CCB licence.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

I always wondered about the permits, fees and licenses and if any existed for the projects on those shows. This Old House did an episode near me, I wonder if they complied? The owner will find out once they try to sell and the work was done without approvals from the NYC DoB :O


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## bearkatwood (Aug 19, 2015)

I think they are out of Washington and have their license up there, but do a lot of work down here. The house was build using architects plans and it was engineered right, they are just lazy about getting a licence for Oregon. So I don't think the house is in danger of falling down, but as a contractor you should represent yourself as a professional and be licensed in the state in which you are doing the work. Thanks for the post Jim, hope all is going well over there. Have a good weekend.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I always wondered about that myself Bill

In Washington you basically get a bond and sign up to pay taxes and you can be a contractor.
All is well here Brian thanks for asking and I hope all is well in Bandon too.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Interesting! Gave up my license when I was making less than it was costing in insurance. Also driving 44 miles to do an estimate and not getting the project.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

SO I'm guessing the license would have cost LESS than the 6 grand the fines cost?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Joe it's probably around $1000-$1200 with bond,insurance,and class requirements.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

They are doing it on TV. I'm sure they are making way more than $5k per episode, so they likely won't get a license until it starts costing them real money.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

All I can say is this…the deeper you go into the South, the looser it gets.
You should see some of the stuff people put up down here. Make you shiver.

When I lived in PA, want to put up a deck? Need a permit, plans, approvals, on and on.
Here in SE Tennessee, you need tools and wood.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

America…. the land of the free…..NOT.


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

well i can understand the needs of all of those things for a contractor, but i dont like being regulated when i want to do something myself…and i did, i built my whole house with no permits, and luckily i knew what i was doing, and over built…but i know its a different day and time then when this country was established, but as an american i dont believe in overdoing it, but if your a contractor, then i do believe in license and bonding and insurance, its a must…thanks jim for posting this… i hope your well…PS. i an an alaskan , lived there for 15 years, and i know what it feels like to be able to do what you want on your own land… so ALASKAGUY i know what you mean….i love and miss my home, both of my sons live there….one in anchorage and one in chugiak….i lived in eagle river….I LOVE ALASKA.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

If I were building for myself I understand how you guys feel but even though there's government over seeing what's being done and we don't like it,there are benefits that help protect customers. As this post proves there are those who don't do good work or cheat customers so with the building departments and the builders Board the customers have a route to take rather than trying to find the so-called contractor that disappeared into the sunset or that claims their work is done the right way, but their work is far from done right .


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## teejk02 (Apr 27, 2015)

Were there any complaints filed by the owners of said tree-houses? Seems to me that a tree house would come with an automatic consent of "best efforts/no guarantees" (not so sure about Oregon but around here trees tend to move a lot in the wind). Sounds like a money grab to me.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

No complaint is necessary in Oregon even if the owner loves the work a non-licenced person can be fined.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> All I can say is this…the deeper you go into the South, the looser it gets.


I don't know… down in Miami, you need to pull a permit and get the holes inspected when putting up fence posts! When I did a brief stint up in Iowa, I asked about getting a permit to build an out-building and was told, more or less "Permit? Heck, it's your land, do whatever you want on it!".

Cheers,
Brad


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> No complaint is necessary in Oregon even if the owner loves the work a non-licenced person can be fined.
> 
> - a1Jim


That's not surprising in Oregon .


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## Stewbot (Jun 7, 2015)

A little off topic… but Jim, ever come across minimum sq. ft. requirements for single family new construction in your neck of the woods? Reason I ask is because I ran into these issues in N. California +-50 mi. of Oregon border. I inquired with the local building dept. about building a 900-1000 sq. ft. single family on some semi-rural land (no utilities available type rural) and was told that it would be too small to build legally. I understand in an HOA type neighborhood, but was surprised to learn this regarding the location I was looking at.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Stewbot
Unless the property has CC&Rs stating the type of improvements you can build there,I would say most areas in the county do not have restrictions in fact if you build under 200 sq ft you don't need a permit at all.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> A little off topic… but Jim, ever come across minimum sq. ft. requirements for single family new construction in your neck of the woods? Reason I ask is because I ran into these issues in N. California +-50 mi. of Oregon border. I inquired with the local building dept. about building a 900-1000 sq. ft. single family on some semi-rural land (no utilities available type rural) and was told that it would be too small to build legally. I understand in an HOA type neighborhood, but was surprised to learn this regarding the location I was looking at.
> 
> - Stewbot


Minimum sq ft restrictions is pretty standard in many subdivisions. I once sub-divided a 10 acre parcel into 3 lots. As the developer of this tiny subdivision I could write any condition I wanted and the buyer of a lot had to conform.

I chose to write NO RESTRICTIONS.


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## Stewbot (Jun 7, 2015)

> Stewbot
> Unless the property has CC&Rs stating the type of improvements you can build there,I would say most areas in the county do not have restrictions in fact if you build under 200 sq ft you don t need a permit at all.
> 
> - a1Jim


I see, thanks.



> Minimum sq ft restrictions is pretty standard in many subdivisions. I once sub-divided a 10 acre parcel into 3 lots. As the developer of this tiny subdivision I could write any condition I wanted and the buyer of a lot had to conform.
> 
> I chose to write NO RESTRICTIONS.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


Now thats the spirit.


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## RobS888 (May 7, 2013)

> America…. the land of the free…..NOT.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


Awesome! Remember most regulations are written in blood, so they tend to save lives.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> America…. the land of the free…..NOT.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy
> 
> ...


I case you didn't know I place no value on anything you say. 
Some people can't get along without the government taking care of them some can.


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## tomd (Jan 29, 2008)

It's all about the money.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

Here is Virginia there are tests, license, insurance, permits and inspections along the way


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

I work for a big general contractor in Texas. I never understood why some people don' just get licenses? If that is your job, just get a license to do it. If patch someone's sheetrock once every six months, ok I understand. But if you do this day and day out - why is it so hard to do it legally?.... Probably because you have to pay your taxes if you do it legally.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

> All I can say is this…the deeper you go into the South, the looser it gets.
> 
> When I did a brief stint up in Iowa, I asked about getting a permit to build an out-building and was told, more or less "Permit? Heck, it s your land, do whatever you want on it!".
> 
> ...


Yep, when we moved here 2+ years ago I asked about needing a permit to put up a free-standing shop building. The told me "Just look around at what some of your neighbors have. Barns, ,workshops, and multiple storage buildings. So long as it's not going to be something so ugly the neighbors will complain about, do what ever you want."


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## RobS888 (May 7, 2013)

> America…. the land of the free…..NOT.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy
> 
> ...


I know you have an aversion to the truth, but how is enforcing a safe standard "the government taking care of them". Acknowledging there are unscrupulous and incompetent workers seems pretty good to me. Making it harder for them is great.

If you are an honest, compitant worker, licensing should be welcome, if you aren't then it is a burden to be avoided.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> America…. the land of the free…..NOT.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy
> 
> ...


Having a license doesn't make anyone more honest, more capable than anyone else. Having a license just mean you've paid off the government and jumped through their loops.

I just read (re-read) your profile. Makes me wonder what project are you working on this weekend.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Reasonable regulations is why whole cities do not burn like they did in Chicago and London and most other major cities in the past. Or, fall down like they did in San Francisco in 1906.

In my 45 years in the trade, I saw a lot of dangerous installations. Too much of it was approved by incompetent inspectors! ;-(

Next door I have a licensed general contractor who built an illegal concrete retaining wall because the city allowed him to call it a "fence." Fences have no requirements. He piled 35 tons of concrete block on top of the ground without an embedded foundation or footing. After the house was built and approved, he piled the dirt up to 4 feet deep. This "fence" does not meet any seismic or wind load standards. The WA/OR/BC coastline has a 40% chance of the biggest earthquake ever recorded on modern equipment happening in the next 40 years. WE are actually over due in the geological cycles and the elevation the Jaun de Fuca plate has pushed up the continental shelf.

As a licensed general contractor, one would hope he would understand embedded foundations and footings have been elementary to sound structural standards for at least 10,000 years based on archaeological evidence, structural failure analysis and sound engineering principles. I sure hope some one is keeping a close eye on what this guy is doing in people's homes who are totally ignorant of sound construction principles. Apparently a licensed and bonded contractor does not mean much in this state other than they paid the fees; no real qualifications required ;-(

Additionally, the city seems to have approved a propane storage tank that is about 900 gallons. NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION standards require anything over 500 gallons to be 25 feet from a building or ignition source. This one is not ;-(

The worst part of the issue is the city official's incompetence and inability to recognize and correct the deficiencies in their own standards. IMO, the issue is not why do contractors try to get by without licenses, bonds and permits? It is who is setting standards for the enforcers who are supposed to be watching, enforcing and requiring corrections? Someone needs to be watching the building officials to they are capable and competent. I am beginning to wonder how many levels of supervision is required to maintain structural integrity of building construction? I have no personal knowledge of other local jurisdictions, but our local officials certainly appear to need supervision.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

One more thing, how does any tree house meet any seismic standards on the Oregon coast?


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## RobS888 (May 7, 2013)

> Having a license doesn t make anyone more honest, more capable than anyone else. Having a license just mean you ve paid off the government and jumped through their loops.
> 
> I just read (re-read) your profile. Makes me wonder what project are you working on this weekend.
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


I'll take a licensed contractor over an unlicensed one any day. In MD, we have a state division for anyone that touches existing homes. The MHIC, http://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/mhic/mhiclic.shtml
Contractors advertise their MHIC number in adds and on vehicles. It isn't a guarantee of quality, but it does mean they haven't been ripping people off. One can look at a rolling 3 years history to see if there are any complaints against a company.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

If you want licensed contractor that's your choice. I can tell you this. The non-licensed contractor trade is alive and well. Many people are get quality work done and at reasonable prices.

"Remember most regulations are written in blood, so they tend to save lives".

Rob, if you really want to save some lives lets lobby to have Planed Parenthood shut down.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

AlaskaGuy
Anyone that bids against me that's unlicensed I'm glad to turn them into The contractors board in a heart beat,you may think it's fine to have someone steal work from folks that are playing by the rules but in the less wild states we have to play the rule or pay the price. 
I've seen some of the crappy work these unlicensed so-called contractors do and having to have a "real" Contractor do it over is far from a bargain.
You and anyone can hire whoever you want to do your if work home owners don't get fined for hiring unlicensed workers but get one the guys that is a workman's comp fraud expert he could clean you out down to your last Moose.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

If you want licensed contractor that's your choice. I can tell you this. The non-licensed contractor trade is alive and well. Many people are get quality work done and at reasonable prices.

"Remember most regulations are written in blood, so they tend to save lives".

Rob, if you really want to save some lives lets lobby to have Planed Parenthood shut down. 


> AlaskaGuy
> Anyone that bids against me that s unlicensed I m glad to turn them into The contractors board in a heart beat,you may think it s fine to have someone steal work from folks that are playing by the rules but in the less wild states we have to play the rule or pay the price.
> I ve seen some of the crappy work these unlicensed so-called contractors do and having to have a "real" Contractor do it over is far from a bargain.
> You and anyone can hire whoever you want to do your if work home owners don t get fined for hiring unlicensed workers but get one the guys that is a workman s comp fraud expert he could clean you out down to your last Moose.
> ...


You know Jim the height of stupidity is when a person such as your self labels all persons within a group of people as having the same characteristics. Example, all non licensed contractors do ******************** work, or all union laborers are lazy, or all non union carpenters are incompetent, or all Catholic Priest are pedophiles.

You get what I'm saying Jim?

Edit to ad, I've seen plenty of ******************** work done by licensed contractors. I have even worked for a couple of them and seen some to the the stuff they do to save money or short cuts to get the job done on time. I have worked for some very good ones also. Even I have had a contracting license at one time.

Go sell your crap to someone else, I'm not buying it.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I guess some folks might say it's stupid to misquote people too.

"I've seen *some of* the crappy work these unlicensed so-called contractors do". Did you see the word "ALL" anywhere in my post?

You're entitled to your opinion as am I


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> I guess some folks might say it s stupid to misquote people too.
> 
> "I've seen *some of* the crappy work these unlicensed so-called contractors do". Did you see the word "ALL" anywhere in my post?
> 
> ...


Just so you know I edited my last post and added bit more for you.

I don't need the word "all" I've dealt with people like you and Rob before.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I never said all licenced contractors are good nor did I say all non-licenced are bad.

.

Good night and Happy holidays to you and yours


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## RobS888 (May 7, 2013)

> If you want licensed contractor that s your choice. I can tell you this. The non-licensed contractor trade is alive and well. Many people are get quality work done and at reasonable prices.
> 
> "Remember most regulations are written in blood, so they tend to save lives".
> 
> ...


Keep your regressive religious views out of this. This started with your inappropriate post about the government, now you want to bring abortion into it? Deflection or obsession? Don't really care.

I believe without regulations and licenses we would be like China.


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## CJIII (Jan 3, 2014)

Here in Alabama you can do contracting job under $10,000 without a home building license but you still need a contractor license and a building permit from your local government.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Yep it sure is different in each state and even in each city and county of each state Licensing and permit wise.


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## teejk02 (Apr 27, 2015)

> Yep it sure is different in each state and even in each city and county of each state Licensing and permit wise.
> 
> - a1Jim


Many permit requirements are solely to alert the local tax assessor (e.g. my 56×30 shop required a $10 permit but didn't need to be inspected). Wisconsin now requires licensing for home improvement contractors and the license requires attendance at annual code update sessions…good in a way I guess but lately some of the code changes are absurd (particularly in the NEC). But a tree-house? Personally I think I would choose a non-licensed contractor that has experience in building tree-houses over a licensed contractor that has never built one…but that's just me.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Teejk02
I agree on both counts,many permit are just for the local government to raise income on fees and taxes.
I guess if I had a customer that wanted to have an elaborate tree house built and they asked If I should build it or Pete Nelson I'd have to suggest Pete over me,but I would also tell them about the consequences of doing business with an unlicensed contractor.


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## teejk02 (Apr 27, 2015)

> Teejk02
> I agree on both counts,many permit are just for the local government to raise income on fees and taxes.
> I guess if I had a customer that wanted to have an elaborate tree house built and they asked If I should build it or Pete Nelson I d have to suggest Pete over me,but I would also tell them about the consequences of doing business with an unlicensed contractor.
> 
> - a1Jim


But based on some earlier comments you would still report them? I guess the problem with any "license" system is the need to have "one size fits all…no exceptions". Sounds rather "statist" to me especially since the story started with a comment suggesting that there would be no story if the tree house was not featured on some TV show, meaning some state employee (or a wannabe tree house builder) watched it and decided to check into it. Is the issue really "protectionism" for union/licensed trades that may or may not be the best of the best (which you have already commented on)? Not trying to pick a fight (too old for that and don't have a dog in the hunt anyway) but???


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## teejk02 (Apr 27, 2015)

Guess I got a dupe post…consider this a commercial break (boy scouts are selling popcorn everywhere so go buy some!).


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Interesting - I had thought that treehouses were categorized differently….

Sister stayed at the Treesort in Cave Junction Oregon - and they bought "T-shirts" that were super expensive, but allowed you to "stay free" in the tree houses to get around permits and zoning, because the powers that be wouldn't license them for occupancy. Friends were allowed to stay there… so you bought a t-shirt autographed with the date (nice receipt) and became a "Friend"


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I didn't check back but I believe I said I would report any unlicensed contractor who bid against me. Sine the question seemed to be who would accomplish the job best ,I assumed Pete nelson would do the job he would less problems than I would given he's built tree houses for 25 years. I've never recommended an unlicensed person yet an in this case I'm not directing the theatrical customer to the unlicensed person ,I 'm just answering a question honestly.


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