Go Climb a Tree with Our New Backyard Tree Climber

For a backyard installation, there are no regulations that apply to this activity. We still strongly advise you to comply with the inspections & recertifications required by the manufacturer of the belay device.

For a commercial installation, there may be requirements to register the Tree Climber, with specific steps needed depending on state-level jurisdiction. In Pennsylvania, any use of this activity that is open to the public is going to be considered an amusement ride and it will need to be registered. There is some grey area in the middle, but so you’re not sure, please describe your situation and we’ll help you figure out whether or not you need to register it. If you do need to register it, then we can help you with the paperwork and registration, but plan to allow us sufficient time to work with the state and extra budget to compensate us for handling it for you – it will take more work to register it than to install it. Treehouse World, in West Chester, PA, has tree-climbing installed on 7 trees and there it is a state registered amusement ride.

The price starts at $7500 and goes up to approximately $12,000. The cost is based on the difficulty of the installation, the height above ground, # of straps & rocks used and location. Discounts available for multiple trees on the same location installed at the same time. Commercial installations and locations far enough away to require overnight stays will be higher but still in line with additional actual costs.

There are some safety checks you should perform each day that you use the Tree Climber. These are simple and only take about a minute. In addition, the descent device needs to have a 6-month inspection which you can perform yourself or hire us to do. Lastly, there is also a requirement by the manufacturer to send the device to their facility for a complete internal inspection every 12 months. You can do this or hire us to handle this for you. We will supply literature to explain all of this during your orientation with us.

The rocks have no noticeable effect on the tree, but some attention needs to be paid to the effect of the ratchet straps. The straps have to be tight around the tree to work properly. As the tree grows, it may have to be adjusted from year to year. Our experience has taught us that more thick barked trees are okay with minimal adjustments every 2-3 years. On thin bark trees, adjustments need to be more frequent. On all trees, straps through a crotch or fork of a tree/branch union are particularly susceptible to girdling the tree and should be avoided. When necessary to put a strap there, it should be checked more than once a year.

Yes. If you ask us to move a few rocks during installation or during a regularly scheduled inspection, then there is no extra charge to adjust the route. There is a fee-based on our time (travel + work) for a separate trip to your property to make adjustments, but we’re happy to do it either way.

We have some combination projects and they are a lot of fun. Ziplines and Treehouses have their own set of feasibility requirements, so we’ll take a look at your site, listen to what your goals are, and help come up with the best possible plan.

We will consider this on a case by case basis. We are trying to leave our clients with an activity that is user-friendly and requires as little training as possible. Self-belays are difficult to set up because climbers will need both hands to hold the rocks, so they may not take up slack properly. Partner belays are better but that requires a trained person on the ground, and more knots and connections are required. With the auto-belay, you don’t need to know any knots, you just put the harness on correctly, clip the carabiner onto the harness, and go. There are pros and cons, and if you want to consider other options, then we will discuss it with you and get you the best solution for your needs.