Local business · Rockport, MALocal business · 31 Pooles Ln, Rockport, MA 01966, USA
Verified record
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Treehouse Design Inc. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$23,000 – $35,000
Typical remodeling project around $29,000
An architecture firm that also swings hammers — that is the distinction one homeowner drew in a 2026 Northshore Magazine piece: “Treehouse is an architecture firm first with construction capabilities, not the other way around, which is exactly what we were looking for.” Treehouse Design works out of 31 Poole’s Lane in Rockport and runs architecture, interior design, construction and in-house cabinetry under one roof for custom homes and renovations across Cape Ann. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active. The written customer record is uniform and old: ten reviews on Houzz, every one five stars, all posted in 2017. What they describe is consistently the hard stuff. One 2017 reviewer wrote about a renovated 1790s cape where “the architectural challenge of merging an addition into a classic old home confounded other firms that we were considering.” Another, the same month, described a total reinvention of a 1700s cottage — extra square footage, walls moved, a basement dug underneath. A 2009 Northshore Magazine article recounted the firm draping a Rockport home over a boulder back in 2005. They have not gone quiet since. Building permits from 2024 and 2025 cover a $1.53 million new single-family house in Beverly, a $1.2 million addition and interior renovation in Rockport, and a garage-to-ADU conversion, and the firm turned up again in Northshore Magazine in 2025 and 2026. Two things to settle before calling. Scale first: Houzz puts the typical job here between $200,000 and $4 million, which makes this a whole-project practice rather than a punch-list one. Then the paper trail on age — Houzz says Treehouse was founded in 1990 while its BBB profile records a business start of 2000, so ask directly if tenure matters to you. BuildZoom also lists an older Massachusetts registration, #113971, as inactive alongside the current one. For a difficult coastal lot or an old Cape Ann house, where you want the people drawing the plans to be the people building them, this is the shape of firm that fits. Ask who would actually run your project: the 2017 reviews name Tim Thurman again and again, while BuildZoom now lists Patrick Herlihy as an owner as well.
““Treehouse is an architecture firm first with construction capabilities, not the other way around, which is exactly what we were looking for,” notes the husband.”
“To realize their vision, they turned to Rockport-based Treehouse Design, Inc.”
“the full-service firm handled the architecture, construction, interior design, furnishings and cabinetry seamlessly under one roof”
“Treehouse Design, Rockport”
“The team at Treehouse Design operates from the belief that building design and the natural world are inextricably linked.”
The name Treehouse has always made me smile. I instantly visualize a really cool space that is very unique. That is exactly what I have gotten in my experiences working with this company. I have twice hired Treehouse Design. Once for a modern addition and new deck and most recently they have drawn plans to renovate and modernize my 1950 Cape located in Lanesville, Ma. I have been very happy in all respects working with them. Tim Thurman and his associates are not only professional and easy to work with. They are all highly creative. The attention to detail and individual attention paid to my esthetic and budget created a perfect pairing. I cannot recommend this company more highly. Tim, Nichole and Meg were my *team*. The cohesiveness they shared added to the seamless end result of my plans. The project will be executed beginning March of 2018. Could not be happier! Thank you Treehouse! And a special thanks to Nichole Arvanites.
We just moved home in mid-May to a renovated 1790's cape that that Tim Thurman and Ellen Levine of Treehouse designed for us. It is spectacular and exceeds every expectation we had (the builders also had a hand in that, but the stellar design led the way). The architectural challenge of merging an addition into a classic old home confounded other firms that we were considering, but Treehouse created a "flow" that feels seamless now that we are living in it. Most importantly, we were "heard" throughout the design process, and the final result beautifully matches the dream that we have had percolating since we bought the house 20 years ago. In short, we love these folks.
Treehouse made the process of building our dream home on the water a fun and painless experience. Tim took our ideas and likes and transformed them into a design that worked for the site as well as opening up our minds to new design concepts. The Treehouse crews showed up every day and were very professional. They also offered a very creative designer to help us with all the finishing touches. They finished on time and also stayed on budget! We were so happy with their work ethic and professionalism that we had them come back to do an office over our garage as well. We highly recommend them!
Treehouse staff was wonderful to work with and their creativity and attention to detail was outstanding. We love our house and Tim and Warren are always responsive when we have questions or repairs even 3 plus years later. Would highly recommend them.
We interviewed many local architects before deciding to hire Tim Thurman, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. We appreciated not only his emphasis on "green" design elements and materials, but his holistic approach to the design process, and attitude about how we, and those who follow here after we are gone, may use these spaces now and in the (changeable) future. I chose to have Treehouse also build the house, another very good decision. Thereby, we learned about the dedication and loyalty their very proficient staff, and independent tradespeople, have to Tim and Cheryl. I am a leader of teams for live show production and picked up on Tim's genuine concern for the needs and interests of everyone who works with them. Many times we heard people say their first choice would always be to work for Treehouse and deliver the best quality they could. "Look at how excellent this house is! It makes me feel great to be part of this project." The Treehouse staff have so much experience and also dedication to their projects. We are so pleased to be now living here. It makes us feel good. It's so comfortable year around and I have negligible utility bills. We love the views. Naturally, the house is not perfect, but the few issues are very minor and we all saw them ahead because of necessary design compromises. Sorry I don't have more photos of the interior, but it took us a while to move in and get set up and I've been so busy with the rest of my life. In summation, everybody was very professional and showed great depth of knowledge, not only of their department, but those around them. They gave us invaluable advice as we went along. The quality of the work was top notch and done expeditiously. Tim, Cheryl, and I went over the budget every two weeks which was most helpful and kept the project under control. Our kudos to all involved and thank you so much!
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Added 10 new comments, added 24 new photos, verified active license, established rating 3.9
Roof deck builds4.4
Porch and deck rebuilds4.4
49 years in business4.4
Low-disruption projects4.4