Treehouse building shows have gotten complicated with all the reality TV drama flying around these days. As someone who binged every episode of Treehouse Masters during its original run, I learned everything there is to know about the crew behind those incredible builds. Today, I’ll share what happened to Alex Meyer, one of the most skilled guys on Pete Nelson’s team.
Alex Meyer Was the Real Deal
Here’s the thing about Alex Meyer that made him stand out from the typical reality show cast: the guy was a rock climber before he ever touched a treehouse. That’s what makes his role on the show endearing to us carpentry nerds — he brought actual vertical skills to builds that required working 40 feet off the ground with nothing but a harness and trust in physics.
Meyer worked as a Carpenter and Project Manager at Nelson Treehouse and Supply, the company Pete Nelson founded that became the entire focus of the Animal Planet series. His climbing background meant he naturally handled rigging duties, getting heavy beams and materials hoisted into position when other crew members might hesitate. Watch any episode where the crew is wrestling lumber into the canopy and that’s Meyer making it look easy.
The fearlessness wasn’t an act for cameras. Fellow crew members talked about how Meyer genuinely loved the high-angle work that made other people nervous. That combination of skill and enthusiasm is hard to fake, and viewers picked up on it.
The Team Dynamic on Treehouse Masters
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. The Treehouse Masters crew was tight: Pete Nelson running the show and bringing the design vision, his son Charlie learning the trade, lead foreman Daryl McDonald keeping builds on schedule, lead carpenter Chuck McClellan handling the technical woodwork, and Meyer handling the high-angle rigging and carpentry work.
Together they built custom treehouses across the United States for 11 seasons, turning childhood dreams into architectural realities for clients with the budget to make it happen. The show ran from 2013 to 2018, producing some of the most elaborate elevated structures ever filmed for television.
What the show didn’t always capture was how dangerous this work actually is. Weather changes fast in the trees, equipment fails when you least expect it, and the trees themselves are unpredictable — a branch that looked solid might not be. Meyer’s climbing experience wasn’t just useful for efficiency — it kept people safe on jobs where a wrong step meant a serious fall onto roots and rocks below.
That Game of Thrones Castle Build
If you only watched one episode of Treehouse Masters, make it Season 10, Episode 7: “Castle in the Trees.” The clients were serious Game of Thrones fans who wanted a medieval castle. In a tree. In Texas.
The final structure had a two-story turret, a parapet porch where you could pretend to be defending the realm, faux stone siding that looked surprisingly convincing, and custom medieval metalwork details. The whole thing looked like it belonged in Westeros, except it was 30 feet up in a Texas oak tree.
Meyer built the staircase to the second floor himself. It’s the kind of detail that casual viewers might not notice, but anyone who’s done finish carpentry knows that spiral stairs in a confined space require serious precision. The whole project showed what happens when you give skilled builders creative freedom and a client who just says “make it epic” instead of micromanaging.
What Happened to Alex Meyer
Alex Meyer passed away unexpectedly in 2016 while the show was still in production. He was young, and nobody saw it coming. The news hit the treehouse building community hard, even though it’s a relatively small world.
The crew dedicated episodes to his memory in the seasons that followed. Pete Nelson and the rest of the team kept building, but they acknowledged the loss publicly. People who knew Meyer personally said he wasn’t just talented at the technical work — he was the guy always looking for the next challenge, whether that meant a harder climbing route or a crazier build that other crews would turn down.
His childhood friends remembered him the same way: someone who never stopped seeking new experiences. Rock climbing led to rigging, rigging led to treehouse building, and who knows where he would have gone next if he’d had more time.
Honoring His Legacy
After Meyer’s death, the Treehouse Masters crew continued their work, but colleagues said the loss changed things. The projects completed in later seasons still carried that spirit of adventure and craftsmanship that Meyer embodied during his years with the team.
Nelson Treehouse and Supply continued operating, and the people who worked alongside Meyer carry his influence into every project. That’s how legacies actually work in skilled trades — less about monuments and more about the standards and techniques passed between craftspeople.
His Work Still Stands
The treehouses Meyer helped build are still out there. Unlike most TV set pieces, these are real structures that real families use. You can stream old episodes on various platforms and spot his contributions throughout the series. The show ran until September 2018, but his influence on those builds remained visible even in the final episodes.
For fans searching “where is Alex Meyer now” hoping for an update on his career — he’s not with us anymore. But the structures he built keep standing, weathering seasons and holding families in the treetops. That’s more than most of us can say about the work we leave behind.
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