Budgeting

Equipment

The first step in the playground planning process frequently involves the determination of a budget or a maximum budget number for the project. Ideally, the playground should be designed to address the needs and wants of the potential users without regard to a particular budget.  

In large part, your playground budget will be determined by how many children you expect to use the playground at a given time. A good general rule is to budget for about $1000 per child, meaning that if you expect 50 kids to be able to play there together, you should budget for about $50,000.  The playground development costs should then be compared to the project budget. If development costs exceed the budget, it is almost always better to devise a plan to phase in the project over a period of several years rather than reducing the scope of the playground.  

When determining a project budget, it is most effective to make decisions based on the life cycle costs of the playground. Life cycle costing involves looking at all costs that may be incurred for the playground over its effective life, including not only the expense to design, purchase, and install the equipment, but also the costs to inspect, maintain, and repair both equipment and surfacing, as well as other factors.

Surfacing

This money will cover preparation of the site, playground equipment and installation of safety surfacing (such as pea gravel or wood chips). The type of surfacing material, in particular, may have a tremendous impact on the cost of the playground over its life cycle.    

Please be aware that there are several types of surfacing to accommodate any budget. Some surfacing types require simple and minimal yearly maintenance like engineered wood  fiber, and others may require little to no maintenance like our rubberized surfacing options. Yearly maintenance for surfacing may be as simple as refreshing and spreading the supply of wood fiber under the structure to revitalize the effectiveness of the surfacing attenuation. For more about surfacing options click here…    

Installation

Installation is another expense to plan for when creating a budget for your new playground. Installation of a playground includes: basic site preparation, playground installation and surfacing installation.  One factor that has an impact on the cost of installation is the site itself. If additional preparation will be needed to clear the site of subsurface rock, additional funds should be planned into the budget. As information about the site is not always known, depending on your local/regional landscape it is typically a good idea to plan for these costs just in case.       

Freight Costs

Freight costs will vary depending on the Play & Park Structures products being ordered, and the ship-to location proximity to our manufacturing facility in Fort Payne, AL. Contact your representative to get an accurate freight estimate for your project's budget. To find your local representative click here…    

Site Amenities

 It should be noted that site amenities are important but can be costly additions to the playground project. Important site amenities to consider include trash receptacles, benches, tables, grills, and bicycle racks. To see our line of site amenities please click here…