1. Get graded

In order to commence work, your site must be level and graded before the installation crews arrive. In most cases, you’ll need a maximum 2% grade to allow installation.
To have your site graded, search for a local site contractor or landscaping company. Resources like angi.com can help you find professional contractors in your area. 

• If your playground will be surfaced with rubber or turf:A stone base will be placed before the surfacing is laid.This stone base is for drainage purposes. However, if your site has not been set correctly, additional stone sub-grade and additional stone will be needed in the base, and charges will apply. 
• If your playground will be surfaced with artificial turf or poured-in-place rubber:

It’s very important to compact the grade. This is especially for new construction which have been subject to digging. Compacting the grade prevents th ground from settling too much after the installation. Lots of settling could create hazardous dips in the playground surfacing — so get the grade copmacted before installation day.  

We know this process may be new to you. We’re here to answer any questions, so just give us a call at 866-887-2757 — or shoot an email to support@proactiveparks.com

2. Check drainage

Have a contractor look at your site to make sure there is proper drainage for rainwater. This is important to avoid ponding in your playground area once the playground is installed. Don’t put this off until after your playground installation — once the playground is installed, it may be difficult to install proper drainage.

Why this is extremely important for playgrounds to be surfaced with artificial turf or poured-in-place rubber:

Your safety surfacing will have a seamless application (unlike mulch, for example, which can be dug through or removed with relative ease.) If you have drainage problems later, fixing the problem willl be like trying to fix a problem under a marble floor — you won’t want to destroy the flooring to fix the problem, but it will be almost impossible not too.
That’s why we urge you to be proactive about having your site drainage assessed by a professional contractor well advance of installation.

Need help? We’re ready! 

Call us at 866-887-2757 or email info@proactiveparks.com

3. Clear the site

Remove any obstructions above or below the ground of the installation site. This includes existing playground structures and underground posts.

4. Mark out utilities

Contact your local utility markout organization to mark out any utilities below the ground of your site. Installers will be digging up to 30 inches into the ground when installing the playground, and we do not want to penetrate utilities like electricity, water and gas lines. For more information, call or visit 811 in your state. If you need help finding a local mark out organization, let us know. We’re happy to support you. 

5. Designate a staging area

A staging area is a space for equipment crates to be stored before and during installation. Before your installation, we’ll talk you through choosing the best area to stage playground equipment, so if you haven’t done this yet and installation day is approaching, do give us a call!

6. Make sure there’s a 6- foot wide entrance

Trucks and installation machinery will need to enter and exit the site, so ensure an access point that is at least 6 feet wide. If you have a fence around the site, reach out to your local fencing contractor to remove the fence before installation and replace it after installation is done. Our installation crew may be able to do it, but an additional charge will apply and we cannot take responsibility for the fence.
If you’re unsure whether your site allows sufficient access, please contact us well before your installation date to talk about it. We’ll help you figure it out!

7. Ensure electricity & water on-site

The installation crew will need both electricity and water access to do their job, so make sure your site provides water and electrical access. 

1. Installers will arrive to a work-ready site

Your site should be fully prepared and installation-ready by now. This means you’ve followed all the the instructions listed above in the section titled “How to prepare your site for installation.”
Unlike residential installers, commercial playground installers work on tight schedules and travel long distances to perform installations. If your site is not adequately prepared for the installation to take place when the crew arrives, additional fees will apply to cover crew down-time and return trips.

2. Installers do the job in 5 stages

a. Staging and inspecting all materials
b. Setting equipment location and marking out footers
c. Building the playground
d. Leveling the playground
e. Pouring Concrete footers
f. Site cleanup

You’ll get a rough estimate about how long your installation will take. The estimate is based on the size of your playground. Given the nature of construction projects, timelines may change. We’ll do our best to send frequent updates and you know if anything changes. 

3. Installers will dispose of a lot of trash

Playground equipment comes in large pallets, lots of cardboard boxes, and lots of large plastic bags, so we’ll have a fair amount of trash that needs to be disposed of. If there is a dumpster on site, our crew will dispose of this on site with your permission. If not, we will provide our own dumpster at an additional charge.

4. Excessive digging labor may mean additional fees

Installation fees are priced on the assumption that all digging will be through ordinary subgrade soil. Additional charges may apply if installers must dig through rock, roots, asphalt or concrete.

5. The weather may affect your installation timeline

Because playground installation takes place outdoors, scheduling and progress are subject to weather delays.If delays happen, we’ll do our best to inform you of any updates or changes. Because reports are coming from our installers in the field, our update and response times can occasionally take longer than we’d like. We appreciate your understanding — and thank you in advance for your patience!

Like any major construction project, playground installation is a complex undertaking. Here’s what we’re doing to ensure the best possible experience for you:

1. Extra support

If you’ve contracted us for installation, we show up for delivery to unload, inspect and stage your order on-site. We’ll keep you posted with updates so that you know when this is happening.

2. Skilled people

We only contract highly skilled professionals that are certified playground installers and inspectors.

3. Safer process

We look for trustworthy contractors who understand how to install playgrounds safely to ensure that the kids who will be using it will be safe while playing on them. 

We look forward to hearing from you about your satisfaction!

Please note:

Ground may settle over time. We cannot take any responsibility for ground settling after the installation of our safety surfacing (mulch/PIP/turf).