WHAT TO EXPECT DURING CONSTRUCTION

Congratulations! You are now on your way to a brand-new play area that will be enjoyed for years to come. A Sales Order acknowledgement is attached for your records. We will send installation dates once available.

We enjoy working with our customers toward their playground dreams! Information about your playground team is attached. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

We want to make sure you also enjoy the construction process, so we put together a list of what to expect in the coming weeks.

Order Process

• We will process your order within 24-48 hours of receiving all your information and deposits (if required) making sure to be specific about your equipment and color choices to minimize errors later in the field.
• Once the order is sent to the correct manufacturer, there is a slight pause while we wait for your new equipment to be produced. Common equipment lead times are as listed and shipping requires about one week to ship for most equipment.
  • Playgrounds
    • 6-8 weeks to manufacture
  • Shade structures (fabric and steel)
    • 3-6 weeks for engineered drawings
    • 1-4 weeks for permit approval (depending on municipality)
    • 6-10 weeks to manufacture (depending on how custom the structure is)
  • Splash parks
    • 3-6 weeks for engineered drawings
    • 1-4 weeks for permit approval (depending on municipality)
    • 4-6 weeks to manufacture below ground components
    • 10-12 weeks to manufacture above ground components
  • Safety surfacing
    • Wood fiber typically delivers in 1-2 weeks
    • Rubber surfacing can typically schedule within 3-5 weeks
  • Site furnishings and musical instruments
    • 6-22 weeks to manufacture (depending on supplier)
  • Outdoor athletic and fitness equipment
    • 1-6 weeks to manufacture (depending on supplier and type of equipment)
  • Shipping can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks, depending on the product and source location
• While we are waiting for your equipment to arrive, we are still working hard on your behalf.
  • We coordinate with your local government to get building permits if required for your new shade structure.
  • We also work with our installation crews to make sure we’ve covered all the bases and have a thorough knowledge of your project before we arrive on site.

Pre-Construction

• We will schedule a pre-construction meeting with all the important people to go over last-minute items. We meet with the installation supervisors, the landscaper, any site superintendents and of course you – the most important person of all!
• We cover lots of things during the pre-construction meeting, including but not limited to:
  • Review of the project scope
  • Site access
  • Where to dump sand or fiber
  • Site security / temporary fencing
  • Utility locating
  • Irrigation and water control
  • Water line capping and moving
  • Contact information for all parties
  • Site layout and orientation
  • Timeline and schedule
  • Hours of access
  • Any possible changes
• The equipment arrives on very large pallets that requires a forklift to move. Since we are installing your equipment, we take care of everything for you. The equipment is shipped to our installation facility, loaded off the truck and safely stored until we are ready to install.

Construction Process

• Once your equipment has arrived, we will schedule your installation for our next available date. Some projects only require a couple of days while others take weeks to construct. Also, the scheduled dates are tentative until confirmed with our installation team.
• Just prior to our scheduled installation date, we will order blue stake for the site along with any private utility locating if it was ordered for your project.
• Temporary fencing will be the first thing to arrive on site to provide security if it was ordered for your project. If it wasn’t ordered, our installers will put up caution tape.
• Your new components and our construction equipment will be the next to arrive. It’s important to know that the equipment on your site will be large and designed for site work. It may include things such as large trucks, flatbed trailers, forklifts, Bobcats, backhoes, excavators, cranes, semi-trucks and smaller equipment like wheelbarrows, etc.
• Depending on the scope of your project, the next step will likely be to prepare the area for your new playground. This means moving lots of dirt and making a mess of your site! Don’t worry, we will clean it all up in the end, but construction sites are full of piles of dirt and noisy equipment. Please be patient with us during the process and know that we are working hard to complete your project as quickly as possible.
• After the site is excavated and level, your equipment starts to go up. This is an exciting time because the new play area starts to take shape. Depending on the complexity, some projects have high-tech CAD equipment that lays out each hole location with precision. Other playgrounds are easier to measure out by hand.
• Once your playground is constructed, the safety surfacing comes next.
  • Wood fiber arrives in a large semi-truck that will require a dump site and easy access for a really big truck.
  • Sand arrives in a smaller truck, but it’s still much larger than a normal pickup.
  • It may be necessary to dump your surfacing in the street temporarily and then take smaller loads into the site.
  • We will be careful to get all your surfacing into the pit and clean up as much as possible, but it’s unavoidable to have some material in between the dump site and the play pit because it falls off the edge of the equipment during travel.
  • Poured in place rubber surfacing takes three steps to complete – the compacted subbase, the spongy buffings which are black and the rubber surfacing in the color you chose. Don’t be concerned if you go by the play area and see lots of black rubber – it just means we are ready to put the pretty stuff on top.
  • Rubber surfacing takes 24-48 hours to cure after it’s installed. We typically keep the temporary fencing in place for a day or two after the rubber installation to make sure it’s ready for play.
• We will meet with you after construction is complete to walk through your site and make sure you are completely satisfied. At this time, we will provide you with a hard copy of your playground layout, any warranty information and a maintenance kit that includes maintenance instructions, a maintenance schedule, touchup paint and graffiti remover. Digital copies of all documents are available upon request.
• Your shiny new playground is ready to go! We make sure everything is clean and neat and then order the temporary fencing to come down. The children will likely be waiting at the fence with great anticipation.

Other Stuff

Here are some other things for you to know about your playground construction process.

• We do everything in our power to start your construction project on the day we set aside, but sometimes things happen that are out of our control. Bad weather, equipment delays and construction delays on previous projects may put us behind. We communicate with you as much as possible during the process so that you know what to expect but we also greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.
• Your neighborhood children will be really excited about the new playground! Because we value the safety of children both during construction and after it’s installed, we want to make sure the kids stay out of the construction site. It’s very hazardous and they could easily be hurt. Although we put up temporary fencing when ordered, children are creative and can sometimes find a way through that fencing. It might be a great idea to get the local parents involved in watching the construction site to curtail the creative spirit.
• Our installation crews are experts at playground construction and have many years of experience. However, we are not plumbers, landscapers or electricians and don’t have experience with those things. This means that if something happens on your site that takes a different specialty to repair, we will contact you to have your preferred provider come out. For example, we should remind your landscaper to move the irrigation lines during our pre-construction meeting but if one gets hit then your landscaper will need to come out and make any needed repairs.
• Although we make every effort to cover any possible challenges up front, sometimes things get found on a job site once you dig into the ground. Things like expansive soils, hard rocks, boulders, water and drainage issues and other unforeseen conditions may require additional charges not expected. We notify you as soon as possible and schedule to meet you on site when necessary so that you can see the issue and go over potential solutions. We promise to do our best to find the most economical and safe solution.
• Our installation crews will tidy up the area when they are done but there are some things not typically included in our scope of work. Please let us know if you want to add any of the following items to your project for an additional charge.
• • Power washing sidewalks. The construction equipment may need to go over a sidewalk or two on the way to the play pit. This will normally wear off after a while with sun and rain. If you want it removed sooner, we can order your sidewalks to be power washed.
  • Power washing streets. Your safety surfacing may be dumped in the street while waiting to be moved into the play pit. Although we broom finish the street when we are done, you can also order power washing if you prefer a cleaner area.
  • Unless otherwise specified in your project estimate, temporary fencing and private utility locating is not included but can be added if desired.
  • Landscape repair. We try hard to keep your existing landscape pretty, but grass and turf can take a temporary hit during construction. Especially right around your new play pit, there may be dirt in the grass and some bare areas. Grass grows back quickly and it should be back to normal soon but you can also request additional landscape mitigation if desired.