Equipment & installation
Playground equipment and installation
New playgrounds, replacements and relocations for churches, daycares, HOAs, schools and parks — any brand, from the site work to the surfacing underneath, put in by a company co-owned by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector.
The whole job
What does playground installation include?
Everything between an empty lot and the first kid down the slide. We handle the site work, lay out the footprint and its use zones, set the posts in their footings, build the structure to the manufacturer’s drawings and put the surfacing in underneath it. Relocating a playground and repairing one are part of the same work — a structure moving to a new campus gets laid out and set just like a new one.
The footprint is always bigger than the equipment. The CPSC’s Public Playground Safety Handbook wants a use zone at least 6 feet wide around stationary equipment, and a swing needs clear space in front and behind equal to twice the height of its pivot point. Those zones are what decide whether a structure fits your lot, so we check them before anything is ordered.
Any brand
Bought it somewhere else? We’ll still put it in.
Commercial playground equipment is often sold by one company and installed by another. Our technicians install and assemble all types of playground equipment, swing sets and playsets, no matter where they were purchased or who made them.
The manufacturers and reps on our partner list include GameTime, PlayCore, BCI Burke, Kompan, Miracle of KY & TN, Ultra Play, Superior Recreational Products, Play & Park Structures and Kinetic Recreation, with shade structures from USA Shade, Modern Shade and Shade Systems. Send us the installation drawings and the parts list and we’ll take it from the pallet to the ribbon cutting.
Design and budget
Can you design the playground, too?
Yes, and it’s often the best place to start. We begin with a site assessment — the space, the safety requirements and the features you want — then bring design recommendations and 3D renderings, so a finance committee, a pastor or a daycare director can see the playground before anyone signs. The budget gets planned with you, line by line.
When the playground is one piece of a bigger build — a school addition, a new church campus, a neighborhood amenity center — we work alongside your architect, construction manager or engineer so the grades, the footings and the surfacing fit their drawings and their schedule.
Licensed
A licensed contractor in Tennessee
Tennessee requires a licensed contractor on any project of $25,000 or more. Action Playgrounds, Inc. holds Tennessee contractor license #83068, and the two co-owners, Johnathon Vaughn and Luis Parra Flores, oversee each project themselves.
Working in Kentucky, Alabama or Georgia? Each state writes its own licensing rules — tell us where the site is when you ask for a quote and we’ll talk through what applies.
Answers
Equipment and installation: what people ask
How much does it cost to install playground equipment?
Installation is priced from the structure’s own install requirements plus the site work and surfacing around it, so we quote it free after seeing the site. Ground that needs grading, rock where the footings go and tight access for machinery push the number up; a clear, level site keeps it down.
Can you install playground equipment we bought somewhere else?
Yes. Our technicians install and assemble all types of playground equipment, swing sets and playsets, regardless of where you bought them or who made them. Send the manufacturer’s installation drawings and parts list with your quote request and we’ll check your site against the use zones they call for.
Which playground brands do you install?
Any commercial brand. The manufacturers and reps we work alongside include GameTime, Kompan, BCI Burke, PlayCore, Miracle, Ultra Play, Superior Recreational Products and Play & Park Structures, plus shade from USA Shade, Modern Shade and Shade Systems — 18 names on our partner list in all.
Do you design the playground too?
Yes. It starts with a site assessment, then design recommendations and 3D renderings so your board, pastor or director can see the layout before anyone signs, and we plan the budget with you. If the playground is part of a larger build, we work with your architect, construction manager or engineer.
Can you move an existing playground to a new spot?
Yes — relocation is on our list along with installation and repair. At the new site the structure goes onto new footings and the use zone and surfacing are laid out again, because a clearance that worked in the old spot may not fit the new one.
What standards does a new commercial playground have to meet?
Public equipment is built and installed to ASTM F1487, with ASTM F2373 for equipment meant for children 6 to 23 months, and laid out with the CPSC’s Public Playground Safety Handbook. The play area also falls under the 2010 ADA Standards, sections 240 and 1008, for accessible routes and play components.
Do we need a licensed contractor to put in a playground?
In Tennessee, yes, once the project reaches $25,000 — the state requires a licensed contractor for jobs of that size, and Action Playgrounds holds license #83068. Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia set their own rules, so ask what applies to your site when you request a quote.