There is more to planning a playground than simply choosing equipment out of a catalog. Important considerations are often overlooked in the planning process, leading to cost overruns and delays. The following playground planning tips can help you estimate your individual project costs quickly and easily. Your Eagle Play Structures designer can assist you every step of the way.

The actual size, dimension, and topography of your site must be thoroughly evaluated by your playground designer as a first step in the planning process. Your site needs to be large enough to accommodate the actual play equipment, as well as the required fall zones around the equipment. Numerous other site-specific conditions can add to the cost of your project.

Remember, your playground budget must cover costs above and beyond the actual play equipment. Be certain to assess all the costs of the job.

  • Old equipment removal and disposal
  • Site work including drainage, grading, walls, fencing, landscaping, and possible heavy-equipment access way repairs
  • Equipment shipping and tax
  • Professional equipment installation
  • A resilient surface and border treatment



Once you have prepared an accurate budget, it’s time to start thinking about your equipment layout.  Special consideration should be given to issues such as age-appropriateness of play features, the balance of physical activities and imaginative play features, and the inclusion of ADA features into your design.  You are free to pick a unit as-is from the catalog, make custom modifications to such a model, or choose to build a completely unique system from scratch. The choice is yours.  Most purchasers modify an existing layout to meet their exact needs.

Your Eagle Play Structures representative will provide you with drawings of your playground design.

Eagle Play Structures are usually installed by professional playground contractors.  It is possible, however, to utilize the comprehensive installation instructions provided with each purchase and do the job yourself.  It should be noted that such installation work requires special tools and hard physical labor.  Your Eagle representative can assist you in determining the best installation method for your project.

Post-installation maintenance is essential to ensuring safety and durability. Eagle provides a complete maintenance kit including inspection logs, check lists, touch-up paint, special tools, and instructions to make maintaining your playground easy.