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Playground Equipment Budget Calculator

Estimate total playground project cost including equipment, installation, site prep, surfacing, and shade based on age group and child capacity.

Inputs

Results

Equipment cost ($)

$84,000.00

≈ 8 years of state college

Total project cost ($)

$129,750.00

≈ 9 used cars

Installation cost ($)$21,000.00
Site preparation ($)$18,000.00
Surfacing cost ($)$6,750.00
Shade structures ($)$0.00
Cost per child capacity ($)$4,325.00
Budget with 10% contingency ($)$142,725.00
Estimated play area (sq ft)2,250
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Age group, Child capacity, and Number of play structures.
  2. Set Equipment style, Include swings?, and Include shade structures?.
  3. Review Equipment cost ($) ($) and Total project cost ($) ($).
  4. Use Installation cost ($) ($) and Site preparation ($) ($) to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Child capacity

Child capacityEquipment cost ($)Total project cost ($)
25$74,000.00$113,125.00
73$191,000.00$298,975.00
132$333,500.00$525,775.00
181$452,500.00$714,950.00

What each input means

Age group
0 = Toddler (6-23 mo), 1 = Preschool (2-5 yr), 2 = School-age (5-12 yr), 3 = All-ages inclusive.
Child capacity
Peak number of children the playground should accommodate simultaneously.
Number of play structures
Number of main composite play structures.
Equipment style
0 = Basic/traditional, 1 = Nature-themed (+15%), 2 = Custom-themed (+40%), 3 = Inclusive/sensory (+30%).
Include swings?
1 = Yes, 0 = No. Swing bays sized to capacity.
Include shade structures?
1 = Yes, 0 = No. Shade canopies over play area.

What each result means

Equipment cost ($)
Play structures and swings (before installation).
Installation cost ($)
Professional installation (~25% of equipment).
Site preparation ($)
Grading, drainage, and containment borders.
Surfacing cost ($)
Safety surfacing material and installation.
Shade structures ($)
Shade canopy cost if included.
Total project cost ($)
All-in project cost before contingency.
Cost per child capacity ($)
Total cost divided by the number of children served.
Budget with 10% contingency ($)
Recommended budget including 10% contingency for unknowns.
Estimated play area (sq ft)
Estimated total play area at ~75 sq ft per child.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Age group = 1, Child capacity = 30, Number of play structures = 1, Equipment style = 0 = 6 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Equipment cost
    Equipment cost
    84000 = $84,000
  3. Calculate Total project cost
    Total project cost
    129750 = $129,750
  4. Calculate Installation cost
    Installation cost
    21000 = $21,000
  5. Calculate Site preparation
    Site preparation
    18000 = $18,000

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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