Biggest Cost-Reducing Playground Secret Revealed:
How Smarter Design Can Lower Safety Surfacing Expenses
Safety surfacing often accounts for a far larger share of a playground budget than expected. Once excavation, sub-base works and installation are factored in, costs can escalate quickly, even before equipment is considered.
What’s less widely understood is that surfacing depth isn’t fixed. It is directly influenced by equipment height, and when that relationship is designed intelligently, it becomes possible to reduce surfacing requirements significantly while remaining fully compliant.
Why Surfacing Depth Matters So Much
Thick layers of impact-absorbing material are essential to protect children from falls, and the costs add up quickly, not just for materials, but also for excavation, groundwork, and labour.
Every playground surface is tested to meet BSEN 1177 Critical Fall Height (CFH) standards, which measure how far a child can fall without risk of serious injury. The taller the equipment, the deeper the surfacing needs to be. That means thicker layers of wet pour, rubber mulch, bonded bark, or loose-fill, increasing costs not just in materials, but across groundwork and installation.
Even the smallest of reductions in surfacing depth can lead to big savings across the entire play area.
Learn more about types of safety surfacing
How Equipment Height Drives Surfacing Costs
Consider a climbing frame with a critical fall height of 3 metres – the maximum allowed by regulation. Such equipment might typically require around 130mm of wet pour safety surfacing beneath it and in the surrounding area, tested and certified to BS EN 1177 standards.
By contrast, a climbing frame with a 1-metre fall height might only need about 40mm of wet pour. When applied over the entire play area, this difference in surfacing depth can lead to significant cost savings.
On top of this, factors like the existing ground conditions (grass, tarmac etc) can also influence the required surfacing depth, affecting costs further.
By adapting equipment to reduce fall heights, the required surfacing thickness drops. This isn’t about cutting corners, it’s about smart design that aligns play value with safety requirements, helping to better manage costs.
Learn more about BSEN 1176 & BSEN 1177 safety standards
New Versions of Popular Equipment
Creative Play have recently developed versions of popular playground pieces designed to keep critical fall heights lower, allowing playground operators to deliver the same breadth of play experiences while benefiting from shallower, and therefore less costly, safety surfacing.
Whether it’s low-level climbing or balance-focused elements, these options offer great play value without the extra surfacing depth, making them ideal for schools, local authorities, and hospitality sites looking to stretch budgets without sacrificing safety.
Discover how to save costs on your playground project:
CONNECT WITH AN OUTDOOR PLAY EXPERT
The Costs Beneath the Surface
It’s easy to focus on material costs alone, but surfacing depth also drives excavation and groundwork expenses. Deeper surfacing requires more digging, more sub-base material, and more labour, all of which push costs higher.
By choosing equipment and surfacing designed to reduce fall heights, these less obvious expenses can be cut too, saving both time and money during installation.
Learn about playground markings
How Safety and Savings Can Go Hand in Hand
Reducing costs in this way does not mean compromising on safety. Compliance with BSEN 1177 standards is at the core of Creative Play’s designs, and when critical fall height and surfacing design are planned together from the start, playgrounds can be both safe and cost-effective.
Smarter Designs For Spending Less
The playgrounds that offer the best value aren’t just about choosing the cheapest surface – they’re about considering equipment height, layout, and surfacing together. Lower fall heights allow for shallower surfacing, reducing materials, groundwork and labour while maintaining compliance. Adapted versions of popular equipment are designed specifically to achieve this balance, delivering engaging play without unnecessary surfacing costs.
Discuss your playground plans and identify where safety surfacing costs can be reduced through smarter design:
CONNECT WITH AN OUTDOOR PLAY EXPERT
An Additional Way to Reduce Safety Surfacing Costs
Creative Play’s exclusive DIY surfacing repair kits offer a simple, cost-effective alternative to hiring specialist resurfacing teams for patching worn areas.
Explore The New Range Of DIY Surfacing Repair Kits
Discover more about playground safety responsibilities in your sector:
Holiday Parks: Guide To Safety & Liability
Practical Guide To Safety & Liability for Local Authorities
