Renting a Bounce House for a Park Party in North DFW

Park parties are great. No mess at your house, plenty of room, shade trees, and a playground the kids can rotate to. They also come with a few rules that catch people off guard. Here is what you need to know before you book an inflatable for a park in North DFW.

You probably need a permit

Most cities in North DFW require a permit or reservation to have an inflatable in a public park, and many require the rental company to be on file as insured. The rules differ city by city, and they change, so call the parks department for the specific park you want. Ask them three things: do I need a permit for an inflatable, do you need a certificate of insurance from the rental company, and is there power at the pavilion.

Give yourself two to three weeks. Permits are rarely instant, and popular pavilions on spring and fall Saturdays book out months ahead.

There is almost never power

This is the one that surprises people. A bounce house blower has to run continuously the entire time the unit is up. If it loses power, the inflatable deflates within a minute. Most park pavilions either have no outlets, have them locked, or have a breaker that will not carry a blower.

So plan on a generator. We rent 3500 watt generators that will run one blower comfortably, and we deliver them with your unit. If you are renting two inflatables, you need two generators or one much larger one. Add it when you book so we bring it on the truck.

Stakes, not sandbags, and sometimes neither

On grass we anchor with long stakes driven into the ground. Some parks do not allow staking because of irrigation lines, and in that case we use sandbags instead. Ask the parks department whether staking is allowed and tell us the answer when you book, because it changes what we load.

How payment works for park events

For park events we take the 50 percent deposit by card up front to hold your date, and the remaining balance in cash on the day of the event before we set up. That is a little different from a home party, where you have more payment options at delivery. It is not us being difficult; park events carry more risk of a last minute cancellation for reasons outside anyone control.

A few practical things

• Scout the exact setup spot beforehand and look up for branches and power lines
• Check how far we will have to carry equipment from the closest parking spot and tell us if it is a long haul
• Bring a folding table for cake and gifts, since pavilion tables fill up fast
• Have a backup plan for wind, which is worse in open parks than in fenced backyards
• Someone 18 or older needs to be there the whole time the unit is up

We do this all the time

Park parties in The Colony, Frisco, Plano, Carrollton and Little Elm are a regular weekend for us. If you tell us which park, we can usually tell you what that city requires and where the good setup spots are. Call or text (682) 202-5624.