Swing Set Installs: Clear Paths, Landscaping, and Fences

Each King Swings swing set or playhouse is built with premium materials. All that wood, Trex™️ decking, and hardware add up, and unlike the big box stores, you can’t simply pick up a King Swing swing set. No, our sets are built to last which results in a heavy product. Don’t challenge any of our crews to an arm wrestling match; they will embarrass you.  

The weight and height of our swing sets and playhouses are important factors in the delivery and installation process. To ensure a smooth installation, there are a few things we need to know. To make all of this make sense, let me start a few steps back from the actual delivery day.

For you visual learners, you can watch the video at the bottom for all the information.

Swing Sets Need Clear Paths

To keep our delivery and installation prices reasonable, we construct your swing set tower here at our shop and load completed towers onto our trailer. This allows us to do all the hard work here, not in your backyard, drastically reducing installation time.

This means your delivery crew has a large, heavy object to move from the trailer to your backyard. They do this by tilting the trailer, sliding the set off, and attaching a small set of wheels to the bottom of the tower. Then, they put their backs to it and push the set to the location. They need a clear path to the site. No sharp turns, no steep hills, no steps. If you have such things, please talk to our sales team.

Fences

Let’s start with the obvious: fences. We need an opening at least 2’’ wider than your playset to squeak in. For example, if you purchased a Sea King, you need an opening of at least 6’2’’. If your gate is too tight, we can take down a fence panel for a fee or perform a build-on-site. We will discuss the last option at the end of the blog post.

Look Up!

The tricky part is that we don’t need just an opening; we need the whole path to be 6’2’’. So think about items such as AC units or gardens sticking out into the path. Also, look up! Depending on the size of the tower, things like tree limbs or balconies can also be a challenge.

Should phone lines or internet lines be a problem? If they were installed correctly, no. They are supposed to be installed at a certain height, and our sets are made to go underneath those. If you have a low-hanging non-power cord, we can push it up and out of the way if there is slack. However, you will most likely have to contact your supplier. Please send us a picture of the offending line, and we can maybe find a workaround.

If you have any concerns, please send us pictures or a video of your pathway!

Too Heavy to Lift

But now we get into the part about weight and how that affects delivery and installation.

Steep Hills

Practically, that means obstacles such as steep hills are a no-go. We can’t push a Palace Playhouse set up on a steep hill, nor do we want to risk going down a steep hill with a playhouse. Stories about a playset or playhouse breaking loose and living their best life are great in kids’ storybooks but not so much in real life.

Landscaping, Walls, or Steps

Retaining walls or steps also cause a problem. We can’t lift the swing set up and over the barrier. We have to have a path around these types of obstacles.

What about pavers? You should be good if they are relatively flush with the ground—the same thing with decorative cement or landscaping. If you have decorative stone landscaping, we advise putting down a sheet to avoid scuffing.

Conclusion

A smooth delivery depends on your being realistic about your delivery path and the playground site. Our teams are designed to ask for the path, but if you have something odd, please speak up!

What happens if your path is blocked for some reason or another? Are you sunk? No, we can do a build-on-site!

This means we package up all the pieces of the playground into a kit. We deliver and install the playset from this kit. This takes a longer installation time, and there is a fee for doing a build-on-site.

If you have any questions regarding clear paths or obstacles, please get in touch with our swing set design team. We want your delivery and installation to be the best possible experience!