Independent playground reference
Playgrounds, built and maintained properly
What the safety standards actually require, what surfacing really costs, and which decisions people regret two years later.
- 171reference pages
- 10topic sections
- 10free calculators
Where do you want to start?
- Playground safetyFall heights, use zones, entrapment, entanglement, guardrails and the hazards that cause real injuries.21 guides
- SurfacingWhat goes under the equipment: impact attenuation, depths, drainage, cost per square foot and upkeep.18 guides
- EquipmentSwings, slides, climbers, spinners and shade: what each item is good for and what it costs to own.19 guides
- Backyard playsetsHome swing sets and play structures: choosing, siting, anchoring, maintaining and repairing them.19 guides
- Planning & costBudgets, grants, procurement, timelines and the decisions that set the price before you pick equipment.17 guides
- Inclusive playAccessibility law, accessible routes, sensory design and equipment that works for disabled children.14 guides
- Inspection & maintenanceInspection frequencies, audits, repair thresholds and the paperwork that protects you if something happens.15 guides
- Play value & designGetting play value per dollar: risk, variety, nature play, circulation and designs children keep using.14 guides
- Research & dataInjury numbers, standards directories, test methods and what the evidence actually supports.11 guides
- Calculators & checklistsWork out surfacing depth, use zones, material quantities and budgets, then check the result against the rules.11 guides
Most used guides
Playground safety
Fall height and use zones
Fall height runs from the highest play surface to the surfacing below, and the use zone is 6 feet around most equipment, twice pivot height at swings.
Surfacing
Surfacing depth by fall height
The CPSC loose fill depth chart: 9 inches of wood mulch protects a 7 foot fall height. Compressed versus uncompressed depth, and how much to order.
Backyard playsets
How to choose a backyard playset
Choosing a backyard playset works best in one order: measure the usable yard first, then years of use, material, and full installed cost.
Planning & cost
What a playground costs
Playground costs in 2026 run about $75,000 to $200,000 installed for a neighborhood park site, with equipment only a third to a half of the total.
Inclusive play
ADA requirements for play areas
ADA play area rules come from the 2010 Standards. Section 240 sets how many play components must be reachable, including half of all elevated ones.
Calculators & checklists
Surfacing depth calculator
Enter a fall height and a loose fill material to get the depth the CPSC handbook tested it at, the volume to order, and what to check before buying.
What this site is for
Playground decisions are made by people who do not do them often: a parent buying one swing set, a PTA raising money once in a decade, a park crew that inherited a site someone else specified. The information they need is spread across a federal handbook, a stack of paid consensus standards, manufacturer literature and a lot of guesswork.
Playbright puts it in one place, in plain language, with the source named every time. Where a figure comes from the CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook, it says so. Where it comes from an ASTM standard, it says which one. Where a number is a planning range rather than a rule, it says that too.
Start with the two measurements
Almost every other decision follows from fall height and use zone. Fall height sets how much impact the surfacing has to absorb. The use zone sets how much ground has to be surfaced, which is usually the largest line item after the equipment itself. Get those two right and the rest of the project is arithmetic.
- Buying for a backyard? Measure the yard first, then shortlist. The playset fit checker does the clearance math, and choosing a playset covers the rest.
- Specifying a public site? Start at fall height and use zones, then surfacing, then planning and cost.
- Responsible for an existing playground? Start at the inspection schedule and the inspection checklist.
- Working on accessibility? ADA requirements sets out what the law actually asks for, and beyond compliance covers the gap between compliant and usable.
What we do not do
We do not sell, install, certify or inspect playground equipment, and no page here names a preferred manufacturer. Where a decision depends on a product, the guidance is to ask for the test report and read it. Where it depends on your jurisdiction, the guidance is to call the agency that regulates you, because childcare licensing, state adoption of standards and local code all vary.
A summary is also never a substitute for the standard itself. Editions change, dimensions change with them, and the document that governs your site is the one in force where you are. Every page says which edition it is describing. The standards directory is the fastest way to work out which document applies to you.
Where to go next
New here? Start here is a guided route through the site by situation. Looking for something specific? The topic index lists every page, the glossary defines the vocabulary, and search covers the lot.
Frequently asked questions
How much surfacing does a playground need under the equipment?
The surfacing has to extend across the whole use zone: 6 feet in every direction for most equipment, and twice the pivot height in front of and behind a swing. Depth depends on the fall height and the material. The surfacing depth calculator gives both numbers.
What does a playground cost?
For a 2026 US project, a modest neighborhood playground commonly runs from about $75,000 to $200,000 installed, and equipment is usually only a third to a half of that. Surfacing, site work, installation and the accessible route make up the rest. What a playground costs breaks it down.
Is grass or dirt acceptable under a swing set?
No. Neither is tested surfacing, and packed dirt and worn grass perform about as well as concrete in a fall. Home playsets need loose fill or a unitary surface at the depth the fall height requires, across the whole use zone. Backyard surfacing has the quantities.
How often should a playground be inspected?
Frequency follows use. Busy park and school sites are commonly walked daily or weekly, with a more detailed inspection monthly or quarterly and a comprehensive audit once a year by a qualified inspector. The inspection schedule explains how to set it for a given site.
Which playground rules are actually law?
The 2010 ADA Standards are law for covered entities. The CPSC handbook is federal guidance, and ASTM F1487 is a voluntary consensus standard, and both become binding when a state, a licensing agency or a contract adopts them. CPSC, ASTM and how the rules work sets out the difference.