Commercial Playgrounds
Full Playgrounds
Tree Frogs has manufactured and installed play equipment for more than 20 years, and our commercial division builds the play spaces that have to hold up to public use: schools and childcare centers, HOAs and apartment communities, churches, municipal parks and RV resorts across Tucson, Southern Arizona and the Phoenix Valley. Below is a gallery of commercial structures we supply and install. Scroll past it for how commercial projects work, the safety standards involved, and what we need from you to prepare a quote.
Commercial Playground Equipment for Tucson and Southern Arizona
A commercial playground is a different project from a backyard swing set. It has to survive hundreds of users a week instead of two or three, it has to satisfy inspectors and insurers, and in Southern Arizona it has to do all of that in 110-degree summers and monsoon winds. We handle the whole path: site assessment, layout, equipment specification, safety surfacing, shade and professional installation.
Who We Build For
Schools and Childcare Centers
Age-separated play areas, sightlines that let a small number of adults supervise a large number of children, and installation scheduled around breaks and the school calendar so the site is fenced and finished before students return.
HOAs and Apartment Communities
A play area is an amenity that residents ask about before they sign. We can supply the layout drawings, equipment specifications and photos that boards and property managers need to get an upgrade approved, and match colors to your existing community palette.
Churches and Nonprofits
Play areas that carry weekday preschool traffic and weekend crowds, with phased plans when a project has to be funded in stages rather than all at once.
Parks, Municipalities and RV Resorts
Higher traffic, tougher hardware, and accessibility requirements that come with public and common-use spaces.
The Standards That Govern Commercial Play Equipment
Residential and commercial equipment are held to different rules, and equipment sold for a backyard is generally not rated for public use. The framework your project will be measured against:
- ASTM F1487 is the consumer safety performance specification for public playground equipment, covering entrapment, protrusions, use zones and fall heights.
- CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook, Publication 325 is the federal guidance document on layout, spacing, surfacing depth and age-appropriate design.
- ADA accessible routes apply to public and common-use play areas, covering the route to and into the play area and the accessible components within it.
- IPEMA certification is third-party validation that equipment or surfacing was tested against those standards. Ask any vendor to show it, including us.
Before you sign anything, we will walk your team or board through how the proposed layout addresses each of these for your specific site.
Designed for the Desert, Not Just for the Catalog
Most commercial playground catalogs are written for temperate climates. Southern Arizona changes several decisions:
- Surface temperature. Decks, slides and dark surfacing in full sun can become too hot to touch long before the air temperature peaks. Material choice, color and orientation all matter here.
- Shade is not optional. Shade sails and canopies extend the usable hours of a play area through the summer and slow UV damage to the equipment underneath. See our shade structures.
- UV exposure. Powder-coated steel, UV-stabilized plastics and quality hardware are what separate a structure that still looks good in year eight from one that chalks and fades by year three.
- Monsoon season. Footings, anchoring and drainage have to account for sustained wind and sudden heavy runoff between June and September.
Safety Surfacing Options
Surfacing is a safety system, not a finishing touch. It is rated by critical fall height and has to extend through the full use zone around the equipment. Common options for commercial sites:
- Poured-in-place rubber for a seamless, ADA-friendly surface with the lowest ongoing maintenance and the highest upfront cost.
- Bonded rubber for a poured look over an existing base.
- Loose-fill rubber mulch for a strong balance of cost, fall protection and drainage.
- Engineered wood fiber where budget is the driving constraint and periodic topping up is acceptable.
How a Commercial Project Works
- Discovery call. Site type, ages served, rough footprint and what is driving the project.
- Site assessment. We measure, check access for installation equipment, and look at drainage, sun exposure and existing surfacing.
- Concept and layout. Equipment options, surfacing, shade and a layout that respects use zones and supervision sightlines.
- Written quote. Itemized equipment, surfacing, shade, delivery and installation, with a project schedule.
- Approvals. We provide the drawings, specifications and photos your board, district or property owner needs to sign off, and we tell you what your jurisdiction requires.
- Installation. Professional crews, scheduled around your calendar and access constraints.
- Inspection and handoff. Walkthrough, surfacing depth check and maintenance guidance for your staff.
- Ongoing service. Inspection, repair and re-surfacing as the site ages. See our services.
Lead times depend on manufacturer production schedules and your own approval cycle, so we give you a firm schedule with your written quote rather than a guess on the phone.
What to Have Ready for a Faster Quote
- Approximate dimensions of the space, and photos from two or three angles
- Age range you need to serve, and whether you need separated areas for younger and older children
- Expected number of children at peak use
- Existing surfacing, if any, and whether it is staying
- Your target budget range and decision timeline
- Who has to approve the project: board, district, property owner or municipality
- Whether shade is included in this phase or a later one
Commercial Playground FAQs
Do you supply equipment only, or install it too?
Both. Most commercial clients want a single point of responsibility for equipment, surfacing, shade and installation, which is how we normally work.
Can you provide documentation for our board or district approval?
Yes. Tell us what your approval package needs to include and we will prepare it alongside the quote.
Do we need a permit?
It depends on your jurisdiction, the structure and the site. Requirements differ across the City of Tucson, Pima County, Marana, Oro Valley and the Valley municipalities. Tell us where the site is and we will tell you what applies.
Can equipment colors match our school or community palette?
Most commercial lines offer a selection of color combinations. We will show you the available options for the models you are considering.
Can you service a playground you did not install?
Send us details and photos of the existing structure and we will tell you what we can do.
How much does a commercial playground cost?
It varies widely with footprint, age range, surfacing type and whether shade is included. That is why we quote per site rather than publishing a price. Give us the details above and we will put a real number in front of you.
Start Your Commercial Project
Call Tucson at (520) 408-3333 or Phoenix at (480) 526-5486, or send us your site details. Our showroom is at 5128 N Casa Grande Hwy in Tucson, and we deliver anywhere in Arizona.