Step 1: measure the flat part, not the whole yard
Grab a tape measure and pace off the widest flat, level stretch you have. Slope is the thing people forget. A yard that drops more than about a foot across the footprint puts riders sliding toward one wall, and on a slide it pushes water where you do not want it.
Write down two numbers: width and depth of the level area. That is the number that matters, not the size of your lot.
Step 2: add the safety margin
Every inflatable needs a clear buffer so the anchor lines have somewhere to go and so kids exiting the unit are not stepping into a fence or a deck corner. Our rule is 5 feet clear on all four sides, and more behind a slide exit.
So a unit that measures 15 by 13 actually wants roughly 25 by 23 of usable yard once you add the buffer on both sides.
- 5 ft clear on each side, front and back
- No fire pits, grills, sprinkler heads or pet stakes inside the buffer
- A sweep for sticks, rocks and dog mess before we lay the tarp
Step 3: look up
Overhead clearance ends more setups than ground space does. Tree limbs, second-story gutters, basketball goals, satellite dishes and service drops all count. You want a few feet of daylight above the tallest point of the unit.
Our tallest unit stands 14 feet, so a 16 to 18 foot clear ceiling covers anything in the fleet.
Step 4: check the gate and the path
We carry every unit rolled on a dolly from the truck to the setup spot. That path needs at least 36 inches of clear width the whole way, and the gate has to swing fully open. A standard residential gate is 36 to 48 inches, which is fine. A narrow 30 inch side gate is not.
Also tell us about stairs, steep grade or a long carry. Our biggest unit ships at 138 pounds and the obstacle sections are heavier, so a 200 foot carry uphill changes the crew we send.
Footprints for every unit we deliver
Unit sizes below come straight off the manufacturer plates on our own equipment. The recommended space column already includes the 5 foot buffer on each side.
| Unit | Unit size | Recommended clear space | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Rainbow Rush Combo | 17 ft W x 16 ft D x 12 ft H | 27 ft x 26 ft | 12 ft |
| Block Party Bounce House | 15 ft W x 13 ft D x 14 ft H | 25 ft x 23 ft | 14 ft |
| Carolina Double Drop Slide | 22 ft L x 8 ft W x 12 ft H | 32 ft x 18 ft | 12 ft |
| Carolina Gauntlet 42 (obstacle only) | 20 ft L x 8 ft W x 9.6 ft H | 30 ft x 18 ft | 9.6 ft |
| Carolina Gauntlet 42 (complete course) | 42 ft L x 8 ft W | 52 ft x 18 ft | 12 ft |
| Carolina Bumper Zone | 15.7 ft octagonal arena | 26 ft x 26 ft | Low wall arena |
| Foam party area | About 30 ft x 30 ft of foam coverage | 30 ft x 30 ft open | Open sky |
Driveways, concrete and parks
Grass is easiest because we can drive stakes. On concrete, asphalt or indoors we switch to sandbag anchoring, which needs the same footprint but a little extra room around the base for the bags.
At a park or ball field, the two things to confirm before you book are power within 100 feet and permission from whoever manages the field. If there is no outlet, add a quiet generator to the order.
- Grass: staked, our default
- Concrete or asphalt: sandbags, tell us in advance
- Indoors: sandbags plus a ceiling height check
- No power within 100 ft: add the generator
When the numbers are close
If your measurement is within a foot or two of the recommended space, do not guess and do not cancel. Text us the width, the depth and a photo of the yard from the back door. We will tell you whether it fits, which unit fits better, or whether we should set up in the front yard instead.