Playground Equipment in Derby

Yes. Commercial Play installs playground equipment throughout Derby and the surrounding area. Every project starts with a free, no-obligation site visit, then a clear design and fixed quote.

Derby schools on flatter city sites do well with a central climbing frame or tower and a boundary trim trail. Where grounds slope towards the hills, terraced free-standing frames set into the levels work best, with early-years areas kept to low springers, nest swings and a mud kitchen.

No. We work with schools across England & Wales from our Midlands and South offices, so we cover Derby and Derbyshire regularly as part of a wider service. You get a local, on-site team backed by our own installers.

Commercial playground equipment in the UK is designed and installed to BS EN 1176, and the surfacing beneath it to BS EN 1177. BS EN 1176 is published in seven parts, covering swings, installation and inspection among others, and we provide a post-installation inspection report against it at handover.

Indicatively, a single climbing frame or play unit runs around 1,900 to 12,000 pounds installed, with typical school frames near 2,500 to 3,000 pounds, and a linked trim trail onto grass under 10,000 pounds. These are market ranges to confirm at survey, as size, height, material and safety surfacing all move the figure.

BS EN 1176 caps the free height of fall at 3m, measured from the highest point a child can stand, sit or grip down to the surface. Impact-absorbing surfacing to BS EN 1177 is required wherever that free fall exceeds 0.6m, up to the 3m maximum.

A short circuit fits along a fence line in a few metres, while a larger trail winds across a field. We design the route to fit your space and include the BS EN 1176 safety zones around each item, typically at least 1.5m clear around static equipment.

Equipment is graded so the challenge matches the child, with BS EN 1176 setting stricter limits on gaps, guardrails and heights for younger users. We specify low, enclosed items with short falls for EYFS and taller towers, nets and traverse walls for primary and secondary pupils, zoning the layout by age group.

Playground equipment typically lasts 15 to 25 years depending on material. Robinia and durable hardwoods hold up 20 to 25 years or more, galvanised steel lasts decades, and HDPE runs 15 to 20 years, while pressure-treated softwood sits nearer 10 to 15 years. Annual inspection and upkeep extend all of these.

We build in three main materials: durable hardwood such as Robinia for a natural look and a 20 to 25 year life, hot-dip galvanised and powder-coated steel for high-traffic frames and slides, and UV-stable HDPE for coloured panels, decks and boards. We specify each to suit the site and the wear it will take.

Yes. Equipment and surfacing are specified together so the free height of fall is always correctly protected to BS EN 1177. We install wet pour, rubber mulch, rubber grass mats or artificial grass to suit each item's fall height; see our playground surfacing range.

BS EN 1176 and the HSE recommend at least one independent inspection every year by an RPII registered annual inspector, alongside routine visual and operational checks by your own staff. We provide a post-installation inspection at handover and can arrange the annual RPII or RoSPA inspection thereafter.

Yes, where the ground is sound and level we install smaller climbing units and trim trails directly onto grass with rubber grass mats under the fall zones, which cuts groundworks and cost. Larger multi-play towers usually need a compacted base with wet pour or rubber mulch to their fall height.

Yes. We include wheelchair-accessible and inclusive items such as basket and nest swings, ground-level roundabouts and accessible mud kitchens so every child can join in, and we grade the wider layout to suit mixed abilities; see our inclusive and SEN play range.