How Much Does a Soft Play Cost to Build?
This is a question everyone is always asking, so as commercial play equipment suppliers, we’re here to break down the real soft play equipment cost of your initial investment.
To help with this, and give you some insight into the real-world costs, we’ve shared an example of the cost of different soft play centres and how much they cost to run. The Play Hut, a multi-level play centre that we manufactured and installed in Congleton, cost approximately £72,000.
This price includes the structure, soft play equipment and additional aesthetic features. With 3,500 square feet of interior space, the Play Hut includes soft play equipment such as the Dizzy Disc, a dedicated baby area and a sports area. The decorative features included bespoke timber panelling and tree-top features to bring in the aesthetics of the soft play. The £72,000 also included the installation costs and our dedicated soft play warranty scheme, which helps to preserve the soft play in the future.
These numbers show that a soft play area can be a large investment for a business, but one that can provide a great ROI for years to come if handled correctly. We wanted to be as upfront as possible about the actual prices of the equipment costs (and other costs no one else seems to mention!)
Because the reality is, there are so many costs to account for. How do you know if you’re getting what you pay for?
The Soft Play Equipment Cost
Building a commercial soft play area typically costs between £25,000 and £30,000 per 1,000 square feet. This covers the overall setup costs such as the framing, flooring, steelworks. This price depends on the ceiling height, number of levels and how many play features you’re looking to implement. On average, a multi-level soft play area usually costs over £100,000.
Factors that could impact this budget include:
- Ceiling Height -> Taller buildings (between 4 and 6 meters) allow for multi-level soft play installations. These cost more but offer a high revenue potential.
- Health and Safety Regulations -> All soft play equipment must meet strict safety criteria and usually requires professional installation.
- Location -> Building modification costs can fluctuate heavily depending on what region you are in.
- Structure -> If your building is old, has exposed pipes or needs refurbishing: these factors can also impact how expensive your soft play costs to manufacture as the company may need to use more materials to ensure stability and durability.
Soft play equipment is usually where things start to get pricey. This is usually because each piece requires more materials and time to build. Something as “simple” as the Totem Pole can cost upwards of £1,000 just due to the materials.
Steel, wood, foam, netting and sewing materials are your main soft play equipment costs. These make up a majority of the price as they make up most of your soft play equipment!
Hidden Soft Play Costs
You’ve bought your softplay, fitted with interactive play equipment but the costs just keep on coming. You thought you were ready to open but now you’ve just found out about the operational expenses. Safety certifications, insurance premiums, utilities, staff wages, marketing, music licenses. There’s a lot to think about. Let’s break some of these down together.
Safety Certifications for Soft Play Centres
Safety certifications are a necessity. They can range anywhere between £150 and £1,500 depending on the size, complexity and number of soft play equipment in the facility. Post-installation checks are usually around £400, which most suppliers will offer as part of the soft play installation.
Insurance Premiums for Soft Play Centres
Insurance premiums are your next big cost. Like every insurance, these are annual payments (that can be split monthly) that are required to legally operate in the UK. For a permanent indoor soft play centre these are estimated between £1,500 and £5,000 per year. These figures are based on high-footfall, permanent, multi-level play frames. These features dramatically increase the cost of the insurance, so if you’re running a small soft play or a mobile soft play business then you may be looking at a lot cheaper rates.
Utilities Cost for Soft Play Centres
Utilities depend on what services you offer your customers. If we assume your business is a local cafe with a softplay; you’ve got electricity, water, gas, and stock for the cafe. All this could be anywhere from £500 to £1,500 depending on traffic, venue size and how much energy-intensive equipment you have. Softplay centres require large heated spaces and are usually lit up with more lighting than a usual venue so the children can navigate the soft play equipment safely.
Interactive Play Equipment Costs
Now all of this data so far has been based on traditional soft play equipment. Such as fibreglass slides, shape blocks, and features such as Dizzy Disks. In recent years, soft play has seen an increase in demand for interactive equipment such as play panels. These features are popular in schools and SEND environments as they encourage children to play and interact with their environments.
To get decent quality equipment that is durable and will last repeated use, you could be looking at anywhere between £400 – £15,000. We understand this is a huge range but we’ll break down some examples to give you an idea of how much our products cost.
Starting with some lower cost examples, you have the 3D Puzzle Block. This is a soft foam covered in a layer of Grade 1 PVC Vinyl. This equipment encourages critical thinking and spatial awareness, crafted with soft materials so that children can explore their creativity without concerns for safety. These are often used in toddler areas for safe exploration and are usually around £500.
Wall puzzles can cost around £600 – £800, these games help with hand-eye coordination and problem solving. They’re space savers, and have no loose parts making them safe for unsupervised play. They are built onto a square wooden frame, making them sturdy. They can also be built into soft play walls making them a versatile option.
Coming around the £1,500 – £2,000 mark, we have the LED Light Tubes. These offer a sensory experience and are mounted effortlessly into vinyl to merge into a soft play set up. These are predominantly used for sensory rooms and toddler areas. These are built to be energy-efficient and durable to use.
Lastly we have the Interactive Games Tablets, these come in a range of styles and are upwards of £5,000 – £30,000 depending on the size, structure and colour. These are expensive but they offer a range of interactive games for groups of 4 people. They offer built-in lighting effects and are designed for all ages. They offer an extended glass plate and lighting strips that indicate a player’s turn. They are energy efficient and built to be durable.
Soft Play Cost
That’s a lot of money! Let’s total up an example for you so you can have a real-life breakdown of the costs. The Play Hut, as mentioned earlier, cost the customer approximately £72,000 for the soft play equipment.
Here’s a breakdown of how everything adds up to that figure:
- Structural Costs – £28,000
- SkyGlide – £150
- Soft play features (such as the main slide, rollers, rope nets etc) – £15,000
- Artwork (Bespoke tree aesthetic panels) – £1,000
- Interactive Features (such as the Tree Maze Puzzle) – £1,000
- Misc Extras – £1,100
- Transport – £3,000
- Installation: £20,000
Totalling £72,000 (Please note all of these figures are ex. VAT)
Isn’t it crazy how that all added up pretty quickly? The Play Hut had a lot of aesthetic choices but the equipment was pretty standard. The multi-leveled soft play has tons of features including lots of rollers and crash bags, a large fiberglass tube slide, totem poles and a separated baby and toddler area. That area features an LED Light Tube which brings a lot of upfront cost.
Indoor Play Area Manufacturers
Of course, all commercial soft play equipment costs are determined by you (or whoever’s in control of the budget!). Most manufacturers will design within a budget, they will recommend features that meet your specific budget and design intentions. For example, if you’re looking to design a SEND sensory room, we aren’t going to recommend you a large sports area!
Most reputable manufacturers will offer a warranty and maintenance package, this ensures all equipment stays safe and functional throughout the duration of its lifespan. We would always recommend you get as much detail as possible about these packages from any suppliers you go to.
Here at Play Creations we pride ourselves in creating unique soft play experiences that build on your ideas, your business, your design choices. We take inspiration from everything you tell us about your company and intentions with your soft play equipment and design a space around that. Features are completely dependent on you and your facility.
We want to help children have more safe indoor play areas, the way we can carry on doing that is through your decisions, your ideas and your want to create a family-friendly venue.
Ready to turn your commercial soft play visions into a reality? Brainstorm your ideas with our design team. We’ll get you some real samples from past projects that fit right into your price range.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve pulled together the most common things people ask us, from how we work and what to expect, to timelines, pricing, and everything in between. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, just reach out and we’ll get you sorted.
Having an initial budget always helps but this doesn’t have to be set-in-stone. Bringing your vision, what equipment have you seen that you’d want, what colours are you thinking, have you got a specific theme? You don’t have to bring us anything if you don’t want to, we have plenty of sample designs you can have to decide on different ideas!
We’ve noticed a massive rise in people financing their soft play equipment! We partner with Johnson Reeds to ensure that you have the option of working with a reputable finance company who has worked with other soft play projects before!
Interactive play equipment can stand your soft play out from a crowd. These are features that promote child developmental skills and can appeal to parents of SEND children. They are expensive but they have a good ROI that makes the cost worthwhile.
Our maintenance packages are customisable to meet the specific needs of your play centre. We have lifetime guarantee on structural equipment such as steel framework and volumetric play pieces. We have a 25 year guarantee on all floorboards and timber panel products. 15 year guarantee on rope work. For a full breakdown of our products please refer to our Warranty and Aftercare page
This is a tricky one. It really depends if we need to use a lot of steel and timber to build a proper frame. The more steel and timber we use, the higher the cost. This can also take up a lot of space and limit the amount of equipment we can implement safely into the soft play equipment.