Building a playground in your own back yard can be expensive so imagine the cost of a community or school playground. Kids need safe places to play; playgrounds encourage outdoor activity and exercise and give kids a place they can socialize with one another. If you are interested in getting a playground put up in your community you need to develop a solid budget to present to the correct city boards. Read on to learn how to make a playground budget.
1 Gather together a group of concerned citizens. Explain to them your desire to set up a playground. Be open to all ideas and let them know that you would like their help. The larger of a group you are working with the better because each citizen will have a different area of expertise to lend you.

2 Find a location for your playground. If the location is for sale take note of the price to put in your budget. Measure out the location to see how much room you actually have to build on. You need this information to decide how much equipment to buy. You may also want to ask the group if anyone has some land they would be willing to donate.

3 Get a list of playground equipment and how much it costs. If your playground location is large enough to accommodate two sets of playground equipment you should set up two sets. One set should be for infants and toddlers and the other set should be for school age children. By providing these two types of playground sets you are helping to ensure that no little kids get hurt on equipment that is too big for them. This may cost more money in the beginning, but can save money in the long run if too many kids are getting hurt. If you are not sure what playground equipment to buy, you can visit www.tcoool.com for more details or send email to info@tcoool.com.

4 Gather together the men in your group and find out if they would be willing to dedicate a day or two to install the playground free of charge. This would be a community volunteer project and it would save you thousands of dollars. This is, in fact, the most common way communities get playground equipment installed. If you have enough helpers you should have no problem getting the equipment settled in two days tops. If you can't get any cooperation then you will need to contact an installer and add his or her rates to your budget.

5 Get some landscaping estimates unless you have members of your group who would be willing to help out with this. The products you need will still have to go on the budget, but at least you will save in labor. Wood chips are a good addition to the surrounding playground area because they are easier on the bones if a child falls.

6 Add any permit fees, inspections and insurance costs to your budget. You will have to contact your local code and building office for this information.

7 Place all of your figures on your computer's word processing program. Be as detailed as possible. Use your calculator to come up with a final figure. Take this document to your local city board and submit it for approval.