Party Ideas & Guides
Insurance, permits, space and supervision, before you pay a deposit
This is the guide almost nobody publishes, which is odd because it covers the questions that actually carry risk. What insurance a supplier should hold, when a council permit is required, and who is responsible for watching the castle.
None of this is meant to alarm you. Hundreds of thousands of Australian children go to parties with inflatables and play hire every year without incident. But the reason it works is that professional operators follow a set of rules, and it helps to know what they are so you can tell a professional operation from a cheap one.
This guide is general information for parents, not legal or regulatory advice. Requirements differ between states, territories and councils, and your supplier and your local council are the authorities for your specific situation.
Public liability insurance
Every professional supplier who brings equipment to your property or performs at your event should carry their own public liability insurance, and should be able to provide a certificate of currency on request.
- Ask for the certificate rather than taking a verbal assurance.
- Check the certificate is current and names the business you are booking.
- For a park, a school or a public venue, the venue will usually require it before confirming.
- A supplier who cannot produce one is not a cheaper supplier. They are an uninsured one.
When you need a council permit
This is the question the commercial pages almost never answer, and it catches out a lot of families planning a park party.
| Where the party is | Permit usually required? | What the land manager wants |
|---|---|---|
| Private home, private yard | No | Nothing, though the supplier still needs their own insurance |
| Council park or reserve | Usually yes | A reserve booking, the operator's certificate of currency, sometimes a risk assessment |
| School grounds | School approval rather than council | Certificate of currency, working with children clearances, risk assessment |
| Community hall | A venue booking | Certificate of currency, and often venue specific conditions |
| Beach or foreshore reserve | Usually yes | Council or land manager approval, and conditions on equipment |
Requirements and processing times differ between councils. Start the approval process before you confirm a supplier, because approvals commonly take weeks rather than days, and a booked castle with no permit is a wasted deposit.
Space, surface and access
Three measurements prevent almost every failed delivery.
- The flat area. Measure the genuinely flat, clear rectangle you can offer, then remember operators want roughly a metre of clearance on every side, plus vertical clearance from branches, eaves and powerlines.
- The access path. Measure the narrowest point between where a vehicle can park and where the equipment goes. Usually a side gate. This is where more deliveries fail than anywhere else.
- The surface and any slope. Flat grass is ideal because pegs can be used. Concrete and pavers need ballast weights instead, and some operators decline hard surfaces. A noticeable slope will usually be declined outright.
Wind, heat and wet weather
Wind is the main safety risk with any inflatable, and every professional operator has a wind speed at which they will not install or will shut a unit down.
- Ask what that wind limit is, and what happens to your booking and deposit if the call goes against you. Get it in writing.
- Coastal, hilltop and open plain sites reach that limit far more often than sheltered suburban yards.
- In summer, vinyl and foam get hot enough to be uncomfortable in direct sun. Shade or a morning start solves it.
- Rain policies vary between operators. Some reschedule at no cost, some retain the deposit. Know which before you pay.
Who is actually supervising
This is the single most important line in the whole guide. Unless you have specifically paid for a supervising operator to stay, supervision is your responsibility for the entire hire.
- Nominate a named adult, on a roster if the hire is long. Not whoever happens to be nearest.
- Separate age groups. Run under fives and over fives in separate turns rather than letting them share.
- Enforce the operator's rules. Shoes off, no food or drink inside, no hard toys or glasses, and a maximum number at once.
- Know how to shut it down. Ask the operator to show you the blower and what to do if the wind picks up or the power drops.
Power planning
A tripped circuit halfway through a party is entirely avoidable and surprisingly common.
- An inflatable blower runs continuously for the whole hire and should have its own circuit.
- Fairy floss and popcorn machines draw more than people expect. Do not put one on the same outdoor line as a blower.
- Use outdoor rated leads and a safety switch, particularly anywhere near water.
- For a park or an oval with no power, ask the operator whether they supply a generator or whether you need to hire one.
The questions
Six questions to ask every hire supplier
Ask these before you pay a deposit. A professional operator will answer all six without hesitating.
Common questions
Safety and setup questions
Do I need council approval for a jumping castle at home?
For a private party in your own yard, generally no. The supplier still needs their own public liability insurance. For a park, a reserve, a school or any public venue, approval is usually required along with the operator's certificate of currency and sometimes a risk assessment. Check with the relevant council or land manager early.
What insurance should a party supplier have?
Public liability insurance, in the name of the business you are booking, current on the date of your party. Ask for the certificate of currency rather than a verbal assurance. It is a completely standard request and any professional operator will send it.
Who is responsible for supervising a jumping castle?
You are, unless you have specifically paid for a supervising operator to stay on site. That means a named adult watching for the whole hire, enforcing the operator's rules, and keeping different age groups from using it at the same time.
At what wind speed will operators cancel?
It varies by operator and by unit, and they set it based on the manufacturer's guidance and their own risk assessment. Ask for their specific limit and, more importantly, what happens to your booking and your deposit if they make that call on the day.
Is it safe to put a castle on concrete?
Many operators will, using ballast weights instead of ground pegs and often with extra matting underneath. Some decline hard surfaces entirely. Ask before booking rather than on delivery day, because it changes both the price and whether the booking can proceed.
What about animals and hygiene at a petting zoo party?
A professional operator sets up hand washing or sanitising as part of the service and supervises every interaction. Make sure children wash their hands before they go near food. Tell the operator in advance about any child with allergies or a compromised immune system.
Get quotes from suppliers who answer these questions
One brief, and you can ask every supplier the same six questions before you choose. Free for parents.