Last updated October 2026
Five guides answer the questions that decide a project before anyone prices it: how it will be paid for, whether it needs planning permission, how deep a play surface must be, and which surface or resin finish to choose. Each one opens with the answer and the published figures behind it, then links to the page that prices the work.
Which guide answers your question?
Start from the decision you are stuck on.
| If you are asking | Read | What it settles on the first screen |
|---|---|---|
| How can we pay for it? | Playground grants and funding | What PE and sport premium, the Movement Fund, the Football Foundation, LTA loans and CIL can and cannot buy |
| Do we need permission? | Planning permission for courts and pitches | Which projects usually need it, the fee in England and the 8-week decision period |
| How thick must the surface be? | Critical fall height | Depth against fall height under BS EN 1177, with prices per m2 |
| Which play surface? | Wetpour vs rubber mulch vs artificial grass | Price, fall height and upkeep of the three side by side |
| Which resin finish? | Resin bound vs resin bonded | Price per m2, drainage and where each one works |
Which guide should a school read first?
Funding, because it decides what the project can include. A primary school’s PE and sport premium can repaint existing playground lines but cannot pay for a MUGA or a daily mile track, so the funding route often sets the scope before the surface is chosen.
When does planning come into it?
As soon as a project adds fencing, floodlights or a new court or pitch. The planning guide sets out which of those usually need an application and how long a decision takes, so the timetable can be built around it.
Where are the prices?
On the costs page, which lists every published figure on this site with its source and date. The guides quote the figures that matter to their question; your own price comes from a survey and a written quote.
