What Size Bounce House Do I Need?

For a standard residential bounce house, plan on about 15 by 15 feet of flat space with roughly 3 feet of clearance on every side, plus a standard outdoor outlet within 100 feet. The measurement people forget is the side gate.

Measuring the space properly

Measure the flat area, then add the clearance. A unit that is 13 feet wide does not fit in a 13 foot space: it needs room around it so nobody bounces into a fence, a wall or a rose bush. Look up as well as around. Low branches and patio covers are a real constraint and they are the thing people notice last.

The side gate is what catches people out

The unit has to physically reach the back yard. A deflated bounce house is heavy and bulky, and a narrow side gate, a tight dogleg, or a step down can stop a big combo unit that would otherwise fit your yard perfectly. Measure the narrowest point on the path from the street to where the unit is going, and tell us that number when you book. It is the single most useful measurement you can give us.

Power

The blower runs continuously and needs a standard household outdoor outlet within about 100 feet. It stays on the whole time the unit is in use, which surprises some people. If your only outlet is far from where the unit is going, say so and we will bring cord. If there is genuinely no power, that is a conversation to have before the day, not on it.

Grass, concrete and everything else

Grass and concrete both work and neither costs extra. Grass gets stakes, concrete and asphalt get sandbags. Dirt and decomposed granite are fine and get staked, which comes up in Mead Valley and out toward Woodcrest. What does not work is a slope: the unit needs to be genuinely level.

Which unit for which party

A standard castle suits most back yards and most parties under 20 kids. A castle and slide combo needs more room and more gate width but holds a mixed age group better. A water slide is the summer answer, particularly out in Hemet and San Jacinto where July afternoons are punishing. If you are unsure, send us a photo of the space and we will tell you honestly what fits.

Common questions