BLOGS
Why Quality Counts – The cheapest playground quote is not always the best value
We all love a bargain. And when you are responsible for your school’s budget, getting a competitive price matters.
But when you are investing in your playground and your children, the cheapest quote is not necessarily the best value.
HM Treasury guidance makes an important distinction: value for money should consider whole-life cost, not simply the lowest purchase price. Paying more initially can be justified where better quality delivers greater durability, a longer useful life or lower maintenance costs.
That matters when your playground may be used every day for many years.
Cheapest Price or Best Value Playground Quote?
Three quotations can look similar while differing in materials, construction, surfacing, foundations, warranties and aftercare.
The better question for your school is:
“Which quotation gives our children the best outcome for the money we are investing?”
A Real-World Example: Getting the Edge Right
A recent project by The School Playground Company involved surfacing across five outdoor areas of a school.
The school had previously experienced shrinkage where EPDM-Wetpour met existing macadam using a ‘chase-cut’ finish, leaving a significant gap between the surfaces.
For the new project, a rubber ‘Star Kerb’* fixed to the macadam was proposed, with the EPDM-Wetpour laid into it.
This cost more than the cheaper ‘chase-cut’ option but provided a more robust transition designed to reduce the likelihood of the previous problem recurring.
The lesson? – A higher initial cost can sometimes be an investment in durability and avoiding future remedial work.
Look Beyond the Quotation Total
Before choosing, ask your surfacing supplier:
- What materials and specifications are included?
- What type and thickness of surfacing are included?
- What ground preparation and foundations are required?
- How will different surfaces be joined?
- What guarantees are offered?
- What maintenance will your playground need?
- What happens if something fails?
- What installation, excavation, waste removal and making-good are included?
A lower price may simply mean that something different is being supplied.
Your Playground Equipment Matters too
If a quotation says only “timber equipment”, do you know what you are buying?
Timber species, grade, construction, preservation and detailing can all affect durability and maintenance.
A £10,000 playground is not automatically equivalent to a £12,000 playground because the equipment looks similar. If the additional investment provides greater durability, a longer service life, easier maintenance or a stronger warranty, it may ultimately be the better use of your budget.
Think About your Playground Five Years from Now
Good materials also need good design and competent installation.
DfE guidance emphasises planned maintenance and protecting the long-term value of school assets.
Ask:
- How do we expect our playground to appear five years from now?
- What ongoing upkeep or maintenance will it require?
- If components get damaged, can they be fixed or swapped out?
- What occurs when parts reach the end of their usable lifespan?
These questions may have little impact on today’s price but can significantly affect your long-term costs.
Your Playground is for Your Children
Your playground is more than a capital purchase. It is where your children play, run, socialise, explore and develop.
Spending more does not automatically create a better playground. But quality, design and suitability deserve consideration alongside price.
How can Your School Compare Quotations Fairly?
You shouldn’t have to become playground specialists simply to spend your budget wisely.
If you do not have the expertise to create a detailed specification, start with a wish list:
- Who will use the area and what ages should it serve?
- What types of play matter to your children?
- Are there accessibility requirements?
- What features are essential?
- What existing equipment needs to remain?
- Which areas need resurfacing?
- What is your budget?
- Are there particular maintenance concerns?
A knowledgeable contractor can turn this into a detailed proposal, giving other suppliers a clearer basis for comparison.
That allows you to compare solutions, quality and value — not just prices.
Ask What You Are Getting
Before comparing the final figures, ask each supplier to explain:
- Equipment: manufacturer, product range, materials and guarantees.
- Surfacing: type, thickness, safety performance and edging.
- Groundworks: excavation, preparation, drainage and foundations.
- Installation: labour, waste removal and making good.
- Aftercare: warranty, inspections, maintenance and replacement components.
This helps reveal whether one supplier is genuinely cheaper — or simply offering something different.
The Cheapest Quotation can be the Right One
There is nothing wrong with choosing the cheapest quotation.
If suppliers are genuinely offering the same specification, equivalent quality, comparable warranties, installation standards and aftercare, the cheapest may well be the best value.
The problem is assuming that three different prices automatically mean three comparable playgrounds – They may not.
Quality Counts
The ‘Star Kerb’ example is a small detail within a much larger project, but it demonstrates the wider principle.
A cheaper option can look attractive on your quotation. A more expensive solution can initially be harder to justify.
But if additional investment gives your school a more durable installation and reduces the likelihood of future remedial work, it may provide better value over time.
The same applies to your timber, surfacing, foundations, drainage, equipment, installation and aftercare.
Best value isn’t about buying the cheapest thing. It’s about buying the right thing, at the right price, for your children, your school and your budget — with a clear understanding of what you are getting and what it is likely to cost over its useful life.
Get competitive quotations. But ask suppliers to explain the differences.
Because the cheapest quote is only a bargain if it delivers the playground your school needs.
And, of course, it stands to reason, The School Playground Company’s quotation will always be the best one… But we would say that, wouldn’t we?
Sources and Further Reading
HM Treasury, Managing Public Money (2026) — whole-life cost, quality and value for money.
Department for Education, Get Help Buying for Schools — procurement support and value for schools.
Department for Education, Good Estate Management for Schools — maintenance and protecting school assets.
*Supplied by Star Rubber Environmental Limited
