Tent rental: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What tent rental is

A tent company delivers and installs a frame or pole tent on your lawn, patio or venue grounds, covering guests from sun and rain. Options include sides, flooring and lighting, and the company takes the tent down and hauls it away after the event.

Signs you need it

  • Your event is outdoors and guests need shade or cover from rain
  • The venue has no covered space and the guest count is larger than your home can hold
  • You want a clean, finished look with sides, flooring and lighting
  • The event will run into the evening, and you need light and warmth under the tent
  • The site is a lawn or a patio where a tent can be safely anchored by the company

What the pro does

  • Visits the site to check the ground, the access route and where the tent can go
  • Chooses the tent size and shape for your guest count and layout
  • Delivers the frame, the cover, the sides and the flooring to the site
  • Installs the tent with the anchoring and bracing the site requires
  • Adds the lighting, the heaters or the fans if you ordered them, and tests them
  • Takes the tent down, removes the anchors and hauls the equipment away

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Tent size, shape and the number of guests it must hold
  • Sides, flooring, lighting, heaters and fans
  • Ground type, such as a slope, a patio or a lawn with buried utilities nearby
  • Access route for the delivery truck and the crew
  • Installation and teardown time, and how many days the tent stays up
  • Whether the company handles any permit or site paperwork the venue requires

What a written quote should spell out

  • Tent size, frame type and the cover and sides included
  • Flooring and lighting, with the number of fixtures
  • Installation, inspection and teardown times
  • Anchoring and staking method, and who approves the site
  • Damage terms and what happens if the weather forces a change

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Can you visit the site before you quote, and what do you need from me to plan the install?
  • How do you anchor the tent on this ground, and what do you need me to check?
  • What is your weather plan, and when will you take the tent down if the wind picks up?
  • Does the quote include the sides, lighting and flooring I need?
  • Who will be on site during the install and the teardown?
  • Do I need a permit for the tent, and does the company handle the paperwork?

Red flags

  • Will not visit the site or give you a plan for anchoring the tent
  • Cannot say how the tent is secured in wind or rain
  • Plans to stake into ground with buried lines or utilities without a check
  • Gives a quote with no list of sides, flooring or lighting
  • Pushes you to hold the event in the tent without a weather plan

What you can do yourself

Do not set up or anchor a tent frame yourself. Wind, uneven ground and anything buried under the lawn make a tent dangerous to build without training. You can clear the site of debris, mark the spot with the company, keep sprinklers and low branches clear, and plan the layout of the tables and guests. Hire a tent company for every installation.

Licenses and permits

Some tent installations need a permit from the local office that oversees temporary structures or the venue, and the rules vary by place. Ask the company whether it handles that paperwork, and check with the local office before you sign. Confirm the company carries liability insurance.

Tent rental questions

How do I know the tent will stay up in wind?

Ask the company how it anchors the tent and what its weather plan is. A company that takes weather seriously will tell you when it would take the tent down.

Can the tent go on a driveway or a slope?

It depends on the ground and the anchoring the company can use. Ask the company to check the site before you plan around it.

Who pays for damage to the lawn?

Ask the company in advance. Many tent companies explain how they handle ground damage in the rental terms, so read those before you sign.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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