First, determine how many people you want to accommodate at any one time for your event. Then refer to our Space Configuration Guide for easy guidelines. Don’t forget to add some extra space for such things as a buffet table, bar area, stage, dance floor or whatever your situation may call for. After you’ve added all those numbers up you’ll have the total size you need. Then see which tent has close to (or slightly larger) the same square footage and that’s the one you want.
We use steel stakes that are 20” to 46” long driven into the ground – that’s also the reason why we require utility locates. The actual number of stakes and the size of them will vary depending on the size and style of tent, how much wind load they may be subjected to and the length of time they will be set up. There are other things that we can do depending on the situation but the end result has to be within the manufacturer’s anchorage guidelines and above all, safety and security if a storm does arise.
The stakes will make a hole about the size of a quarter which can be repaired if needed with special asphalt plugs. There are some locations that we have been installing the same size tents for over ten years and we reuse the same holes over and over again with no problem. After the holes are patched, you’ll be hard pressed to even find them after a while, even if you know exactly where to look.
If your partly is on a Saturday for example, we usually install the tent on Thursday or Friday depending on when your function starts. We sometimes set up earlier depending on the situation and how many projects might be scheduled for that week and where they are located. Pickup is most often schedule for Monday but we will ask you for the event start and end time to determine exactly when the best time for pickup would be. Another example would be for a Friday night dinner party that starts at 6pm. In that case we might deliver everything on Friday morning and pickup on Saturday. For most events, there is no cut and dried time for installation and takedown because of many different factors. We always strive to be flexible and accommodate the needs of our customers balanced with what is possible for our tent crews to do in a day.
For commercial projects we usually try to install everything one day or several days prior to your event and then take it down the day after. The actual timing can vary widely and will depend on what other services you have to coordinate inside such as stages, flooring, electrical, decorating, table settings, audio visual etc. All these activities take time so please plan accordingly. After hours and weekend installations may be accommodated for a fee to be determined by the specifics of your event (such as timing and manpower requirements to fulfill your request).
Sometimes we can, sometimes we can’t, it really depends on what you’re planning to do and the size of your deck to start with. The only way to determine what is possible, is to do an inspection and advise from there. Quite often a small deck or hand railings won’t fit one of our standard size frame tents and leave at least four or 5 feet to work around the perimeter. The height of the building eve or outside light fixtures can sometimes interfere as well. You should measure your deck first before calling because we will ask you those questions and then you can get a ballpark estimate to determine if it’s in your price range before coming out.
No, barbequing can possibly damage our tents. Also, the International Fire Code states, “no open or exposed flame devices emitting flame, fire or heat shall be permitted inside or located within 20ft of the tent”.
No, Tents & Events staff installs all of the tents we rent. We do however carry light weight canopies for do-it-yourself installations on lawns.
The simple answer is, when time permits or if we have been advised of a special situation or work area conflict that we need to know about. Usually, it’s pretty simple. If you measure you own property and keep in mind the guidelines above of a 5 foot work perimeter around the tent it’s usually fine. Remember to look up for tree branches and wires and mention any underground septic field or irrigation systems that we should know about since the utility companies will not mark those two things because they are your responsibility. We recommend that you call PA One Call at (800) 242-1776 to come out to check for any underground utilities. This is a free service which insures that no utility lines are damaged while installing the tent.
Please remember that most tent installations require us to be able to drive right up to where we need to work because of the size and weight of the tents that we may be setting up for you. For large scale commercial projects this usually isn’t a problem but does bear mentioning in case there are restrictions for access that we don’t know about. If we do need to transport materials more than a minimal distance from the truck, and we are not notified ahead of time before our crew arrives, it could affect our ability to have the tent up on time. It could also affect our schedule which is sometimes tight and thus affect another customer’s service down the road. It may also require an additional fee. Again, we try to be flexible but we have had instances where our truck and work site were 250 yards away with 100s of pounds of tent fabric and materials that needed to be hand carried.
We always try to accommodate your request within reason. For us to coordinate the installation of dozens of tents in many different locations, we ask that you work with us and be as flexible as you can. Sometimes if we can not be there at the same time as the customer, we ask them to stake out the four corners and leave us a note as to where the utilities are located underground. In order to complete each day’s activities, we schedule tent crews into zones that will go from one job to the other throughout the day. Each location will take a certain amount of time so we can estimate to some degree the timing of deliveries and pickups but it’s never exact due to traffic or weather conditions. We do have cell phones for all of our tent foremen so at the very least we can keep you apprised of the situation or give you a ‘heads-up’ call that they are on the way. If you require a specifically timed delivery or pickup, please call the office in advance and we’ll see what we can do.
Yes we can. Please call us to discuss because there are problems that arise in winter that sometimes make putting up the tent impossible. Extreme weather and frozen ground are two areas of concern.
Yes, we can heat tents as well without any problem but there are a few extra things we have to do regarding winter rentals. The best thing to do is call our office and speak to us about some specific details so that we can advise you.
No, there are professional wedding planners that do that for a living but we can help you with basic information if you review our Space Configuration Guide for ideas first and go from there.
Yes, we require a 25% deposit on all orders.
We require a credit card to secure your order (we accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover); however, you may pay by cash, check or credit card. Final payment is due upon delivery. If payment is not made upon delivery, the balance will be applied to your credit card.
Business accounts may be established upon credit approval. Contact our office and we will forward a credit application for you to complete. Once we receive your completed credit application, please allow up to 30 days for credit approval.
Yes and no. In most situations where staking is not an option, we can install Frame Tents with weights instead of stakes. When you call, please let us know that the tent must be weighted so that we can come out for a site survey to determine feasibility, and ensure proper installation. Canopies and Pole Tents are tension structures which require staking and can not be weighted.
