If you rent bounce houses, what does your Halloween-weekend weather rule need to say?
Learn what your bounce house Halloween-weekend weather rule must cover: wind limits, rain and lightning, temperature floor, forecast logs, and refunds.
You check the Halloween forecast and see wind, rain, or a sharp temperature drop in the weekend outlook. Your written weather rule should set measurable wind and temperature limits, stop operation during rain or lightning, explain forecast checks and renter training, and state exactly when you refund or cancel. Your unit’s manual and placard set the minimum safety requirements; state rules can add stricter ones.
The short answer: six things your rule must cover
Your weather rule needs six clear parts, grounded in the unit’s manual and placard, with any stricter state requirements added.
- Wind limit and measurement: State a maximum wind speed that includes gusts, and say how you measure wind. Follow the lower limit when the manual, placard, or state rule sets one.
- Rain, wet vinyl, and lightning: Prohibit use during rain or while the unit is wet. Require evacuation when lightning appears, and set a wait period before reopening.
- Temperature floor: Give a minimum operating temperature drawn from the manufacturer’s manual.
- Forecast check and log: Assign someone to check the forecast and record the check, including the time and conditions relevant to the event.
- Manual and renter training: Keep the manual on site, and train the renter to follow the operating rules and recognize unsafe weather.
- Cancellation and refunds: Explain when you cancel before delivery, what happens to the deposit, and whether a refund applies after setup or operation.
Write the limits in numbers and plain language. Your crew and renter should be able to tell when to stop, who makes the call, and what happens next without interpreting vague terms such as “bad weather.”
Wind: your most important number
Set your wind ceiling from the specific unit’s manual and placard, and include gusts in your stop rule. Manuals we checked stop at 15 mph; CPSC says manufacturers set limits of 15 to 25 mph depending on the ride, and warns that any inflatable becomes dangerous when wind or gusts exceed 25 mph.
ASTM F2374-17 places the maximum sustained wind speed on the unit’s permanent information plate. Use that posted limit alongside the manual and applicable state rule, following the strictest requirement.
Train crews to recognize wind visually when a meter is unavailable. CPSC and Beaufort cues indicate that at 13–18 mph, dust and loose paper lift and small branches move; at 19–24 mph, smaller trees sway; at 25–31 mph, large branches move. These cues help identify rising wind, but they do not replace a required measuring method or a lower unit-specific limit.
Your written rule should specify how you measure wind and who records it. Maryland requires an anemometer or another reliable method, so a visual estimate alone does not meet that state’s rule.
Rain, lightning and cold
Stop operation in rain or wet conditions, evacuate when lightning appears, and wait for the unit to dry and the storm risk to pass before reopening. The EZ manual and Kicks and Giggles both require the unit to be dried before it returns to service.
The National Weather Service says no outdoor location is safe when thunderstorms are nearby. Cancel or postpone early when storms are expected, then wait 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning before resuming outdoor activity. One Nashville rental company also requires the area to be clear of rain and thunder for 30 minutes before setup.
Set a temperature floor from the manufacturer’s manual. Manuals cited here specify 40°F, while one rental company uses 42°F as its policy. Include the exact cutoff in your rule, and apply any stricter manual or state requirement. The temperature floor should be easy for your crew to check before setup and during the event.
State rules differ
State amusement-ride rules can add specific limits and records to the manufacturer’s requirements. Check your own state’s amusement-ride agency before you publish a weather policy.
Maryland prohibits operation at sustained winds of 15 mph or more or 3-second gusts of 25 mph or more. The state also requires a written forecast log, an anemometer or other reliable wind-measuring method, and the manual kept on site; see Maryland’s inflatable amusement device regulation.
New Jersey prohibits operation in dangerous weather except for unloading and defers to the manufacturer’s limits. Its amusement ride weather rule gives you the state’s language to compare with your unit’s manual.
Illinois requires you to follow manufacturer specifications, check anchors and fabric daily, and meet ASTM F2374-17 requirements for units made on or after January 1, 2021. Review the Illinois inflatable amusement device requirements and confirm which provisions apply to your equipment.
Setup paperwork that backs up the rule
Give every renter the documents and training needed to apply your weather rule. CPSC lists renter training, the operation manual, wind-estimation training, the safety bulletin, and a signed acknowledgment among the materials to provide. Include the CPSC inflatable safety bulletin in your handoff.
Show the renter how to use every anchor point and follow CPSC’s stake guidance. At each event, check the GFCI and record that check. Keep the manual on site so the crew and renter can refer to the unit’s operating limits during the rental.
Cancellation and refund wording
State when you cancel for weather and how your refund policy works before delivery, after setup, and during operation. Two rental-company policies illustrate common terms: both cancel and refund for bad forecasts before delivery, and both make the rental non-refundable once the units are set up.
It’s Time 2 Bounce treats any wind, thunderstorm, or severe-weather watch or warning as an automatic cancellation. Kicks and Giggles requires 24 hours’ notice for a deposit refund and counts two or more hours of operation as an official event.
Use terms that match your own operating procedure. Define which forecast conditions trigger cancellation, when the renter must notify you, whether you refund the deposit, and what counts as an event once the equipment is operating.