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How to Level the Ground for Your Lifetime Playground

Getting the ground truly level is the most important prep step before you bolt that first panel together. If the legs sit unevenly, the whole set can twist under pressure—and nobody wants a wobbly tower six months down the road.

1. Mark the footprint

• Grab the footprint dimensions from the product listing.

• Use a tape measure, stakes, and string to outline where each leg will sit.

• Double-check key pole-to-pole measurements so nothing surprises you on build day.

2. Firm up the soil

1. Rake away loose topsoil and organic matter.

2. Wet the area lightly, then tamp it with a plate compactor (or the old-school “jump and stomp” method if that’s what you’ve got).

3. Repeat the wet-and-tamp cycle until the surface feels hard underfoot.

Why bother? Those flat “feet” on a Lifetime set will compress the ground as kids play. Pre-compacting now means less sinking later.

3. Check level as you build

As soon as you’ve connected the first crossbars, break out a 4-ft level (or a laser if you’re fancy). Check both side-to-sideand front-to-back:

• Slight low spot? Slip a thin layer of crushed gravel under the foot.

• High spot? Scrape or tamp it down before moving on.

Catch the problem early and you’ll avoid tearing half the playset apart to fix it later.

4. Why level matters

An unlevel frame throws uneven stress on joints that were engineered to share the load evenly. Over time that can:

• Loosen hardware

• Warp panels or slides

• Shorten the lifespan of the entire set

A few extra minutes with the level now saves you years of headaches.

Bottom line

Get the footprint marked, compact the soil solid, and keep a level handy during every assembly step. Once the playground is sitting square and true, you’re ready to cruise through the rest of the build—knowing the ground work is rock-solid.