Park Project Resources

Costs of Basic Park Improvements

The Parks Department requires all new park furnishings to have an expected life of 20 years and meet high safety standards. This means that simple things like adding a bench can turn out to be not-so-simple after all! Use these cost estimates to come up with a realistic plan for your project. These are approximate costs, not including installation. (All of these items can be installed by volunteers, in most cases.):

• Park bench $500 (closer to $1100 if in a downtown park)
• Picnic table $800
• Message board $1,200
  
• Water fountain $2,500 and up, if you have a water line in the park already
• Single piece of play equipment such as a swing or climbing structure $800 to $8,000. Most play equipment requires installation of a fall-zone, which can add $5000 or more to a project.
  
• Landscaping plants and trees – these can frequently be obtained at little or no cost through PARD, Tree Folks, or as a donation from your local landscape supply store.
• Up-to-date pricing should be obtained from vendors. For a list of some of the vendors our partner groups have used in the past, see Trusted Contractors and Vendors, below.

Costs for larger projects vary widely, but here are some rough estimates:

• Build a tennis court (from bare ground) $175,000
• Purchase and install a pre-fabricated pavilion $50,000 - 100,000
• Purchase and install a playground $30,000 for a small playground for toddlers to several hundred thousand for a full-size playground.
• Build a trail (using hired/PARD labor and granite gravel surface) $15-25 per linear foot. This cost will be much lower for a trail constructed using volunteer labor.

These prices may seem high, but raising funds is not as hard as it sounds. Step one is to become a fiduciary client of Austin Parks Foundation so you can use our non-profit status to ask for charitable donations. Some of our fiduciary clients have been very successful fund raisers!

Trusted Contractors and Vendors

The following organizations have been recommended by our Neighborhood Park Grant recipients. APF does not have any affiliation with these companies, and makes no guarantees of their work. Download Word document. Updated 5/08 to include more resources.

References and White Papers

Park Activist's Guide prepared by Austin Parks Foundation Staff

• Love Your Pet, Love Your Park (35K download) Basics for improving off-leash areas
• Chapter 1: Planning and Organization (163K) Information on suggested first steps, structure and by-laws, becoming tax-exempt, and more
• Chapter 2: Fundraising (131K) Sources of funds and how to plan events
• Chapter 3: Building Relationships (103K) Finding allies, working with the City of Austin
• Chapter 4: Making Parks Safer (112K)

Movies in the Park Host your own outdoor movies - downloadable Word document

Graffiti prevention strategies - Graffiti Hurts

Off-Leash Dog Park Alert: Information on the rare waterborne parasite Heterobilharzia that can infect dogs who swim in water retention ponds. downloadable Word document

Trail Building: The International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) has published two great books for trail managers and builders.  While focused on mountain biking, the information and advice is applicable to multi-use trails.

1) Managing Mountain Biking: IMBA's Guide to Providing Great Riding  Published in 2007, this book covers the organization and management side of mountain bike trails, including planning & design, partnerships, environmental impacts, safety and risk management, and success stories.

2) Trail Solutions  This book combines traditional practices of trail building with advanced techniques for building multi-use trails.  For trail work, this is the essential, use-every-day reference.  

Trail Markers: These documents were prepared by the Austin Ridge Riders in conjunction with the Austin Fire Department while designing markers for Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. The markers are useful for emergency services as well as way-finding. This project is very successful and well worth reproducing in other parks. Map with signage sample and details.

Austin Parks Foundation 701 Brazos Street, Suite 170 Austin, TX 78701 tel 512.477.1566 fax 512.477.1586 Copyright © 2007 Austin Parks Foundation. All rights reserved.

Volunteer!

Get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air! Register for upcoming volunteer days or visit our list of upcoming volunteer events.

Subscribe!

With our monthly email newsletter, you will get the latest information on upcoming Austin Parks Foundation events, park news and volunteer opportunities.

Austin Parks Foundation is supported by individuals like you. Members are our life blood and for $35 and up, you can become a member for a full year. Sign up now!