Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who are you and what do you do?
A: We are BCHire.com and we are London’s favourite inflatable hire company. We hire Bouncy Castles, slides, sumo suits and more fun items to families and event organisers in and around London including Kent and Essex.
We have several offices in London and our storage warehouse is in Bexley, Kent.
Q: How do you inflate the bouncy castle when you have delivered it? Will I be able to put it down?
A: Our bouncy castles are inflated using electric fan blowers. They are simply plugged in to a suitable socket in your house or out building; we supply long extension cables and power breakers with all castles so you don't need a socket nearby. To deflate the castle, simply unplug the fan and it will slowly collapse (make sure nobody is using the castle at the time!).
Q: How much space do I need for a bouncy castle?
A: The dimensions of our castles are shown in our gallery page, please also allow an additional 5 feet at the back for the fan and another five foot at the front for a safety mat. Please also try to allow another 1foot each side of the castle, although side space isn’t as important.
Q: What kind of access do you need when you deliver the castle?
A: The castles are wheeled in to position using a sack trolly, the Bouncy castle on the trolly, rolled up is about the size of a wheelie bin. Therefore we will need a standard size path and standard size doorways to get the castle in to your garden or venue. If you have a lot of steps or a tight entrance way, please let us know so that we can arrange alternative access if required.
Q: Can the bouncy castles go indoors?
A: Yes, all our Bouncy castles are suitable for indoor use. Just remember to check the height to the ceiling and the height of the Bouncy Castle. The ceiling must be higher than the hight of the castle booked. Hights of all our castles are on our website.
Q: Are you fully insured, if a child gets injured who's to blame?
A: We carry 5 million pounds worth of public liability cover, however as per our terms and conditions we cannot be held liable for any injuries caused whilst the castle is in your care. You are the sole person responsible for the castle and it's use and therefore should anything happen, you are liable to a claim as the hirer. Safety is and always will be our optimum priority, and to date we’ve not had one accident which has required treatment reported to us.
Q: How much notice to I need to give to book a castle?
A: As much notice as possible. At peak times we get fully booked about 2 weeks in advance so let us know as soon as you have a date in mind, we will do our best to accommodate you.
Q: Do you charge for cancellation? What happens if it rains?
In most cases we don't charge a cancellation charge, so long as you give us some notice so that we can hire the castle out to somebody else. If you give us no or very little notice (other than for bad weather) then you may be liable to a charge. Our cancellation policy is available on our website at BCHire.com.
Q: When the castle is delivered, do I have to set it up myself or do you do it?
A: The delivery person will completely set up the castle, give you a demonstration on how to use it safely and then leave it in your control. When we turn up to collect the castle, we will also dismantle it.
Q: Is it ok to put a bouncy castle on my lawn, will it cause much damage?
A: We actually prefer to put the bouncy castle on a lawn area. For safety reasons we must hammer in 6 securing pegs to hold the castle down during use. The castle will have a ground sheet placed under it so the grass will not come to any harm. The holes left over from the securing pegs will disappear after a few days.
Q: Can you put a bouncy castle on a concrete floor?
A: We do prefer grass however it is possible to position on to concrete. We use sandbags to hold the inflatable in place instead of pegs when we position on to a hard floor.
Q: Am I allowed to hire this castle from you and then charge people to use the castle?
A: Yes you are, but you must bear in mind that you are in charge and must make sure that people who use the castle are safe, don't overload the castle to try to make extra money. As the hirer you are liable for any damages.
Q: How many children can fit in a bouncy castle?
A: Generally speaking, between 6 and 12 children at one time. This really depends on the size of the users and the castle, the hire team will be able to provide more information on this.
Q: Are your units safe? Will you teach me how to have a safe day of fun?
A: Yes, unlike other operators all our Bouncy Castles are PIPA safety certified, meaning that that have been engineered and tested to the highest possible safety standards according to Health and Safety executive guidelines. Our service is also covered by £5M of public liability insurance. We also provide a full set of safety instructions when we set up, which include guidelines like the maximum number of users on the Bouncy Castle at once, maximum age etc etc.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Prices start from 50 pounds for a children’s castle. Depending on your postcode we may charge a small fee for delivery, set up and collection. All the prices are on the individual castles on our website at BCHire.com, there you can also check availability and book online.
Q. What if it rains?
A: All our Castles come with shower covers and all our extension leads are fully showerproof so showers won't stop play! However if you feel that the rain is going to spoil your day, you can cancel free of charge as long as you phone before 8am.
Q: What are the appropriate ages for bouncing?
A: We have Bouncy castles for all ages.
Q: My garden slopes a bit - will that be OK?
A: Yes. A slight slope is not a problem. Typically, we will place the entrance of the unit at the top of any slope. If the slope is more than a little, we may not be able to set up in that location. Your installer may request an alternate location so please have one in mind. Remember, safety is our optimum priority.
Q: Does it need electricity? How is it powered? How much does it use?
A: Yes, you’ll need a normal plug socket within 25 meters of where you want to put the Bouncy Castle. We will bring a 25M extension cord with us. The blower runs continuously and uses approximately £0.18 of electricity per hour. Your blow dryer uses more than that!
If you don’t have electricity within 25 meters, we can still help. We do have longer leads or can provide a generator.
NOTE: All blowers and wiring are safety checked and PAT tested before delivery.
Q: What time do you deliver and pickup the bouncy castle?
A: Hire periods are a minimum of 5 hours, unless specified. We ask for the 5 hours you definitely want the Bouncy Castle, perhaps the 5 hours of your party? We will then ensure that your inflatable is all set up and ready to go before you really need it, we’ll collect it sometime afterwards (the same day). We can also cater for hall bookings and if you need the Bouncy Castle for a little longer than 5 hours, that’s no problem.
The latest time we will collect a Bouncy Castle is 7pm, if that’s too early we do overnight booking.
Q: What are your hours of operation?
A: Our office is open 9am to 10pm 7 days a week. We deliver Bouncy Castles 7 days a week and are contactable 24 hours a day in an emergency. For more info call 0208 432 9579.
Q: My party is today or tomorrow. Can I still hire a Bouncy Castle?
A: Perhaps, yes! If we have units available we’ll do our best to help you.
Q: Can I keep the bouncy castle overnight?
A:Yes! We do overnights at an additional charge of £20. The bouncy castle must be an adult’s castle set up in a back garden or area that is fenced and locked up (we don’t usually do overnight hire on Children’s castles). BCHire reserves the right to cancel any overnight hire in the interests of safety.
Q: Is it cheaper if we pick up the bouncy castle ourselves?
A: No. In fact, BCHire does not allow this. All of Bouncy Castles must be set up by one of our trained crew members for the purposes of safety and insurance. Remember that safety is our optimum priority.
Q: What shall I do if I am unhappy with your service?
A: Send an email to complaints@bchire.com and we will respond within 2 working days.