A recent project at a local university seemed straightforward to Steve Campbell, general manager at L&A Tent & Event Rentals in Hamilton, N.J. The client had requested the team’s most cost-effective option: a white pole tent anchored by stakes.
Installation was underway, with roughly one-third of the stakes driven and the tent laid out, when a university staff member approached the crew with new information: Privately run utilities were beneath portions of the site.
With staking no longer an option in key areas, the installation was halted. Campbell and crew packed up, left the site and returned with a frame tent they could secure with concrete weights.
In hindsight, the issue wasn’t the site. It was a gap in how information was gathered. The tent had been ordered by an individual who was not in a position to confirm whether privately installed utilities were present.
Situations like this are common when a site visit is considered more of a walkthrough than a structured process. The most effective teams gather and document information to plan accurately, allocate the right equipment and avoid costly adjustments during installation.
“We’ve since tightened both our process and our contracts,” Campbell notes. “As part of our site-visit checklist, we make sure the person ordering the tent confirms their answers in writing and they’re backed by someone with institutional knowledge. If that’s not an option, we require a private utility locate before moving forward.”
The work before the work
The checklist Campbell references is reviewed and updated every winter for the sales team, who typically handles site visits as the first point of contact with clients. “An experienced tent installer with good communication skills and strong commitment to detail makes the best tent salesperson,” Campbell says. “It’s important for them to not be so committed to the upsell part of the job that they forget to record safety concerns on-site that must be communicated to installers.”
The checklist includes taking photos and videos from all angles, which are used to create a detailed map for the installation crew. “This forces the salesperson to think through the project and put themselves in the shoes of both the client and the tent installers,” he says. “Pictures and maps are also helpful for repeat projects or to solve any dispute between the client and sales team about what was decided at the site visit.”
At Chattanooga Tent and Event Solutions in Chattanooga, Tenn., most site visits are conducted by senior project managers, with sales executives managing smaller projects and operations leadership overseeing larger builds.
“Site visits aren’t optional—they’re risk management and one of the most critical phases of a project. So no one performs independent site visits without field installation experience,” says Nate Niespodziany, general manager. “You cannot accurately evaluate risk if you haven’t physically installed a tent in challenging conditions.”
The Chattanooga team reviews its digital checklist annually as well, covering everything from elevation changes and access paths to drainage flow and underground utilities. They also make updates based on new equipment they’ve acquired or new municipalities they have entered.
Reflecting the value of the planning and expertise involved, site visits are often billed. At Classic Tents & Events in Norcross, Ga., the cost of the site visit can be applied to the overall order once the project is booked. “Our sales team follows a qualification process before scheduling any site visit, and sales and operations collaborate using technology to determine when an in-person visit is necessary,” says Camile Fox, business development manager.
Campbell follows a similar process, incorporating the cost into delivery and labor line items and crediting any travel and labor fees toward a project once booked. Niespodziany typically waives fees for local work, while travel-heavy or engineered builds are credited once confirmed.
Evaluation essentials
With logistics and cost accounted for, the real value of a site visit is uncovering hidden risks that can drive up labor and delay installs. Soil conditions, grade changes, access points, underground conflicts and anchoring conditions are the most common oversights, Niespodziany notes. “Ballast requirements, limited access and slope correction are the biggest drivers of unexpected labor cost increases.”
Forgetting to simply look up is another risk, says Brion Pace, field supervisor at Classic Tents & Events. “Trees, power lines, wires or anything else that could get in the way of the tent are commonly overlooked.” Pace also emphasizes the importance of communicating access issues to clients as soon as possible. “If we have to use stairs, small walkways or trek long distances to carry equipment, we will charge for difficult access, which clients often don’t consider.”
This is all too common at private residences. “If a client doesn’t want equipment driven onto the property, we lay out the practical consequences: extra hours and labor costs for manually moving everything one by one,” Campbell says. “Clients typically respond by allowing equipment access once they understand the financial impact.”
When it comes to preventing or decreasing labor, Campbell recommends sending the sales rep or project manager to the job site again one to two days before the event to physically mark the tent’s location. “For a pole tent, it’s helpful to mark every anchor point, center and side pole locations. For a smaller frame tent, mark the tent’s corners and any other important details. The same concept applies for a clearspan tent, and it is helpful to install the tent’s base plates the day prior to installation. This way, all ambiguity has been eliminated, and installers should be able to operate efficiently,” he explains. “Generally, just not being detailed enough initially is the root of all problems.”
Among the items that require close attention, soil often has the biggest impact. Its condition dictates whether stakes will hold or if weights are a safer choice, and it helps to inform what tools and equipment crews bring on-site.
“Soil evaluation is critical,” Niespodziany confirms. “We assess compaction, moisture, soil type, underground infrastructure and local wind load requirements before determining staking or engineered ballast.”
If stakes will be used, knowing their holding power is important, says Bob Anderson, co-founder of Construction Accessories, Inc., which manufactures the JackJaw® line of stake and post pullers. Soil holding power should be tested and documented on-site to plan for a safe installation.
“In the case of strong winds, you’ll want to have at least 1,000 pounds of force at each stake to hold the tent down,” says Anderson. “ATA recommends 15 pounds per square foot of tent area, multiplied by 1.5 for factor of safety. For example, a
40-by-80 tent needs nearly 72,000 pounds of holding power. This would require 72 stakes, each with a holding power of 1,000 pounds to keep it safe. The JackJaw® stake tester can quickly provide actual data that shows how much each stake will hold. You simply drive the stakes all the way into the ground and then pull each one up, recording the amount needed to pull each stake. This not only demonstrates diligence but also significantly reduces the time, labor and equipment needed to complete this task.”
If the ground does not have enough holding force, the soil evaluation helps determine whether ballasts should be used. From there, careful planning helps ensure the site can accommodate the necessary weights.
“One of the most common mistakes we see is not accounting for space for the concrete weights,” Pace says. “Documenting the exact layout ensures the ballasts are positioned to keep the tent safely anchored and leave enough room for proper placement.”
Measured, not assumed
Having the right tools on hand is essential to knowing every necessary measurement. In addition to a predetermined tent’s outline, key measurements include: the entire site area to determine what size tent will fit; the distance for load-in; width and height of anything that might restrict load-in, such as a gate or archway; and elevations as necessary.
At minimum, Campbell, Pace and Niespodziany recommend a tape measure; nails and clamps to help hold the tape measure; a 2-pound hammer, which can also hold the tape measure in place; marking paint or chalk; painter’s tape for areas where you can’t paint; sports field markers or flags to show clients where tent legs could land; a distance measuring laser; and a laser level or Moasure® device for elevation measurements.
“It can feel overdone, especially during a busy season, but a thorough checklist gives operations and installers everything they need to execute the project safely and efficiently,” Campbell reiterates. “If a salesperson performing a site visit doesn’t flag a low bridge near the job site or a narrow driveway, operations may send a truck that can’t access the site. If they miss a low wire on-site, we’re putting our installers at risk. It’s for the safety of our team as well as the client’s.”
He also notes that if the site visit reveals issues that were not included in the original quote, “Don’t be afraid to adjust your labor line.”
“Price risk appropriately,” Niespodziany adds. “Growth without margin isn’t growth. Operational discipline must grow alongside revenue.”
Holly Eamon is a business writer and editor based in Minneapolis, Minn.
The “811: Call Before You Stake” initiative was created by the Tent Rental Division in partnership with the Common Ground Alliance to bring safe staking practices to the tent industry.
It includes a toolkit with ready-to-use resources that educate teams and clients about preventing disruptions to underground utilities such as gas lines, water pipes and electrical cables.
Steps to follow:
- Communicate responsibilities with your client. While some companies let the client handle the 811 call, others initiate it themselves to control timing and documentation. Either way, underground safety is a shared responsibility.
- Call 811 at least two to three business days before digging.
- Provide detailed site information.
- Wait for utility companies to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with paint or flags.
Following these steps helps companies ensure a safe installation, avoid delays or extra costs, and reinforce professional and operational discipline in the industry.
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