It takes around 2 hours to put a trampoline together. With only one person, this can stretch out to 2-4 hours, whilst if you have two people with some experience, you might be able to put it together in 1-2 hours.
In our quest for Mission: Backyard Adventure, the efforts you put in here will pay off down the track. Trampolines are kid magnets. A fine trampoline will encourage your kids to get off their screens and have hours of frivolity and fun.
With their ability to use up kids’ excess energy AND make them stronger and fitter, you’ll be saying, “Go Forth, Kids!” on high speed rotation. And with this handy guide to setting up a trampoline, with approximate time stamps, you’ll be out there setting them up for success.
In this article, I’ve outlined the length of time to set up a regular above ground trampoline with springs.
For inground trampolines (where you need to dig a hole and ensure the walls don’t cave in), please see this article about inground trampolines.
For springfree trampolines, please see this article on how long does it take to assemble a springfree trampoline.
How long does it take to assemble a regular round trampoline?
For a regular 10-12 foot round trampoline with springs, it should take around 2 hours. It will be a bit faster, and a lot easier, if you have 2 people.
I would also strongly recommend a spring tool. When you put the springs on the mat, this tool will help you pull them onto the frame.
Whilst the whole thing is going to take around 2 hours, just remember that the springs take the longest. The bigger the trampoline, the more springs it has. Depending on the brand, an 8ft trampoline might have 48 springs, and a 14ft trampoline might have 72 springs.
You’ll congratulate yourself for getting the frame set up quickly, but don’t go inside and leave the mat until just before dark. Push on, and get the springs and the mat done.
Here are the basics to put a regular trampoline with springs together
This works for round, oval or rectangle trampolines, with springs.
1. Before Assembly
1. First, gather the boxes and take them to the place where you will assemble the trampoline. Your trampoline will come in two or three boxes, and you will want to have them all with you before you get started. 5-10 mins.
2. Open the boxes. Organise the parts and check you have everything. Sometimes the manufacturer will forget to put in a part, and it’s better to know this up front, BEFORE you assemble the frame and 90% of the springs. You can imagine telling your kids that although it looks finished, they can’t jump on it! It’s better not to start if ALL the pieces aren’t there. 10 mins.
3. Gather the tools. I mentioned a spring tool above, but you’ll also want a rubber mallet. If you don’t have a rubber mallet, you can use a hammer and a many-times folded over towel to give some protection. Try not to use a hammer by itself, as it will bend metal out of shape. Sometimes, you’ll also want a power drill with a screw or socket attachment, depending on whether your trampoline comes with screws or bolts. And likely you’ll want gloves. There can be a lot of manufacturing dust on these things. 5-10mins.
2. Assemble the frame
1. Layout and assemble the frame perimeter. This shows you the area that the trampoline will take up. It will be a bit quicker (and a lot easier!) if you use the power drill to put the bolts in, rather than a screwdriver. Use this time to make sure that you have chosen the right place for the trampoline. Check out the article, “Where to put a trampoline in the yard?” if you have lingering questions. 10-15mins.
2. Make sure the frame perimeter is facing down, and assemble the legs onto the frame. This should be a matter of fitting snugly into the holes. Occasionally, you’ll need to use the rubber mallet to encourage the legs into place. If you do need to use a mallet, try to strike vertically on the top of the leg. Try to avoid hitting the center of the horizontal piece of the leg, as this is easy to bend out of shape. 10mins.
3. Secure the legs with screws or bolts. Use the power drill if you can, or otherwise, a handy dandy screwdriver. 5-10mins with a power drill. 20mins with a screwdriver.
4. Flip over the frame. This is definitely easier with a second person, especially if your trampoline is 12ft or bigger. Make sure that none of the legs wobble. If they do, tighten until snug. 5mins.
3. Assemble the mat – this is the most time variable component
1. Start by counting the springs. Check that none have gone missing, whether rolled under the bushes, or been taken by a child needing them urgently for a game. If you haven’t already, now is the time to choose a second person to finish this off. Someone even moderately strong and co-ordinated is best. 2 mins.
2. Start with the first spring. Fit it into the hook on the mat first, then push the other end of the spring into the frame. The first one is simple. 1 min.
3. Take the second spring, and attach it to the hook directly opposite the first spring. NOTE: for some trampolines, you need to fit the mesh net through the trampoline mat hooks as you go. For this type of trampoline, thread the mesh net though, and then attach the spring to the hook in the mat. Then, use the spring hook to pull the other end of the spring into the hole in the frame. You can use the mallet to knock the end of the spring into the hole. 2 min.
4. Go back to the first spring, and moving clockwise, secure the next spring. Then go back to the second spring you put in, and moving clockwise again, secure the fourth spring. You want to keep alternating sides. This is important as it gets harder to attach the springs as you get further around. 1 min per spring if it’s just one person. 1 min per 2 springs if it’s two people working effectively together. 30-70mins.
4. Finish with the safety net
1. Attach the enclosure net to the mat or frame, depending on the model you have. There are some trampolines where the net fits directly onto the mat, so that you can’t reach the springs from the inside. These might come with the net already attached to the mat, or you may need to ‘sew’ it on with bungee style cord. 30mins if you need to sew it on.
2. Other trampolines come with the net on the outer edge of the springs. For this type, attach the outer net frame, and then secure the net in place. 30mins.
3. For the trampolines with the outer net, the springs are still exposed. Place the spring mat over the springs, and secure in place, generally with pre-attached ties or Velcro. If you are doing ties, just do a single bow if you know you’ll need to disassemble for winter. See here for a how to winterise a trampoline. 10mins.
5. Test the trampoline before the kids jump!
Give the trampoline a good shake, and see if anything rattles, wobbles or feels loose. Tighten where possible. And that is how long it takes to put a trampoline together!
Your trampoline doesn’t need to be broken in.
If you are more of a visual learner, here’s a super useful video, showing how to set up a Skywalker 15ft trampoline (with springs) with a few helpers.
Check out today’s price for the Skywalker 15ft round trampoline on Amazon if you like the look of it, and how easy it is to put together.
Here’s another useful video on assembling a trampoline with springs by yourself.
Check out today’s price for the Upper Bounce 10ft round trampoline on Amazon if you like the look of this one, and how easy it is to put together.
In Summary
As you can see, it takes a good couple of hours to put a trampoline together. I do hope this has been useful, and that your kids will love playing on the trampoline in the yard. Go Forth, Kids!
