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Renting a Bounce House

The mom-friendly guide to a safe, happy party

Weather

What to do about rain, wind, and thunder

You do not have to become a meteorologist to throw a birthday party. Here is the weather stuff in plain English.

Rain, lightning, and wind are the family rules we use at Austin Bounce House Rentals. Cancel rules are not identical, so Austin and Michigan each get their own box.

If you rented from a different company, ask them before the party. Policies are not all the same.

Two kids in raincoats laughing on the step of a blue and yellow bounce house in the rain, while a woman in a raincoat watches from the wet grass.

Rain

We deliver rain or shine.

Rain does not ruin a bounce house. The blower is made for outdoor use. Rain gets the unit wet. That is all.

Here is the part parents are surprised by. When it is raining outside, it is raining inside too. Rain comes through the windows and up through the seams. The bounce house is not a shelter.

Light rain on a warm day can be fun. A cold downpour is a comfort decision, not a safety failure.

Wet vinyl is slippery. Slow the kids down. Keep an adult at the entrance.

Lightning and thunder

Stop play if you hear thunder or see lightning. Do not wait for it to be close.

Unplugging the blower is not the safety plan. Get the kids off. Get them away from the inflatable. Wait until the storm has passed.

Wind is the real risk

Do not use a bounce house in sustained winds of 15 mph or higher.

A bounce house acts like a sail. Anchors matter more than the forecast app.

A wind block is something solid nearby, like the house. Open fields with no wind block are a bad setup spot.

If the wind picks up during the party, get everyone off and turn the blower off. Leaving it inflated in high wind is how units get damaged.

Austin cancellation rules

These are the rules at Austin Bounce House Rentals.

  • Cancel for any reason up to 24 hours before the event by calling the office. No penalty.
  • Weather cancel: you may wait until the driver arrives on the day of the event. If you cancel before the unit is unloaded and accepted, there is no charge.
  • Austin does not require a deposit.
  • If you prepaid and cancel under this policy, the amount is held as a credit on your account. The credit does not expire. It is not a cash refund.
  • If you did not prepay and you cancel before setup, you owe nothing.
  • Once the unit is delivered and accepted, the rental stands for the booked time, even if the weather changes later.
Call (512) 765-6071

Michigan note

If your party is with Michigan Bounce House Rentals, read this box. The rain and wind advice above still applies. The cancel rules are a little different.

  • Michigan Bounce House Rentals also allows a weather cancel up to the time of delivery.
  • A non-weather cancel is free up to 24 hours before the event.
  • If the Michigan order was prepaid by card, a 15% restocking fee applies on a non-weather cancel. A weather cancel does not get that fee.
  • Once the contract is signed and the unit is unloaded, the rental stands.

Call the Michigan office to cancel. Phone: (800) 226-8623

Should we still have the party?

  • Lightning or thunder

    No

  • Sustained wind 15 mph or more

    No

  • Warm light rain, no storm

    Usually yes

  • Cold hard rain

    Your call, and you can cancel when the driver arrives

If the question is rain, and there is no thunder and no high wind, you can wait until the driver arrives. The exact cancel rule for your company is in the boxes above.