YardLine assembly
The build is already paid for. The leveling is not, and it has a date on it.
Costco sells YardLine sets installed, so an authorized crew delivers and builds it, usually in a day. Their terms also require the area to be cleared and the grade level within three inches before that crew arrives. That work is yours, and the appointment is already booked.
This is the one playset where you are not looking for a builder
Nearly every other set in this directory arrives in boxes and the question is who puts it together. YardLine playsets are bought differently. The listing includes professional installation, the manufacturer ships to a local installation branch, and a representative from that branch contacts you within three business days of the set arriving to schedule a date. Expect roughly four to six weeks from order to installed, and plan for somebody to be home on the day, because Costco requires the member or an authorized representative to be present.
What the price does not cover is getting your yard ready. Costco states it plainly: before the installer arrives, the entire installation area must be cleared and the grade must be level within three inches. That is a specification rather than a suggestion, and it is measured across the footprint, not judged from the back door.
That is where the pressure comes from. You do not discover your yard is out of tolerance at a convenient moment. You discover it with a crew booked, a set already sitting at a branch, and a date you agreed to on the phone several weeks earlier.
What the timeline actually looks like
Costco’s stated process, plus the preparation that sits outside it.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Order to installedTheir estimate. Ships to a local branch first. | 4 to 6 weeks | n/a |
| Branch contacts you to scheduleCounted from arrival at the branch, not from order. | within 3 business days | n/a |
| The installation itselfLonger for bigger sets or poor weather. | generally 1 day | their crew |
| Clearing the areaYours to do, before the date. | 2 to 6 hours | 1 to 2 |
| Grading to within 3 inchesDepends on your slope. This is the variable. | half a day to 2 days | 1 to 2 |
| Moving the set laterNot part of the original installation. | a full day | 2 |
The four to six week lead time is the useful part. It is comfortably enough time to fix a grade problem, but only if you measure early rather than the week before.
What goes wrong, specifically
Three inches is tighter than most yards are
Costco requires the grade to be level within three inches across the whole installation area before the installer arrives. Most lawns that look flat are not, particularly the back corner where a set usually goes, and a fall of six or eight inches across a twenty foot run is very common and close to invisible to the eye. Run a string line and a level across the actual footprint, in both directions, before you agree to a date. Doing that in the first week of a four to six week wait turns a potential crisis into a weekend of work.
Clearing means clear, and it includes what is overhead
The entire installation area has to be cleared. In practice that means the footprint plus the safe zone around it, and it catches the things people forget: a stump, a bed edging, a section of old fence, a downspout run, a low branch over where the tower goes. Anything that would stop a crew working, or leave the finished set unsafe, is better dealt with beforehand than negotiated on the day.
Somebody has to be home, and it is a full day
The terms require the member or an authorized representative to be present during installation. Since it generally takes a day, that is a day off rather than a long lunch, and if the crew hits a problem with the site you are the person deciding what happens next. Worth arranging properly rather than assuming a neighbor can let them in.
HOA and zoning are your responsibility, and they belong before the order
Costco place responsibility for complying with homeowners association regulations, zoning and restrictive covenants on the customer, and specifically before ordering. Playsets are exactly the sort of structure covenants restrict, whether on height, on setback from a boundary, or on what may be visible from the street. Checking after the set has shipped to a branch is checking too late.
Delivery has limits, and awkward access can cost extra
Delivery is not available to Puerto Rico, Alaska or Hawaii, and Costco notes that extraordinary delivery requirements may mean an additional fee payable to the carrier. If your property has a narrow lane, a long carry from wherever a truck can stop, or a gate a large set will not pass through, raise it when the branch calls to schedule rather than letting the crew find out.
Know which of the three numbers you need
Costco’s YardLine playset listings route product support to Gorilla Playsets, on 1-800-882-0272. That is a different conversation from installation scheduling, which goes through the local installation branch, which is different again from a Costco membership or returns question. Knowing which one you want saves a good deal of time when something needs sorting out.
What to do in the four to six weeks before the crew arrives
Measure the grade properly, with a string line and a level, across the real footprint and in both directions. Three inches is the number you have to beat.
Confirm your HOA rules, setbacks and any covenants, and do it before ordering rather than after the set ships.
Clear the area completely, including stumps, edging and overhead branches, and think in terms of the safe zone around the set rather than only the footprint.
Walk the route a truck and a crew will use, and flag anything awkward when the branch calls to schedule.
Book the day off, since somebody has to be there throughout.
Plan your surfacing. Loose fill such as wood chips or rubber mulch goes down after the set is installed and anchored, and it is a separate job.
Who this is really for
Somebody who wants a large wooden set without owning the build. That is a genuinely good deal, and where installation is included there is no reason to pay anybody else to do it. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something you have already bought.
What people underestimate is that buying an installed set does not make the project hands off. It moves your work earlier, onto the ground rather than the structure, and it attaches a date to it. The grading requirement is the whole difference between a smooth installation day and a rescheduled one.
It is also worth knowing the installation is a one time service tied to the purchase. Moving the set when you fence the yard or sell the house, re-anchoring it after a few seasons, or repairing it years later are all separate jobs, and that is where an independent installer is useful rather than redundant.
What an installer does on a YardLine playset
- Surveys and grades the site to meet the three inch requirement, ahead of the scheduled installation date.
- Clears the footprint and safe zone, including stumps, edging, old fencing and overhead branches.
- Advises on access where a truck or crew will struggle to reach the location.
- Lays loose fill surfacing after the set has been installed and anchored.
- Moves and re-installs the set later for fencing, landscaping or a house move.
- Re-anchors, tightens and repairs it in the years after the original installation.
- Does not duplicate the build itself, which is already covered by what you paid Costco.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Does a YardLine playset come with installation?
Yes. Costco sells YardLine playsets with professional installation included. An authorized installer delivers and installs the set, generally in one day, after a local installation branch contacts you to schedule. You do not need to hire a separate installer for the build.
What is the three inch rule?
Costco requires that before the installer arrives, the entire installation area is cleared and the grade is level within three inches. It is a real tolerance measured across the footprint, and meeting it is the customer’s responsibility rather than part of the installation. Check it with a string line and a level early, because plenty of ordinary looking lawns fail it.
How long does the whole process take?
Costco estimates roughly four to six weeks from order to installed. The set ships to a local installation branch, a representative contacts you within three business days of it arriving to schedule, and the installation itself generally takes a day, with more time possible for larger sets or bad weather.
Do I need to be home?
Yes. The terms require the member or an authorized representative to be present during the installation, and since it generally takes a day, plan on being there for it.
What if my yard is too sloped?
The grading has to be done before the installation date. This is the most common reason a scheduled install becomes a problem. The four to six week lead time is usually enough to fix it comfortably, provided you measure at the start of that window rather than the end.
Is the YardLine playset the same as the YardLine shed?
No. The sheds are precut kits you build yourself, including buying and nailing on the roofing. The playsets are sold installed. They share a brand name and very little else, so do not assume what was true of one applies to the other.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by YardLine, Costco Wholesale, or Gorilla Playsets. All trademarks belong to their respective owners and are referred to here only to describe the services that independent installers on this directory provide.