Safety & Technical Planning
Check Your Venue Clear Height Before Design
Compare measured building space with an equipment envelope and the project-specific clearance specified by your design team.
Planning notes
Survey the lowest obstruction
Use a common reference level and mark changes in ceiling height across the whole proposed footprint.
- Record soffit or beam levels, ducts, cable trays, sprinklers and other overhead services.
- Measure service drops from the same soffit reference; avoid subtracting them again if your measurement already ends at the lowest obstruction.
- Record floor build-up above the surveyed floor reference.
Planning notes
Use the complete equipment envelope
Ask the design team for the highest required point and its project-specific clearance. Do not substitute a generic number of play levels.
- Include structures, nets, supports and activity movement where relevant.
- Confirm installation access and maintenance access requirements.
- Discuss fire services, escape routes and building constraints separately.
Planning notes
Review the remaining allowance
Available height equals surveyed soffit height minus service drop and new floor build-up. The remaining allowance subtracts equipment height and the specified clearance.
- A negative allowance means the entered concept exceeds the measured space.
- A non-negative allowance only means the entered vertical dimensions fit arithmetically.
- Send a marked plan, sections and site photos for engineering review before committing to a layout.
Put it into practice
Your project preparation checklist
- Survey reference level is recorded.
- Lowest beams and services are marked on the plan.
- Floor build-up is included once.
- Equipment envelope and specified clearance are documented.
- Horizontal zones and building constraints will be reviewed separately.
Questions & answers
I measured directly to the lowest duct. What service drop should I enter?
Use that measured height as the first input and enter zero for the service drop, so the obstruction is not deducted twice.
Does a positive allowance approve the equipment?
No. It only compares the entered vertical dimensions. The project team still needs to verify activity movement, access and building constraints.
Your next step
Turn your planning notes into a project brief
Share the site, target users and open questions with our team. Keep your assumptions and supporting documents together for a more useful discussion.