Short answer: Our bounce house rain policy is simple. Deposits ($50 under $500, 25% over $500) are non-refundable but convert to a raincheck for a future date. Units shut down in sustained winds above roughly 15-20 mph or with lightning. Light rain alone rarely ends a party.

I have been setting up inflatables in New Orleans metro yards since 1992, and the question I get most is not about price or size. It is "what if it rains?"

Between May and September, the South Louisiana sky does whatever it wants. Here is how it works.

What is Bounce World's bounce house rain policy?

Your deposit holds the date. It is non-refundable, but it does not disappear: it converts to a raincheck for a future booking.

The deposit is $50 minimum on orders under $500, and 25% on orders over $500. If weather cancels the day, you keep that value and we reschedule.

Not a store credit with an expiration trap. Your money, waiting for a better Saturday.

Why are deposits non-refundable in the first place?

Because a held date is inventory taken off the market.

When you book the water slide for April 18, I turn away three or four calls for it. If the deposit refunds at 8 a.m. that morning, I have a truck, two crew, and no way to rebook on four hours' notice.

The raincheck splits that risk fairly. The mistake I see most often is assuming "non-refundable" means "gone." Ask at booking and get the terms in writing.

What actually stops a party: rain, lightning, or wind?

Wind and lightning. Not rain.

1. Lightning within about 10 miles. Shut down, kids out, no exceptions. We wait 30 minutes past the last strike.
2. Sustained winds above roughly 15-20 mph. Shut down. That is a safety standard, not my judgment call. An inflatable is a sail, and stakes and sandbags are rated but not magic.
3. Heavy rain. Shut down, then reassess. Vinyl gets slick fast.
4. Light rain or drizzle. Usually keep going, especially on a wet unit where everyone is soaked already.

Parents panic over a rain percentage when the number to read is wind. A 25 mph gust inside a 10 mph sustained forecast is normal Kenner spring weather. A sustained 18 mph reading means we are done.

How do you read a South Louisiana forecast without panicking?

A 60 percent chance of rain here almost never means a washout. It means 60 percent of the coverage area sees rain sometime in a 12-hour window.

In practice that is a 45-minute squall that builds around 2 p.m. and clears by 3:15. Old Metairie gets soaked while Lakeview stays dry. What I read:

• Hourly forecast, not daily. Find the two-hour window your party occupies.
• Sustained wind speed. Under 15 mph and we are fine.
• Radar the morning of. A defined storm line is a problem. Scattered green blobs are not.

A 40 percent chance in July is a normal Tuesday. Do not cancel over it.

When do you make the call, and who makes it?

The morning of, by phone, between 7 and 8 a.m., before the truck loads. You cancel and take the raincheck, or I call you first if a squall line is coming. Once a unit is set up, the day is committed.

During the party, shutdown calls belong to the supervising adult. When my crew is on site for a school fair, that call is ours.

What happens if a pop-up shower hits mid-party?

Kids out, blower stays on, wait it out. The unit is not ruined.

1. Clear the kids the moment rain starts. Slick vinyl is how ankles get hurt.
2. Leave the blower running. It holds shape and pushes water off.
3. Towel the entry and jump surface once it stops.
4. Resume. Typical downtime is 20 to 40 minutes.

Most parties ride out a squall with cake and presents. On a wet unit, rain barely registers.

How do I rain-proof a party before I book it?

Build the hedge in at booking:

• Start earlier. An 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. party beats 2 to 5 p.m. in summer.
• Set up under cover. A deep carport or covered driveway fits most standard bounce houses. Give me your ceiling height.
• Keep an indoor backup. Church halls and school gyms in Metairie, Harahan, and Gretna solve it outright.
• Book shoulder months. October, November, March, and April are our most reliable windows.

If the forecast says X, do Y

Frequently asked questions

Do I get my deposit back if it rains? Not as cash. Your deposit converts to a raincheck good toward a future date, so you lose no value and pay nothing extra. That structure is standard across the rental industry, because a date held for you is inventory pulled off the market for everyone else.

How much wind is too much for a bounce house? Sustained winds above roughly 15-20 mph require shutdown, whether the unit sits on staked grass or sandbagged concrete. Brief gusts inside an otherwise calm forecast are manageable. The number that matters is sustained speed in the hourly forecast, not the gust reading.

Can a bounce house be used in light rain? Yes, usually. Light rain and drizzle do not require shutdown, though the surface gets slicker and supervision matters more. Heavy rain means clearing kids out until it passes, roughly 20 to 40 minutes. On water slides and wet combos, rain is a non-issue.

When do I need to decide whether to cancel? The morning of, ideally between 7 and 8 a.m., before our truck loads for the day. Call 504-467-9424 and we will move you to a new date. Once the unit is delivered and set up, the day is committed and the raincheck no longer applies.

Does the rain policy work the same for school and church events? Yes, with one difference. At school fairs and church festivals where my crew stays on site, shutdown calls are ours and we make them fast. Deposits and rainchecks work identically to a backyard birthday. Parks and commercial venues carry a $500 delivery minimum.

Book the date, keep the raincheck, and stop watching the ten-day forecast. Call Bounce World at 504-467-9424 or book online. Serving Kenner, Metairie, New Orleans, Harahan, Marrero, Gretna, Destrehan, LaPlace, and the Northshore since 1992.