Frequently Asked Questions

Due to the unique and individual nature of each event and the wide variety of products we offer, we do not offer standard packages. Our expert sales staff can assist you in selecting the best products to meet both the needs of your event and your budget.

All our rental items are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some events may book as much as a year in advance. Popular dates may be fully booked months in advance. Contact our sales staff as early as possible to ensure the best availability for your event.

The expert sales staff at Lakes Region Tent & Event can assist you by phone, through our contact form, or in person. We can meet at our Concord office or at your location. Once we understand your event rental needs, we prepare and send you a formal quote. To move forward and reserve rental items, we need a signed terms and conditions contract and a 30% deposit, which is refundable outside of 180 days of the event date less expenses incurred by Lakes Region Tent & Event for layouts, meetings, and site visits.

Lakes Region Tent & Event accepts cash, checks and major credit cards. Final payment is due on or before delivery.

We try our best to accommodate requests to add items to an order up until the time we load your order for delivery. Additions are based on availability, so please don’t wait if you know you need something added to your order. Cancellation of reserved items may not result in a refund. Please contact us as soon as possible with changes and or cancellations to your order. We will normally be in touch 2-4 weeks prior to your event date to confirm your order, but you can always call or email us sooner.

Due to every event being unique our sales staff will do their best to tailor an order to meet the vision of your event. Please keep in mind that the more details you can give them, the easier it is for them to help bring that in to a reality. If you are unsure about a detail or have any questions, just ask. Some clients have all the details planned, while others are looking for input. We are here to assist you any way we can.

Tents are designed to withstand the elements, however they are temporary structures. It is very important to have an emergency plan in place ahead of time and a point person who knows the plan and can make decisions if necessary. An emergency plan should include contact information for emergency services and vendors associated with the event, as well as contingency plans for foul weather including an evacuation plan. Contact our sales staff for more information.

Our general service area is within 30 miles of Concord, Lake Sunapee, Squam Lake, and the Lake Winnipesaukee area. Depending on the event size, we will travel beyond these areas. Delivery and pickup fees are based on many factors including distance, type of event and time of year. Please contact our expert sales staff for an accurate quote for delivery and pickup services.

Aside from items that require installation such as tents, dance floor, staging, etc., you can arrange to pick up some items at our warehouse to save delivery fees. Please contact our sales staff for more information.

Our normal delivery is 1-3 days prior to the event and picked up 1-2 days after the event. Our sales staff will contact you as your event approaches to confirm your order and schedule for delivery. We will do our best to accommodate specific delivery schedule needs. Please let our sales staff know of any restrictions as soon as possible. Extra fees may apply.

While in some cases it may not be required for you to be present at time of delivery, we strongly recommend that you or a trusted representative is present to ensure the delivery is made as needed for your event, including placement of tents or other items and that the delivery order is correct. Once a delivery is made the client is responsible for all items delivered. Additional fees will apply to multiple trips.

Prior to delivery you should ensure the area is prepared.

Make sure there are no vehicles or other objects that may block direct access to the site for our delivery crews.

If you are renting a tent, the tent site should be free from any removable obstructions such as toys or furniture and clean from trash, debris and animal waste.

Be sure to complete any mowing or landscaping of the tent site in advance. Don’t forget to notify your landscaper of any schedule changes for that particular week.

All rental items should be prepared and left in the same manner in which they were delivered. For example, all items should be left UNDER the tent to protect them from the elements, all dishes rinsed and repacked in their containers and all linens dry and free from food waste. Our delivery crews will discuss any specific requirements for pickup and can answer any questions you have.

Rental fees include installation of all tents, dance floors, staging, sidewalls and lights (unless otherwise noted). If a layout is agreed upon in advance, our crew will place tables according to this layout and will place chairs in stacks throughout the tent. Chairs do not need to be restacked for pickup. We will set up chairs for an additional fee, but this must be noted on your order in advance.

Each event is unique. The size of tent needed for a particular event depends on many factors, including the location of the event, the type of event, number of people, type of meal being served, whether there is a band or DJ, if there is a dance floor and how big it is. Our expert sales staff can assist you in choosing an appropriate sized tent for your event. Using Party CAD, a specialized design software program for the event industry, we can create a layout perfectly tailored to your specific event. Please visit our blog for more tips for choosing the right size tent.

All our tents require stakes pounded into the ground to safely secure the tents. Typically, stakes will be set anywhere from 5 to 10 feet away from the tent. This can add as much as 20 feet to the overall dimension of the tent. Our staff can provide specific dimensions based on your tent. As a general rule, you should add 10 to 12 feet to each dimension of the tent. For example, a 40’ x 60’ tent may require an area 52’ x 72’. These rules of thumb differ for sailcloth tents. If you have any questions or concerns about the space required for a tent, our staff can schedule a site visit.

To best answer this question, a member of our sales staff should visit your site to determine if the area is flat enough for tenting. Tents can adapt to some change in elevation, however tables and chairs and dance floor may be more of a concern in some cases. Soft ground can compromise the safe installation of some tents. During a site visit we can address this issue. There are flooring options available to cover an entire tent if need be. Contact our sales staff for more information. Click here to read more about choosing a tent site.

Yes we can. We offer a wide variety of sizes and types of tents that can be installed in many locations. Any of these scenarios requires a site visit by our staff to measure and determine the feasibility of a safe installation.

Yes. We can and do install tents throughout the winter for many types of events. Tents can be completely enclosed and heated as necessary to provide a welcoming outdoor event space. However, weather is a very important factor, particularly in cold weather installations. Please contact our sales staff in advance to properly address cold weather tent issues.

Each community has its own regulations regarding permits based on the size and type of event being held. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to start with a call to your local fire department.

All our tents are professional grade and require installation by skilled installers as required by our insurance. Having a tent installed by a trained crew of installers also ensures a safe installation that only serves to benefit your guests and your event.

Cooking under or near any of our tents is strictly prohibited. While the tents are fire resistant, they are susceptible to damage from heat and smoke. Customers are solely responsible for any damage from cooking equipment, fireworks, explosives, fire pits, bonfires or other fire sources.

There are many different types and styles of tents. These are a few of the most common types:

Pole Tents: Pole tents are made up of a tent top that is supported by center poles in the middle, side poles around the perimeter and stakes and guy lines that hold the tent up. Pole tents may also be referred to as canopies, party tents or hi-peak tents. Pole tents can range in width from 20’ to 100’ and can be virtually any length.

Tension Tents: Tension tents are pole tents that are engineered to certain specifications to meet building codes to withstand wind loads up to 90 mph.

Frame Tents: Frame tents consist of a tent top that is supported internally by a free-standing frame, usually made of aluminum. The frame eliminates the need for interior support poles providing an unobstructed event space. Frame tents allow for installation in a variety of locations such as decks, patios, and roofs. Although frame tents do not require stakes and guy lines to keep the tent up like pole tents, they still need appropriate anchoring to safely install them and prevent them from blowing away in the wind. Frame tents come in varying widths ranging from 10’ to 40’ and can be virtually any length.

Clear Span Tents: Clear span tents are engineered structures similar to frame tents. Clear span structures are usually constructed using much larger box-beam frames that allow for much larger interior spaces. Clear span tents are normally anchored to the ground at their base plates and do not require stakes and guy lines out away from the tent. These structures can reach sizes over 200’ feet in width and up to any length. Given the equipment and time involved in setting these tents up, they are often set up permanently or for longer timeframes. ( Please keep in mind these tents do not necessarily have clear tops)

Marquees: The term marquee is sometimes used to refer to a pole tent; however, marquee more commonly refers to a long, narrow walkway style tent. Marquee tents are typically 6’ to 10’ wide and vary in length. They are commonly used to connect two larger tents together, connect a tent to a building, or to create an entryway into a larger tent.

Sailcloth Tents: Sailcloth tents are relatively new to the industry. Similar to pole tents, they are made up of a tent top supported by interior and perimeter poles with stakes and guy lines to hold the tent up. Sailcloth tents are typically constructed with radius (rounded) ends offering a unique and intimate feel. The material used is weather resistant but far more translucent than common tent vinyl, which allows more sunlight to flow through the tent during the day and gives the tent its signature “glow” when lit from the inside after dark. Stitching details highlight the tents’ sculpted peaks and clean lines. Clear finish wood side and center poles and pennant flags give sailcloth tents the quintessential New England nautical feel they are best known for.

We offer a full variety of linens in size, shape, color and material to satisfy almost any linen rental need. For each different size table there can be many different sizes and shapes that can work depending on the desired look. Our sales staff can help you select the proper size linens for your event that will provide the finishing touches you are looking for.

This is not an exact science. Our sales staff can assist you with ideas and estimates for bar glass needs. This can depend on the type of bar service, number of guests and length of the event.

Choosing a dance floor size can be difficult. It is generally recommended to estimate 4-5 square feet per person. The size of a dance floor can quickly get rather large and expensive for larger crowds. Taking into account the overall size of the tent, configuration of tables and how much of a “dancing crowd” will be there can help determine an appropriate size. Our sales staff can assist you in choosing a size floor that will fit your needs.

Replacement fees will apply to missing or broken items.