Balloon drops will usually be installed on the actual job site. Every job will different and should be considered separately. Balloon drops and decorating are labor intensive and costly.
Before agreeing to do a balloon drop installation job, make sure you have the skills and balloon supplies required. A basic rule is to keep it simple. Try more complicated installations on your own before you attempt a professional job. Also, order any needed supplies ahead of time.
What do you need for a balloon drop?
To create a balloon drop, you will need a large quantity of balloons (preferably 9-inch latex balloons) and a reusable balloon drop net — like the ones available on the main burton+BURTON site — to hold them up. To ensure the quality of the balloon drop, re-usable balloon drop nets, tubes, and balloon transport bags are recommended to help you achieve the desired effect.
Plan Ahead With Your Balloon Drop Kit
Planning and preparation are key to every successful balloon drop. Each job will differ because of the site conditions. A job cost form will be beneficial in pricing a job.
Important aspects to consider include: theme, location, date, and time of the event; time required for set-up and completion; architectural features such as room size, dimensions, and fixtures.
A sketch of the room layout is helpful later when certain features may be forgotten. Pricing is mainly an individual choice dependent upon overhead costs and profit margin. Balloon drops are priced per balloon. The most accurate formula to use for balloon drop estimating is: Cost of Supplies + Labor Time x A Constant. The majority of jobs will require bidding (setting a price before the job is started); thus, accurate estimation is required.
Here are a couple of standards based on prior experience, which may help beginners:
- One experienced worker can inflate 300 balloons per hour.
- 15 – 20% of the total bid is generally charged as a set-up fee.
The majority of drops use 9" latex balloons. Drops are conducted indoors using air-filled latex balloons. If you inflate the latex balloons in the drop net with helium, they will not float down when the net is opened.
How does a balloon drop net work?
- Inflate your 9" latex balloons with air (not helium) and tie each one to seal.
- Fill the balloon drop net with the desired amount of balloons. It will be easier to fill up the net with the inflated balloons before it is suspended.
- Suspend the balloon drop net over the drop area.
- Once net is positioned as desired, pull the string to release balloons when the time is right.
