Rain Date and Weather Policy for Outdoor Events
A weather policy needs four things: who makes the call, a deadline for making it, what happens to the deposit, and whether a rain date is offered or the deposit is simply forfeited. Decide all four in the contract — the worst possible time to negotiate a weather policy is at 7am on a Saturday with a storm cell on the radar.
The four things to decide in advance
- Who calls it — you for safety, the client for comfort.
- By when — 24 hours out, or a stated hour on event morning.
- What happens to the deposit — forfeited, transferred, or partially credited.
- Whether a rain date is offered — and whether it’s subject to availability.
Safety calls are yours
Inflatables in high wind, electrical equipment in rain, canopies in a storm — that’s your liability and your equipment, so it’s your decision. Say so in the contract, and clients generally respect it.
Rain dates are cheap goodwill
A rain date subject to availability costs you nothing if it fills a date that would have been empty. It’s the most common resolution and the one that produces referrals instead of complaints.
Set the deadline
An open decision window is the worst outcome for everyone: you load the truck not knowing if you’re working, and the client waits hoping the sky changes. A stated hour ends that.
Related: cancellation policy examples and how to write an event contract.
Frequently asked questions
Should I offer a rain date or keep the deposit?
Offering a rain date subject to availability is the middle ground most clients accept, and it costs you nothing if the replacement date is one you'd otherwise have empty. Keeping the deposit outright is defensible too — just say so up front rather than deciding in the moment.
Who should decide whether to cancel?
You should, for safety-related equipment — inflatables in high wind, electrical gear in rain — because it's your liability. For comfort-related calls, let the client decide by a stated deadline. Splitting it that way is both safer and easier to explain.
What deadline should I set?
Typically 24 hours before, or a stated hour on event morning for same-day calls. An open-ended decision window means you load the truck not knowing whether you're working.