How to build a padel court, step by step

1. Choose the site and the orientation

The playing area is 20 m long and 10 m wide inside the enclosure. With a 400 mm ring beam, the LTA puts the minimum footprint of one outdoor court at 20.8 × 10.8 m, and adds 1.5 m between neighbouring courts: two courts need 20.8 × 22.3 m, four need 20.8 × 45.3 m. That does not include out-of-court play areas, which the LTA says only matter if you plan elite tournaments.

Outdoors, the FIP recommends running the long axis of the court north–south, with anything between north-north-east and north-north-west acceptable.

SAPCA, the UK sports construction association, prefers relatively flat land away from boundaries and trees, with access for construction plant and for resurfacing later. Strong-rooted trees such as poplar, sycamore and willow may need a root barrier. Poor ground, high clay content or old landfill can make a site uneconomic, and SAPCA's process puts topographical, geotechnical, electrical and drainage surveys before design (some may be unnecessary on a small project). LED lighting needs a single-phase supply of roughly 1.2–2.4 kW per court; several courts may need three-phase.

2. Get planning permission

UK. Both the LTA and SAPCA say a padel court needs formal planning consent from the local authority, and that obtaining it is usually the owner's job, not the contractor's. Noise is the main risk. The LTA says noise and light surveys are likely if a home is within 50 m; SAPCA says a formal noise assessment is often considered essential when homes are within 30–50 m. Applications should also cover lighting (a lighting data pack), drainage and, on greenfield sites, Biodiversity Net Gain, which the LTA says requires a 10% increase in biodiversity value. In England the statutory decision period is 8 weeks for most applications and 13 weeks for major development.

Ireland. Expect the same arguments. In Dublin, Dublin City Council approved Mount Pleasant Lawn Tennis Club's padel scheme but cut it from three courts to two, and residents then appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála. Objectors raised noise, light pollution, traffic and parking; the club's acoustic report found no significant adverse noise impact on nearby homes.

United States. Local zoning decides whether a court is allowed on the parcel. According to structural engineers Engineering Express, a court often needs a building permit plus a conditional use permit and site plan approval, and the structure must comply with the International Building Code and ASCE 7 loads, where wind usually governs. The American Sports Builders Association and the US Padel Association published a padel court installation and maintenance manual in September 2025.

3. Groundworks: base, ring beam and drainage

This is the part that decides whether the court lasts. The LTA and SAPCA both insist that the foundations and drainage are designed for the specific site by a qualified structural engineer with professional indemnity insurance, taking into account ground conditions and local wind loads. For a permanent outdoor court the LTA rules out steel-plated or above-ground foundations. The usual UK build is a porous one: stone, then porous asphalt, inside a concrete ring beam.

Formation

Compacted and levelled to +25 mm / −50 mm, with soft spots dug out and backfilled; topsoil stripped to at least 75 mm (SAPCA).

Stone sub-base

Free-draining, non-frost-susceptible aggregate. The LTA guidance note gives an average depth of 250 mm; its tender template sets a minimum of 150 mm. SAPCA says the depth should follow the soil type or a geotechnical survey.

Porous asphalt

Two courses on a new build: a 40 mm binder course and a 25 mm surface course (LTA, SAPCA). Porous concrete is an alternative, designed by a structural engineer.

Concrete slab

Common with continental court makers. ASB asks for a slab of at least 10 cm over 21 × 11 m. SAPCA notes an impervious slab must be laid to a fall, because water cannot drain through it.

Ring beam

A reinforced concrete beam around the court that the posts bolt to, about 400 mm wide at the surface (LTA). Its depth and profile are site-specific and must be designed by a structural engineer for local ground and wind loads.

Drainage

A perimeter drain inside the ring beam, with an outfall pipe through it. Drains are laid to falls of at least 1:200 and lined with geotextile (SAPCA). A new court is built level, with a 1:100 fall at formation level if needed.

Ducting

Plastic ducts for the lighting cables, ideally at least 450 mm below the court surface so later drainage work does not hit them (SAPCA).

Tolerances. Sources differ. SAPCA allows a maximum undulation of ±6 mm under a 3 m straightedge. The FIP rules are stricter: level differences under 3 mm measured with a 3 m rule. On slope, the FIP allows at most 1% from the centre outwards on surfaces without drainage; turf maker CCGrass describes a 0.5–1% slope with perimeter channels; the LTA and SAPCA prefer a level court with any fall at formation level, so the glass panels sit flush on the ring beam.

A finished porous court should be clear of ponding within 15 minutes of rain stopping (SAPCA). If a canopy is planned, some UK areas do not allow roof water straight into drains or soakaways, so attenuation may be needed (LTA).

4. Structure: steel, glass and mesh

The enclosure is 4 m high at the ends: 3 m of glass or another solid material, then 1 m of mesh. On the sides, the FIP allows either stepped walls (3 m then 2 m high, each 2 m long) or a single 3 m-high, 4 m-long glass panel at each end, with mesh making up the rest. The glass and mesh must be flush on the inside, or the ball rebounds unpredictably.

• Glass: toughened, individually Kitemarked, with countersunk fixings. SAPCA and the LTA require 12 mm for outdoor courts and courts under a canopy; 10 mm can be considered indoors only. Engineering Express describes ½-inch tempered glass as typical in the US. Panels need a gap of 3–6 mm between them (SAPCA).
• Steel: SAPCA recommends steel profiles at least 3 mm thick, galvanised and then zinc electroplated after fabrication with an epoxy primer; where corrosion is very high (ISO 12944 category C5M), aluminium or hot-dip galvanising to BS EN ISO 1461. Ask the manufacturer for the maximum wind speed the court is built for. All bolts, washers and nuts should be stainless steel (LTA).
• Mesh: SAPCA specifies 50 × 50 mm weldmesh of 3 or 4 mm wire, with the horizontal wires on the inside. The FIP sets a mesh diagonal of 5–7.08 cm and recommends wire of 2–3 mm, with 4 mm the maximum.
• Access: leave at least 1.2 m between the net post and the enclosure on both sides so sports wheelchairs can reach both ends (LTA, SAPCA).
• Warranties: the LTA and SAPCA ask for at least 10 years against structural failure of the enclosure, and SAPCA at least 15 years on the post materials. Manufacturers' warranties often cover only wear and corrosion of components, so check what is included.

5. Turf and sand infill

Most courts use short-pile synthetic turf, loose-laid on the asphalt and filled with silica sand. SAPCA's specification is a pile height of 10–15 mm, more than 8,000 dtex and 35,000–60,000 stitches; monofilament is preferred, while texturised or fibrillated yarn is acceptable. SAPCA says the surface should meet UNE 147301, the Spanish padel surface standard whose requirements the FIP has adopted.

The yarn changes how much sand the court takes. Realturf's texturised Play Easy (10 mm pile) takes about 8–10 kg/m² of round, washed, dried silica sand of 0.20–0.50 mm; its C-shaped monofilament Drive Pro (12 mm) takes about 14 kg/m². SAPCA warns that some sand grades used in continental Europe are too fine for the UK climate, and that turf should only be laid in conditions the adhesive and turf makers allow, as cold or wet weather can stop seams bonding.

6. Lighting

SAPCA's minimum lighting levels, measured at ground level on a calculation grid no wider than 1 × 1 m and designed with a 0.9 maintenance factor:

Source: SAPCA Code of Practice for the Construction of Padel Courts (2025), also in the LTA guidance note.

Poles go outside the playing area. SAPCA's preferred layout extends the enclosure posts to carry the luminaires 4 m in from each back wall along the sides, which keeps cables inside the posts and avoids columns in the walkways; standalone columns go in the same positions. Lighting maker Planet Power describes a typical court as 8 LED floodlights on 4 poles 6 m high. All fittings must leave at least 6 m of clear height above the court (SAPCA); the FIP suggests 8 m to the underside of fittings above the court on new facilities, and at least 1,000 lux vertical for television.

Near homes, the design should include lux and candela calculations and show the tilt angles of the fittings, so the planning authority can judge glare and light spill.

7. Indoor courts: clear height

The FIP requires at least 6 m of unobstructed height over the whole court and suggests 8 m for new facilities. SAPCA treats 6 m as the minimum and 8 m as the better option where budget and planning allow, especially over the net. Court maker MejorSet asks for a 7 m minimum ceiling for indoor installations. For elite competition under cover, the LTA requires at least 8 m over the net line.

Other indoor differences in SAPCA's code: 10 mm glass can be considered, and a permanently enclosed court may use a non-porous base. In the UK a fully enclosed structure also needs building control approval, emergency lighting and escape routes.

8. Canopies

A canopy is a cheaper way to play through rain than a building. SAPCA describes two types. A modular canopy covers one court at a time, typically with 6 m eaves over an 11 m span and about 8 m along the centre line; extra courts share columns. A clear-span structure covers a block of courts with its highest point over the net line. The LTA sets the same minimums either way: 6 m at the edges and 8 m at the highest point.

In the UK a canopy needs planning approval and may need building control. The LTA asks for hot-dip galvanised steel, membranes designed for at least 15 years and a frame designed for 20, and foundations that avoid the court's ring beam and the 1.2 m wheelchair access. SAPCA adds that the structure should be designed by a structural engineer for local wind and snow loads. If the sides may ever be closed in, SAPCA asks for a clear corridor of at least 1.2 m between courts.

9. Timeline

The LTA's sequence: measure the site, write a business plan and budget, appoint consultants to write a specification and apply for planning, get three quotes from SAPCA members, finalise funding once consent arrives, discharge planning conditions, then build. The LTA recommends one main contractor for the whole job, including foundations and floodlights, so you get a single warranty.

The construction itself is the short part. MejorSet quotes a standard production time of 4 weeks (longer for coastal primer, hot-dip galvanising or custom colours) and installation of 2–3 days per court by its own team. Before that come surveys, design, the planning decision (8 weeks for most applications in England) and the groundworks, and turf laying waits for suitable weather.

10. Handover and maintenance

At handover, get the operation and maintenance manuals for the court and any canopy; the LTA warns that skipping the maintenance they set out can void the warranty. You can ask for the lighting to be tested against the submitted design. The minimum routine, from SAPCA's code and the LTA note:

Weekly (daily when busy)

Sweep litter and leaves; brush the turf to spread the sand evenly; check drainage; look over the glass and metalwork.

Monthly

Check anchor points, base plates and the torque of every structural and glass fixing; check net height (88 cm in the centre, 92 cm at the posts, ±5 mm); clean the metalwork.

Every year

Clean the floodlights and check their aim; inspect the canopy roof, gutters, anchor points and bolts.

After a storm

Re-check anchor points and the light fittings.

The two documents differ on structural bolts: SAPCA says check them monthly, the LTA note every 6–12 months; your contractor's manual should settle it for your court.

Turf life depends on use. The LTA tells venues to plan on resurfacing every 5 years and to keep a sinking fund for the surface, lamps and columns. Manufacturer Padel1969 says texturised monofilament turf lasts 8–10 years of commercial play with disciplined maintenance, and about 6 under heavy traffic, heat or neglect.

The LTA also recommends a gate access system so the court can be opened remotely. Once the court is open, what matters is how quickly bookings and payments fill it. Playmore handles bookings, payments and open games for padel clubs: see how it works for padel clubs.