The short version. Budget about £71,000 for one outdoor court with floodlights and a proper base, before VAT, professional fees and planning costs. Four courts come to about £268,000. A canopy or a building is extra.
Indicative costs
These figures come from the LTA's 2025 padel court construction guidance, which bases them on delivered project costs and says location and site conditions will decide the final price. They exclude VAT and fees.
| Courts | Courts with lights | Ring beam, base, ducting and drainage | Total | Per court |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £36,000 | £35,000 | £71,000 | £71,000 |
| 2 | £70,000 | £78,000 | £148,000 | £74,000 |
| 3 | £100,000 | £110,000 | £210,000 | £70,000 |
| 4 | £128,000 | £140,000 | £268,000 | £67,000 |
Source: LTA, Padel court construction guidance note (2025).
What the money buys
- The court: a 20m by 10m playing area, 3m of toughened glass at each end (12mm thick outdoors, 10mm indoors) with 1m of mesh above, mesh side panels, net and floodlights.
- The base: a reinforced concrete ring beam and free-draining base designed by a structural engineer, with drainage. This is the half of the bill people forget.
- Lighting: at least 300 lux for recreational play (500 for national competition), with 6m of clear height above the court.
- Warranty: the LTA expects installers to offer at least ten years.
What pushes the price up
- A canopy or building. Rain-proofing is the single biggest upgrade, and canopies can require extra drainage because some areas will not let roof water go straight into drains.
- Ground conditions and access for heavy plant.
- Planning surveys: noise and lighting assessments if homes are close. See planning permission.
- Biodiversity net gain on greenfield land, which requires a 10% improvement in biodiversity value.
- Panoramic glass courts, which drop the steel posts from the side walls, cost more than standard courts.
What a court can earn
Across the clubs we have verified, the median published price works out at about £28.00 a court-hour off-peak and £38.00 at peak. Those are our observed prices, not a forecast: utilisation, staffing, booking-app fees, insurance and maintenance decide whether a court pays for itself. The LTA recommends writing a business plan before anything else.
Space you need
| Courts | Length | Width |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20.80m | 10.80m |
| 2 | 20.80m | 22.30m |
| 3 | 20.80m | 33.80m |
| 4 | 20.80m | 45.30m |
| 6 | 20.80m | 68.30m |
Minimum outdoor footprint including the ring beam and a 1.5m gap between courts, per the LTA guidance; no spectator or out-of-court play area.
Quick answers
How much does one padel court cost in the UK?
The LTA’s 2025 guidance puts one outdoor court with lights at about £36,000, plus about £35,000 for the ring beam, base, ducting and drainage: roughly £71,000 in total, before VAT and fees.
Does building more courts reduce the cost per court?
Slightly for the courts themselves (four courts with lights are about £128,000, or £32,000 each), but the groundworks scale with the site, so four courts come to about £268,000 in total.
Do these prices include a canopy?
No. The LTA figures cover outdoor courts with lights and their base. A canopy or an indoor building is a separate, site-specific cost, and canopies can bring extra drainage requirements.