How do you determine when expanding with extra courts is profitable?

Expanding with extra padel courts is profitable when your existing courts are consistently booked and the expected rental income from the new courts pays back the investment within an acceptable period. For most commercial padel venues, that limit is a payback period of five years or less. Below you will find practical guidelines for making that calculation for your own venue.

What is a healthy occupancy rate for padel courts?

A healthy occupancy rate for padel courts is generally between 60% and 75% of the available playing time. That means a court that is available twelve hours a day is rented out for an average of seven to nine hours a day. If you are consistently above 75%, expanding is financially justified.

Occupancy rate is not the same as the number of hours booked per day. It is the average over a longer period, including quiet mornings and slow weekdays. Many venues see a peak on weekdays between 18:00 and 22:00 and on Saturday mornings. If those peak times are consistently fully booked and customers are regularly turned away, that is a clear signal that demand exceeds supply.

An occupancy rate below 50% is a warning sign. It means the current courts still have spare capacity and that expanding may be premature. In that case, invest first in marketing and booking optimisation before having extra courts built.

How much revenue does one extra padel court generate on average?

The average revenue per padel court depends heavily on the hourly rate, the number of playing hours per day and the occupancy rate. As an indication: at an hourly rate of €20 and an occupancy rate of 65% over twelve available hours a day, one court generates approximately €56,000 per year. This is a worked example and not a guarantee.

Actual revenue differs per venue. Factors that influence income include:

• The hourly rate you charge (varies greatly by region and type of venue)
• The number of available playing hours per day
• The average occupancy rate over the year
• Seasonal effects (indoor venues are less affected by the winter dip)
• Additional income from lessons, clinics or hospitality

For your own situation, calculate with a conservative scenario (50% occupancy) and a realistic scenario (65% occupancy). The difference between the two shows you the margin within which your investment has to be profitable. Also factor in maintenance costs, energy costs for the LED lighting and any staffing costs.

What are the total costs of an extra indoor padel court?

The total cost of an extra indoor padel court starts, as an indication, at approximately €23,000 per court, including the steel structure, the glass, the artificial turf, the LED lighting and the complete installation. This is a guide price for a turnkey delivery in an existing hall. The exact price always depends on the specific location and the number of courts.

When expanding an existing padel venue, several cost factors come into play:

• The superstructure: steel structure, glass, artificial turf and LED lighting. This is the largest part of the investment.
• The foundation: in an existing hall, the floor is sometimes already suitable. If it is not, a foundation layer has to be added. You can find more information about the different options on the page about a padel court including groundwork.
• Logistics and installation: access to the hall and the installation conditions affect the price.
• Economies of scale: when several courts are built at the same time, the cost per court falls thanks to more efficient production and installation.

Always compare quotes on the basis of what is included. A low price without foundation, lighting or artificial turf is not a fair comparison with a turnkey offer. The cost of a padel court varies widely depending on the specification and the type of venue.

When is a payback period of under five years realistic?

A payback period of under five years is realistic when the annual net income from the new court is at least 20% of the investment. For an investment of €23,000, that means a net income of approximately €4,600 per year after deducting direct costs. With a reasonable occupancy rate and a market-based hourly rate, that is achievable.

The payback period depends on three variables: the size of the investment, the annual income and the direct operating costs. A simple calculation:

1. Determine the total investment, including foundation and installation.
2. Calculate the expected annual revenue based on hourly rate and occupancy rate.
3. Deduct the direct costs (energy, maintenance, cleaning).
4. Divide the investment by the net income per year.

Venues that expand from two to four courts also benefit from economies of scale in operations: the fixed costs are spread over more courts, while the variable costs per court are limited. That improves the payback period of the extra courts compared with the first investment.

A payback period of more than seven years is, in most cases, a signal to reassess the business case. That may mean the hourly rate needs to go up, the venue needs more marketing effort, or expanding is not the right move at the moment.

Which permits are needed when expanding a padel venue?

When expanding an existing indoor padel venue, a new environmental permit is not always needed. Whether a permit is required depends on whether structural changes are made to the building, whether the noise or lighting situation changes, and whether the municipality sets additional requirements. If in doubt, always contact the municipality before you start.

For indoor expansion in an existing hall without structural changes to the building, a separate building permit is in many cases not required. The padel courts themselves are placed in the hall as freestanding structures. However, rules on fire safety and use of the space may apply.

When expanding outdoors, or when making changes to the façade, roof or load-bearing structure of the building, an environmental permit is almost always mandatory. You can find more information about the permit process on the page about a permit for a padel court.

Allow for an average lead time of 8 to 12 weeks for a permit application. Include this in your project planning so that construction is not delayed by a pending permit procedure.

How long does it take to build extra padel courts?

Installing an extra padel court takes an average of three to four days per court. The total lead time of a project, including production, delivery and installation, averages 10 to 12 weeks. That is the period from placing the order to completion.

The lead time consists of two phases. The production phase takes the longest: the steel structure is manufactured to size and all materials are put together. The installation phase is relatively short. The cage structure takes two days; laying the artificial turf takes another one to two days.

When expanding an existing venue, it is practical to schedule construction outside the busiest playing periods. This limits disruption for existing customers and prevents lost revenue on the courts already in use. Discuss the schedule with the contractor beforehand so that the work is carried out in phases.

Would you like to know how the building process works in practice? On the page about having a padel court built you can read more about the steps from design to completion.

What is the difference between expanding with indoor or outdoor courts?

Expanding with indoor courts is generally cheaper, faster to realise and requires fewer permits than expanding with outdoor courts. An indoor padel court starts, as an indication, at approximately €23,000 turnkey. An outdoor padel court costs, as an indication, from approximately €30,000 for the superstructure alone, with foundation costs on top of that, which depend heavily on the location.

Indoor courts: lower costs, shorter lead time

Indoor courts are placed in an existing or new hall. The steel structure does not need to be as heavy because there are no weather influences. The foundation is in many cases already in place or easier to realise. Permit processes for indoor venues in existing halls are often shorter or do not apply.

Outdoor courts: higher investment, more dependent on location

For outdoor courts, the steel structure must be built heavier to withstand wind load and the weather. The foundation is a separate and major cost factor: depending on the soil conditions and the type of foundation, costs range from €20,000 to €40,000 per court. In addition, an environmental permit is almost always mandatory for outdoor projects. You can read more about the specific requirements and possibilities on the page about the outdoor padel court.

The choice between indoor and outdoor depends on the space available, the budget available and the local conditions. Indoor courts offer more certainty about the business case thanks to lower investment costs and more stable use throughout the year. Outdoor courts can be attractive when no suitable hall is available or when an outdoor setting adds value for the target group.

Curious what a complete padel court costs?

Request a project-specific quote for a padel court including installation, artificial turf, lighting, foundation or groundwork and any preparation for sound-absorbing panels. We are happy to think along with you, without obligation, about the feasibility of expanding at your location. Get in touch via the page about the cost of a padel court.