Which choices have the most influence on the price of a padel court?

The price of a padel court is determined by a combination of factors: the type of court (indoor or outdoor), the choice of foundation, the number of courts, the presence of noise measures and whether you opt for a turnkey package or materials supply only. As an indication, an indoor padel court turnkey is possible from around €23,000, while a complete outdoor padel court including foundation quickly starts from €50,000. Which choices have the greatest influence on the total investment, you can read below per sub-question.

What is the price difference between an indoor and an outdoor court?

An outdoor padel court is generally considerably more expensive than an indoor padel court. For an indoor court, a starting price of around €23,000 turnkey applies as an indication, including steel structure, glass, artificial turf, LED lighting and installation. An outdoor padel court excluding foundation starts from around €30,000, and including foundation and groundwork you quickly reach €50,000 or more per court.

The price difference has a direct technical cause. An outdoor padel court is permanently exposed to the weather: wind, rain, frost and temperature changes. The steel structure must therefore be heavier and is given a duplex protection system, in which hot-dip galvanising is combined with a high-quality powder coating. Both protective layers reinforce each other and give a longer service life than when applied separately.

In addition, an outdoor court always requires a foundation that is structurally calculated for the specific location. For indoor projects that foundation is often simpler or already in place. For outdoor projects, the foundation is in fact one of the largest cost items, and its price differs greatly per location.

Which components determine the largest cost item of a padel court?

The steel structure, the foundation and the installation costs are the three largest cost items of a padel court. For indoor courts, the steel structure including glass, artificial turf and LED lighting makes up the lion’s share of the investment. For outdoor courts the emphasis shifts to the foundation, which, depending on soil conditions and location, can account for a large part of the total budget.

The other components that play a part in the total price are:

• The type of artificial turf and its quality. Artificial turf with UV certification and a longer warranty costs more, but also lasts longer.
• The LED lighting, where the choice of a higher lighting level or a specific system affects the price.
• The type of court: a Panorama court has an open back and, despite its lighter appearance, often requires heavier materials to meet the structural requirements. The price is therefore generally slightly higher than for a standard Pro court.
• The number of courts: with several courts there are economies of scale in production and installation, so the price per court falls.
• The accessibility of the site, which affects transport and installation time.

A common mistake is to look only at the lowest price per court. In practice, lower material costs often lead to higher maintenance costs or a shorter service life. The total investment over the service life of the court is a more reliable yardstick than the purchase price alone.

How does the foundation type influence the total price?

The foundation type has a major influence on the total project costs, especially for outdoor padel courts. Foundation costs average between €20,000 and €40,000 per court, depending on the soil conditions, the accessibility of the site and the type of foundation used. The choice of the right foundation type always depends on the location.

The most commonly used foundation types are:

• Drainage concrete: a water-permeable type of concrete in which rainwater drains straight through the foundation into the subsoil. Suitable for sites with good soil conditions and widely used for outdoor courts. Drainage concrete has an average service life of 25 to 40 years when used correctly.
• Supersub: a foundation solution based on foam concrete that provides a flat, stable and shock-absorbing base. Supersub is water-permeable in the outdoor version and can in many cases be poured within one day, which saves installation time. When renovating an existing tennis court the thickness is generally around 10 cm, for new construction around 15 cm.
• ZOAB asphalt (open asphalt concrete): a porous asphalt variant that lets water through. Less common for padel, but in certain situations a suitable option.

In addition to these three types, we also work with ring foundations and strong plastic plates as an alternative to poured concrete. All foundation materials in the Netherlands must be approved by Kiwa ISA Sport, the recognised inspection body for sports surfaces. You can find more information about the different options on the page about a padel court including groundwork.

With existing tennis courts, part of the sub-base can sometimes be reused, which can limit the foundation costs. Whether this is possible depends on the condition and build-up of the existing subsoil.

What does a sound-absorbing provision cost extra?

The cost of a sound-absorbing provision depends heavily on the type of measure, the scale of the application and the structural adjustments required. There is no fixed additional cost that applies to every situation. The final costs are determined by the project-specific configuration and the results of an independent acoustic study.

Integrated sound-absorbing panels

Integrated sound-absorbing panels are attached directly to the steel structure of the padel court and work as a source measure: the noise is limited as close to the source as possible. Because the panels reduce the wind permeability of the structure, extra wind load arises. The structure must be structurally calculated for this and, in many cases, reinforced. That reinforcement, consisting of heavier posts, additional columns or modified connections, is part of the total additional cost.

You can read more about how these panels work and when they are used on the page about acoustic solutions for padel.

Noise berms

A noise berm is a freestanding structure placed next to or around the padel court that screens noise from homes. Noise berms can be built to heights of up to 6 to 8 metres and be tens of metres long. They require a structural calculation, soil investigation (CPT) data of the subsoil and, in almost all cases, an environmental permit. The costs are therefore structurally higher than with integrated panels.

In some situations, a combination of panels and a noise berm is the most effective. In suitable situations, a source measure can limit the required height of a noise berm, which saves costs and can simplify the permit process. Which measure is suitable depends entirely on the project situation.

Why are turnkey padel courts cheaper with in-house production?

With in-house production of the steel structure, transport costs, the importer’s margin and dependence on foreign production planning fall away. This results in a structurally lower cost price that is passed directly on in the price for the end customer. Suppliers who import their courts from Spain pay for each of these links, and those costs are included in the selling price.

We produce the steel structure entirely in-house, in accordance with EN 1090-1, and can produce up to execution class EXC3. The welding work meets ISO 3834-2. This means not only a lower price, but also more control over quality, shorter lead times and the ability to deliver structural custom work that importers generally cannot offer.

A practical example: when sound-absorbing panels have to be structurally integrated into a new court, the steel structure must be recalculated for the extra wind load. Because we design and produce the structure ourselves, we can make that adjustment directly. An importer supplying a standard court generally cannot do that for small numbers.

For a complete overview of what having a padel court built involves, from design to handover, we refer you to our project page.

When is custom work more expensive than a standard court?

Custom work is more expensive than a standard court when the site or the project deviates from the standard technical conditions. Think of non-standard dimensions, sites with a high wind load, the integration of sound-absorbing panels or situations in which the structure has to be adapted to specific municipal requirements. In those cases additional calculations, heavier materials or a different structural build-up are needed.

Examples of situations in which custom work entails higher costs:

• Sites on open terrain, in coastal areas or near tall buildings, where the wind load is higher than at a standard site.
• Indoor sites with limited height or width, where the standard dimensions do not fit and the structure has to be adapted.
• Courts with integrated sound-absorbing panels, where the structure has to be structurally calculated for the extra wind catchment.
• Projects in which sound-absorbing provisions are added to an existing court, which requires an assessment of the existing structure.

Custom work is not always more expensive than a standard court in the long term. A structure tailored to the specific site generally has a longer service life and requires less corrective maintenance. The additional costs at construction can therefore be recouped over the period of use of the court.

You can read more about what custom work per site involves on the page about a custom padel court.

What is a realistic investment for a complete padel court in the Netherlands?

A realistic investment for a complete indoor padel court in the Netherlands is, as an indication, from around €23,000 per court, turnkey, including steel structure, glass, artificial turf, LED lighting and installation. For a complete outdoor padel court including foundation and groundwork, the investment starts, as an indication, from around €50,000 per court. The exact price always depends on the site-specific circumstances.

For comparison: the Dutch market average for an indoor padel court is generally between €30,000 and €35,000 per court, where the foundation and groundwork are often not yet included. The price difference compared with our indicative price is not the result of lower quality, but of in-house production without intermediaries.

When assessing quotes, it is wise to always check exactly what is included. Relevant questions are:

• Is the foundation included, and if so, which type?
• Are artificial turf, LED lighting and installation part of the price?
• What warranty is offered on the steel structure? We offer a 15-year warranty on the steel structure, in accordance with the product specifications and when used correctly.
• Is the price based on a structural calculation per site, or on a standard configuration?
• Are noise measures or adjustments for permit granting included in the quote?

The lowest price per court is not always the most advantageous choice. Material costs, warranty conditions, structural quality and overall project support together determine the real value of the investment.

Curious what a complete padel court costs?

Request a project-based quote for a padel court including installation, artificial turf, LED lighting, foundation or groundwork and any preparation for sound-absorbing panels. We always look at the specific situation at your site and give a transparent price indication based on the actual project circumstances. Get in touch via the page on the cost of a padel court and we are happy to think along with you, without obligation.

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