Who is an indoor padel court interesting for?

An indoor padel court is a smart choice for many venues, but not equally relevant for everyone. Whether you run a sports hall, sit on the board of a tennis club or want to put a vacant building to use: the question is always whether an indoor court fits your situation. In this article we answer the most frequently asked questions about indoor padel courts: from what they are exactly to what they cost and how long they take to build.

What exactly is an indoor padel court?

An indoor padel court is a standard 20 by 10 metre padel court installed inside an existing hall or a hall yet to be built. The court consists of a steel structure (also called a cage structure), safety glass, artificial turf and LED lighting. The only difference from an outdoor court lies in the structure and the foundation, not in the game itself.

Inside a hall you do not have to deal with wind, rain or seasonal influences. That makes an indoor padel court playable all year round, without compromising on playing quality. For installation you need at least 21 by 11 metres of space, and the clear height must be at least 6 metres. The higher the hall, the better the playing experience. A higher ceiling leaves more room for high balls and makes the game considerably more enjoyable.

The foundation of an indoor padel court is simpler than that of an outdoor court, because water drainage plays no role. In many cases an existing concrete floor is sufficient, provided it is level and stable enough. Sometimes an additional floor layer is needed to meet the technical requirements.

Who is an indoor padel court most interesting for?

An indoor padel court is most interesting for three groups: operators of sports halls or tennis halls who want to expand their venue, tennis clubs that want to convert existing hall or court space to padel, and municipalities or property owners with vacant halls who are looking for a social or commercial purpose.

For hall operators, the calculation is relatively simple. A hall of 1,000 m² has room for several padel courts, and the investment per court is lower for indoor projects than for outdoor projects. The courts can be rented out all year round, which provides a more stable income stream than outdoor courts, which depend on the weather.

Tennis clubs see padel as a way to attract new members, particularly younger players. An indoor court is attractive for this, because it is also easy to play on in winter. For municipalities and property owners, an indoor padel venue offers a concrete use for vacant space, with a clear social function.

Private individuals who want to build a court as a hobby fall outside this category. The investment and the project management involved are aimed at professional or semi-professional customers.

What are the advantages of an indoor padel court compared with an outdoor court?

The biggest advantage of an indoor padel court is that it can be played on all year round. Rain, wind and cold play no role, so you can always play. In addition, the structure is lighter and cheaper than for an outdoor court, and permit procedures are generally less complex.

Structure and costs

For an outdoor court, the steel structure must withstand wind load, frost and corrosion. That calls for heavier steel, extra protection and a more complex foundation. For an indoor padel court these requirements are less strict, which makes the structure simpler and cheaper. The foundation is also less dependent on the location, because water drainage and soil conditions play a smaller role.

Noise and permits

Noise is one of the biggest challenges with outdoor courts. Padel produces an average sound power of around 91 dB, which is roughly 10 dB more than tennis. For outdoor locations near residential areas, an acoustic study is almost always mandatory. With an indoor padel court in an existing hall, that issue is much smaller, because the walls of the hall already absorb most of the noise. That often makes the permit process simpler.

Playing quality

Indoors you play without gusts of wind, which makes the ball bounce more consistently and the game technically fairer. That is pleasant for recreational play, but also for training and tournaments. The LED lighting can also be distributed more evenly indoors than outdoors, where floodlight masts can cause shadows.

What does it cost to have an indoor padel court built?

An indoor padel court costs, as an indication, from around €23,000 per court, including cage structure, glass, artificial turf, LED lighting and installation. This is a guide price for a standard indoor court in a turnkey specification. The final price depends on the type of court, the number of courts, the accessibility of the location and the chosen materials.

With multiple courts, economies of scale arise in production and installation, which lowers the price per court. A hall with six courts can be realised more cheaply per court than a hall with two courts. That makes larger projects financially more attractive per unit.

Note that the price depends heavily on the condition of the existing floor. If the hall already has a suitable concrete floor, foundation costs are limited. If the base has to be adapted or replaced, additional costs apply. A tailor-made quote always gives more certainty than a general guide price.

For comparison: an outdoor padel court quickly costs from around €30,000 excluding foundation, and including foundation a complete outdoor project quickly rises to €50,000 or more. An indoor padel court is therefore structurally cheaper to realise.

When is an indoor padel court a good investment?

An indoor padel court is a good investment when you have sufficient hall space with a clear height of at least 6 metres, expect stable demand for padel in your region and want to rent out or operate the courts all year round. The combination of low operating costs and a high occupancy rate makes indoor padel financially attractive.

For tennis clubs, the considerations are different. Here it is not only about return, but also about member retention and membership growth. Padel attracts a different audience from tennis, and an indoor court makes it possible to stay active in winter as well. That strengthens the club’s offering and makes it more attractive to new members.

An indoor padel court is less suitable if the hall does not have sufficient height, if the location is hard for players to reach or if local demand for padel has not yet been demonstrated. It is wise to carry out a market exploration beforehand and look at what comparable venues in the region already offer.

What permits are needed for an indoor padel court?

For an indoor padel court in an existing hall, a separate environmental permit is not always needed. Whether a permit is required depends on whether structural changes are made to the hall, whether noise or lighting affects the surroundings, and whether the hall meets the applicable fire safety requirements.

When installing in an existing hall without major structural changes, a notification is in many cases sufficient instead of a full permit application. The fire safety and use regulations of the building always apply, however. Always check this beforehand via the Omgevingsloket (the Dutch environment and planning portal) and the zoning plan of the location.

If the hall is extended or newly built, an environmental permit is almost always mandatory. Requirements regarding noise, lighting and spatial integration then also apply. The lead time of a permit application averages 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the municipality and the complexity of the project.

After completion, an inspection by a recognised body is mandatory for official matches. In the Netherlands that is Kiwa ISA Sport, the independent body that assesses padel courts and foundation components for technical quality and safety. Working with certified materials is a requirement for this, not an option.

How long does it take to build an indoor padel court?

Installing an indoor padel court takes an average of 3 to 4 days per court: 2 days for placing the cage structure and 1 to 2 days for laying the artificial turf. The total lead time of a project, including production, delivery and installation, averages 10 to 12 weeks.

Those 10 to 12 weeks cover the production of the steel structure, transport to the location and the actual installation. The actual construction time on site is therefore relatively short. Most of the lead time is spent on preparation and production.

For a project with multiple courts, the total installation naturally takes longer, but with smart planning courts can be built in parallel. For larger projects it is wise to fix the schedule early, so that production and delivery are well aligned.

Do you want to know what an indoor padel court means for your location in terms of planning, costs and execution? We are happy to think along with you, without obligation. Get in touch via our page on building padel courts and tell us about your location and plans. We will then quickly give you an honest and concrete picture of the possibilities.

Frequently asked questions