Converting tennis courts to padel: what fits, what it costs
A tennis court that is rarely booked is the cheapest place to put padel: the ground is level, drained and already has access. The questions are how many padel courts fit, what you still have to pay for, and how quickly the courts pay back.
How many padel courts fit
A padel court is 20 × 10 m inside the glass. LTA guidance puts the minimum enclosure for one court at 20.8 × 10.8 m and asks for a 1.5 m gap between courts; a REBOUND court on its 35 cm steel platform needs about 20.7 × 10.7 m. A single tennis court with its run-back (about 36.6 × 18.3 m) is long enough for one padel court lengthwise but not wide enough for two side by side. Adjacent courts in a bank share their surrounds, so the ratio improves as you convert more of them.
| Tennis courts converted | Area (approx.) | Padel courts that usually fit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36.6 × 18.3 m | 1, or 2 if you can borrow about 5 m of width from a neighbouring court or verge |
| 2 side by side | 36.6 × 34 m | Up to 3, turned across the courts |
| 3 side by side | 36.6 × 50 m | Up to 6 in two rows, if access paths allow |
These are layout maths, not a survey. Fences, floodlight columns, trees, drainage channels and fire access routes all change the answer, so measure before you plan.
What a conversion saves, and what it still costs
UK guides put a new outdoor court at £45,000 to £80,000 all in, with £12,000 to £18,000 of that going on groundworks and the base. An existing sound tennis court is the single largest saving available, because most of that groundwork has already been done. You still pay for the court itself, lights, power to the court and planning.
| Item | New site | Tennis conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Groundworks and base | £12,000–£18,000 | Often much lower: resurfacing or levelling only |
| Court, glass, turf | £25,000–£60,000 | Same |
| Floodlights | £6,000–£12,000 | Usually new: tennis columns rarely line up with a padel court |
| Planning | Required in most cases | Still required in most cases |
Planning, noise and light
Planning permission is required for new outdoor padel courts in most cases, and decisions commonly take 8 to 13 weeks. Councils tend to attach conditions on floodlight hours, light spill and noise. Padel is louder than tennis because the ball hits glass: the LTA says that if a home is within 50 m of the court, specialist noise and light surveys are likely to be needed, so talk to neighbours early.
Funding
If you plan to apply for an LTA loan, the LTA's minimum specification asks for, among other things, a site-specific foundation design by a structural engineer, a court built to the SAPCA Code of Practice, 12 mm toughened glass with a BS EN Kitemark on each panel, floodlights with a lighting data pack (300 lux average for recreational play), a court warranty of at least 10 years, and priced specifications from at least three contractors.
The LTA's Quick Access Loan scheme, funded by the LTA Tennis Foundation, lends between £25,000 and £250,000 to eligible venues for projects that grow tennis and padel participation; approved projects need a community element. Esher Tennis & Padel used LTA investment to turn one macadam court and a practice-wall area into two floodlit padel courts, and its membership nearly tripled to around 1,100.
Why REBOUND suits a tennis club
- No new slab. Outdoor courts stand on a 35 cm steel platform, so a sound, level tennis court can often take it after a survey, and the court can move later if your plans change.
- Surface optional. If you keep a playing surface you like, leave our turf out of the price.
- Members let themselves in. Smart access opens the gate and turns the lights on from the booking app, so evening play needs no one on the desk.
- Two courts with smart access come to £124,200 with installation and pay back in about 1.9 years on our default assumptions, which include site works.