Padel is the fastest-growing racket sport in the country. New clubs are opening across London and the South East, leisure operators are converting underused tennis and five-a-side space, and demand for courts is running well ahead of supply. If you are planning a court, the surface is the part players feel on every single point, so it is worth getting right. Here is what actually goes into a padel court surface and the decisions that matter.
The surface: artificial turf and sand infill
A padel court is not laid like a tennis court or a sports hall. The playing surface is a specialist artificial grass carpet, dressed with a silica sand infill brushed down between the fibres. That infill is what gives the court its character: it stabilises the turf, sets the pace of the game and provides the grip and slight slide players expect.
Get the infill depth right and the court plays true, with a consistent bounce and comfortable footing. Too little or too much and the surface plays fast, slippery or sluggish, so the dressing is as important as the carpet itself.
Two broad turf types are used:
- Monofilament turf, with individual blades, tends to be hard-wearing and is a popular all-round choice.
- Fibrillated turf, with a netted fibre, holds infill well and can feel a touch slower.
Court colour is part of the spec too. Blue is the classic competition look, with green, terracotta and grey all common. We talk through the options against budget, level of play and how the club wants to look.
It all sits on the base
The most important part of a padel court is the part nobody sees. The turf is only as good as the base beneath it, and a poor base is the number one cause of courts that puddle, ripple or wear unevenly.
A proper build means a sound, level sub-base and a carefully laid surface course of asphalt or concrete, finished to tight tolerances and laid to falls so water runs off rather than sitting on the court. Drainage is critical for outdoor courts in particular, because standing water means cancelled sessions and lost revenue. We assess the ground, get the levels and falls right, and prepare the base properly before any turf goes down.
Indoor, outdoor and resurfacing
Outdoor courts need a surface and base built to cope with British weather, drainage designed in, and turf and infill chosen to drain and recover quickly after rain.
Indoor courts play in controlled conditions and let clubs sell sessions all year round, but the floor build and the wider sports hall still need to be specified properly.
Existing courts that have gone flat, bald or slippery often do not need ripping out. Where the base is sound, a court can be re-turfed and re-dressed, or topped up with fresh infill and re-brushed, to bring the play back at a fraction of the cost of a new build. We will tell you honestly whether a court is worth resurfacing or whether the base needs addressing first.
Lines, finishing and upkeep
The white line markings are tufted or inlaid into the turf rather than painted on, so they last and stay crisp. Once a court is in, the upkeep is straightforward but should not be skipped: regular brushing keeps the infill evenly distributed and the fibres upright, an occasional infill top-up maintains the playing characteristics, and keeping leaves and debris off prevents the surface clogging and draining poorly.
One point of contact for the whole project
We take a padel court from groundworks and base through to the finished playing surface and line markings, coordinating the right specialist trades under one managed job, one accountable price and one point of contact. Whether you are building a new club, adding courts to an existing site or resurfacing tired ones, we plan the work around your opening calendar so courts come back online on schedule.
If you are planning padel courts in London, we are happy to take a look and talk through base, surface and budget. Get a free quote and we will usually come back within 48 hours. You can also see our wider sports and recreational surfacing.