Indoor padel court: the building you need
An indoor padel court needs a building with enough clear height, no columns on the courts and room for access and walkways. Here is what the FIP asks, how many courts fit by building size and what published estimates say an indoor court costs. Draw your building to see your own courts in 3D.
Clear height: the first check
Before the square feet, check the height. The FIP asks for at least 19.7 ft (6 m) of clear height throughout the court, with no elements such as spotlights inside it, and suggests 26.2 ft (8 m) for new facilities (FIP, Rules of Padel, review of application January 1, 2026). USA Padel publishes no clear-height figure on its page for new clubs: it recommends manufacturers whose courts meet FIP standards (USA Padel (USPA), New clubs, accessed November 2026) and points to an installation manual published with the American Sports Builders Association (USA Padel, ASBA and USPA publish the first-ever USA padel court installation manual, September 10, 2025), which we have not reviewed. So the FIP figure is the one to use.
Clear means under the lowest thing over the court: the bottom chord of the truss, a beam, a light, a duct or a sprinkler main, not the roof deck or the ridge. With a pitched roof, the courts can only go in the strip where the height is met. How to measure it is in padel court ceiling height.
Columns, access and run-off
- Columns off the court: no column can stand on a court. The FIP keeps light poles outside the court and, if they stand in the safety area beside the openings, out-of-court play is not allowed; plan building columns the same way.
- Access and clearances: the FIP gives the court, not the spacing between courts, and the USPA does not publish one. The planner applies its own minimums: an FIP court (20 × 10 m inside); a clear access zone 6.6 ft (2 m) deep along 26.2 ft (8 m) of the side opening; 1.6 ft (0.5 m) between courts side by side and 3.3 ft (1 m) between ends and to the walls; a 3.9 ft (1.2 m) clear walkway from every court to the entrance; and at least 19.7 ft (6 m) of clear height.
- Out-of-court play: if you want it, the FIP asks for a clear area at least 9.8 ft (3 m) wide beside each opening (13.1 ft (4 m) recommended). Neither of the planner's presets reserves it, so leave more room.
- Exits and occupancy: padel is not named in the International Building Code, in use or adopted in all 50 states, each jurisdiction under its own laws (International Code Council, 2024 International Building Code). It lists indoor tennis courts under Assembly Group A-3 without spectator seating and A-4 with it (ICC, 2018 IBC and IFC Assembly Spaces (seminar), February 2023); a padel club will most likely be classed the same way, but the building official decides. Occupancy drives exits, fire protection and occupant load: see padel court permits.
How many indoor padel courts fit, by building size
Calculated with the planner's engine, not a rule of thumb: clear-span buildings with 26 ft (8 m) clear height and one entrance on a long side.
30,000 sq ft, 136 × 220 ft (41.5 × 67 m): 9 courts with the minimum rules. See this layout →
| Building | Dimensions | Courts | Competition | Sq ft per court |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,000 sq ft | 61 × 98 ft (18.5 × 30 m) | 1 | 1 | 6,000 |
| 8,000 sq ft | 71 × 113 ft (21.5 × 34.5 m) | 1 | 1 | 8,000 |
| 10,000 sq ft | 79 × 126 ft (24 × 38.5 m) | 3 | 1 | 3,300 |
| 12,000 sq ft | 87 × 138 ft (26.5 × 42 m) | 3 | 3 | 4,000 |
| 15,000 sq ft | 97 × 154 ft (29.5 × 47 m) | 4 | 4 | 3,800 |
| 18,000 sq ft | 107 × 169 ft (32.5 × 51.5 m) | 4 | 4 | 4,500 |
| 20,000 sq ft | 112 × 179 ft (34 × 54.5 m) | 4 | 4 | 5,000 |
| 25,000 sq ft | 125 × 200 ft (38 × 61 m) | 6 | 4 | 4,200 |
| 30,000 sq ft | 136 × 220 ft (41.5 × 67 m) | 9 | 6 | 3,300 |
| 35,000 sq ft | 148 × 238 ft (45 × 72.5 m) | 12 | 9 | 2,900 |
| 40,000 sq ft | 157 × 254 ft (48 × 77.5 m) | 12 | 12 | 3,300 |
| 50,000 sq ft | 177 × 282 ft (54 × 86 m) | 15 | 12 | 3,300 |
| 60,000 sq ft | 194 × 310 ft (59 × 94.5 m) | 20 | 16 | 3,000 |
Competition: 6.6 ft (2 m) clear all round, an exit on both sides and 26.2 ft (8 m) clear height. Same shape for every size (about 1.6 to 1); with the same floor area, a different shape, columns or a lower roof can fit a court more or less. All sizes in how many padel courts fit.
Indoor lighting
Indoors the lights hang from the structure, so they count against the clear height: the FIP asks for at least 19.7 ft (6 m) to their underside and suggests 26.2 ft (8 m) in new facilities when they are over the court (FIP, Rules of Padel). For light levels there is no US padel standard. The Italian federation's table under EN 12193 gives 300 lux (28 fc) indoors for recreational play and 750 lux (70 fc) for national and international competition (Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP), Regole del padel, 2021 edition with FIT notes, published by Sport e Impianti, March 2022); the French federation's 2026 specification asks for 300 lux (28 fc) maintained (French Tennis Federation (FFT), specification “La piste de padel” (ref. FF26-146), copy published by the Ligue de tennis de Nouvelle-Calédonie, June 2026). More in padel court lighting.
What an indoor padel court costs
A 2026 guide from a US padel directory puts indoor courts at $70,000–$100,000 and up per court, a figure that includes the building shell, roof, interior lighting and HVAC, against $25,000–$60,000 for most single outdoor courts (Padel Browser, How much does it cost to build a padel court, June 16, 2026). They are the publisher's estimates, not a survey or a quote. In an existing warehouse what you pay depends on the fit-out the building needs, and on how many courts fit: the number of courts sets most of the budget. The breakdown is in padel court cost, and whether the numbers work in is a padel club profitable?
Indoor or covered padel court
A covered padel court is an outdoor court under a roof or canopy: it keeps rain and sun off, but stays open at the sides. An indoor court sits inside a building with walls, which means an occupancy classification, exits and HVAC, and usually a bigger permit. The clear height rule is the same for both.
Frequently asked questions
How tall does a building need to be for an indoor padel court?
The FIP Rules of Padel (2026) ask for at least 6 m, about 19.7 ft, of clear height over the whole court, with nothing such as lights inside it, and suggest 8 m, about 26.2 ft, for new facilities. Measure under the lowest truss, beam, light or duct over the court, not at the ridge.
How big is an indoor padel court?
The court is the same indoors and out: 20 × 10 m (65.6 ft × 32.8 ft) inside. The building needs more: warehouses from 12,000 to 60,000 sq ft work out at about 2,900 to 5,000 sq ft per court in our layouts.
How many padel courts fit in a 20,000 sq ft building?
4 in a clear-span 112 × 179 ft (34 × 54.5 m) building with 26 ft clear height and the planner's minimum rules. A different shape, columns or a lower roof can change that, so draw your own.
How much does an indoor padel court cost?
A 2026 guide from a US padel directory puts indoor courts at $70,000–$100,000 and up per court, counting the building shell, roof, interior lighting and HVAC. It is the publisher's estimate, not a quote.
Can there be columns on an indoor padel court?
No: columns have to stand outside the court, and the planner checks them against the courts, the access zones and the walkways. If you want out-of-court play, keep them out of the clear area beside the openings too.
How much light does an indoor padel court need?
There is no US padel figure. The Italian federation's table under EN 12193 gives 300 lux (28 fc) indoors for recreational play and 750 lux (70 fc) for competition; the French federation asks for 300 lux (28 fc) maintained.
Indoor or covered padel court: what is the difference?
A covered court is an outdoor court under a roof or canopy. An indoor court is inside a building with walls, which brings its own occupancy classification, exits and HVAC, and usually a bigger permit.
Read on: padel court ceiling height · how many padel courts fit · covered padel court · padel court dimensions · padel court builders
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