Specification · Updated 2026
Indoor padel courts need
8 meters of clear height
An indoor padel court needs a 20 by 10 meter playing surface plus run-off, a minimum clear height of 6 meters and a recommended 8 meters, a flat slab with no slope, and lighting of 300 to 500 lux with no fixture inside the volume above the court. An outdoor padel court needs the same court, a slab sloped for drainage, a wind-rated structure and lighting on 6 meter masts.
The United States is building both, and the choice is driven by climate, land cost and noise rules rather than by the sport.
Key figures
- Court
- 20 × 10 m playing surface, 4 m enclosure
- Indoor clear height
- 6 m minimum, 8 m recommended (FIP)
- Floor per court indoors
- approx. 23 × 13 m (75 × 43 ft) including access
- Indoor lighting
- 300–500 lux, 750 for competition, fixtures outside the court volume
- Outdoor lighting
- 4 masts at 6 m, 200–300 lux
- Wind rating
- Published structures rated to 130 mph; verify against local code
- Covered court
- Canopy or roof over an outdoor-spec court; a separate structural design
- Noise
- Quieter than pickleball; glass panels need gaskets to stop rattle
Free to cite with attribution and a link. Full set at courtbaseline.com/reference.
Fig. 01
How much ceiling height does an indoor padel court need?
Six meters, about 20 feet, is the FIP minimum and the number that rules buildings in or out. Eight meters is the recommended height, and the one experienced operators insist on, because a lob in padel is a normal shot and a ball that hits a roof truss is a let every time.
Clear height is measured to the lowest thing over the court: a truss, a duct, a sprinkler main, a light. A warehouse advertised at 28 feet to the deck is commonly 22 feet at the bottom chord, which is 6.7 meters, which is legal and disappointing. Measure the building, not the listing.
Side by side
Indoor padel court vs outdoor padel court
Same court, different everything around it. The table is what a facility plan has to resolve before a kit is ordered.
| Factor | Indoor padel court | Outdoor padel court |
|---|---|---|
| Clear height | 6 m min, 8 m recommended | Unlimited; lob height not a constraint |
| Floor per court | approx. 23 × 13 m incl. access | approx. 23 × 13 m incl. run-off and masts |
| Slab | Flat, no slope, internal drains at perimeter | Sloped 0.5–1% in one plane for drainage |
| Structure | Standard kit; no wind load | Wind-rated kit; 130 mph models exist; local code governs |
| Lighting | 300–500 lux, fixtures outside court volume | 200–300 lux, 4 masts at 6 m, 8 LED heads |
| Turf | Standard sand-dressed | UV-stable sand-dressed; faster wear in sun |
| Glass | 10 mm or 12 mm tempered | 12 mm tempered; gasketed for wind rattle |
| Playing season | 365 days | Weather dependent; 250–340 days by region |
| Court cost, installed | $35,000–65,000 plus the building | $40,000–75,000 incl. slab, lights and drainage |
| Noise to neighbors | Contained by the building | Glass panel rattle and ball impact; gaskets and distance |
What kind of building works for indoor padel courts?
A clear-span warehouse or a pre-engineered steel building with at least 8 meters at the bottom chord, column bays wide enough to fit courts in rows without a post in the run-off, and a slab flat to within 3 mm over 3 meters. Former tennis bubbles, ice rinks, big-box retail and distribution space all convert well.
The planning grid for a multi-court indoor facility is about 23 by 13 meters per court with shared side access, so a 4 court hall needs roughly 23 by 52 meters of clear floor plus lobby, bar and changing rooms. Courts in a single row with a 3 meter aisle behind the back glass is the layout that keeps spectators and players apart.
HVAC matters more than owners expect. A padel hall with 16 players and spectators needs ventilation sized for a gym, and a condensation problem on cold glass in winter is a slippery turf problem by the second hour. Budget it, do not retrofit it.
Converting an existing building: a 4 court indoor padel facility in leased warehouse space is a $250,000 to $450,000 fit-out before rent, including courts, lighting, HVAC and a basic front of house. The full business case is on padel court profitability.
What is a covered padel court, and is a padel court canopy worth it?
A covered padel court is an outdoor court under a roof or canopy with open or partly open sides. It keeps rain and direct sun off the turf, extends the season, and costs $25,000 to $60,000 per court for a fabric or steel padel court roof, less when several courts share one structure. It is not an indoor court: wind still loads the glass and the slab still needs a slope.
A padel court canopy changes the structural design of the whole assembly, because a roof attached to the enclosure posts turns the court into a sail. Buy the court and the cover as one engineered package from the manufacturer, or have an engineer review the combination. The common failure is a cover added later to a court that was never designed to carry it.
Where the climate is mostly dry and warm, a canopy over outdoor courts is the cheapest way to a 365 day product. Where winters are cold, it is a half measure and a building is the answer.
What padel court wind rating does an outdoor court need?
Whatever the local building code specifies for the site's design wind speed and exposure, stamped by an engineer in that state. Several manufacturers publish padel court hurricane and high-wind models rated to 130 mph; that number is a starting point for the engineer, not a substitute for the stamp.
Wind loads on a padel court come through the 4 meter wall of glass and mesh, which acts as a solid panel. The posts, the footings and the glass clamps all size up for coastal Florida, Texas and the Carolinas, and the footing design depends on soil, which is why a kit price never includes it. Courts near the coast also specify stainless or marine-grade coated steel. See padel court kit for what the enclosure package includes.
How loud is a padel court?
Quieter than pickleball and comparable to tennis. Padel court noise has two sources: the ball on the racket, which is a dull felt-ball thud rather than pickleball's plastic pop, and the ball on the glass, which is sharper and carries. Padel court sound complaints almost always trace to glass panels rattling in their clamps, which gaskets fix.
For an outdoor court near homes, 30 meters of separation, gasketed glass and lighting that shuts off at 10 pm cover most zoning objections. Indoors, the building solves it.
FAQ
Indoor and outdoor padel courts, answered
What is the minimum ceiling height for a padel court?
How much space does an indoor padel court take?
Can a padel court go in a warehouse?
Can padel courts be outdoors in Florida?
Is a padel court louder than a tennis court?
Does an indoor padel court need a sloped slab?
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