For clubs · a UK guide
How to start a padel club in the UK.
From the planning application to the first booking takes about nine months. What each step costs and how long it takes, from the numbers in The UK Padel Report.
- Demand and the site
Where courts fill, indoor or out - Planning
About 118 days - The build
About £71,000 an open court, before VAT - Prices, coaching, bookings
Ready before the doors open - Opening day
Every court full
Before you build
Four steps before the first court goes in.
Find the demand
- Sheffield runs at 74% occupancy, London at 70%, the UK at 60%.
- The North West has the most courts: 484.
- 51% of courts are indoor, and three quarters of the courts in planning are indoor or covered.
Choose the site
- Inside an existing building: £32,000 to £36,000 a court to fit out.
- An open court with lights and base: about £71,000 before VAT.
- An indoor court has to sell every hour of the day to pay for itself.
Get planning
- About 118 days.
- Noise is the most common reason for refusal.
- 87% of applications get approved; 622 are pending.
Build
- Four open courts: £268,000 (LTA).
- About nine months from application to first booking.
- The LTA's Facility Loan Scheme asks venues to take online bookings from non-members.
The business plan
What a court costs and what it earns.
- £304m a year of court bookings across the UK at list price, up 95% on last year.
- 38% of clubs belong to chains with two or more sites; 62% are single-site independents.
- In 2026 Padel Social Club raised £5.5m, The Padel Club £3m and Smash Padel £1.25m.
| What | The number |
|---|---|
| A court's revenue a year, bottom tenth | £50,600 |
| A court's revenue a year, median | £107,600 |
| A court's revenue a year, top tenth | £195,600 |
| An open court with lights and base, before VAT | £71,000 |
| Four open courts (LTA) | £268,000 |
| A court inside an existing building (LTA) | £32,000 to £36,000 |
Before you open
Four steps before the first booking.
Set your prices
- The UK court-hour averages £34; most courts cost £30 to £50.
- Off-peak averages £27; some clubs sell quiet hours at £8 to £15.
- The operators' advice: price for the dip, not the hype.
Start the coaching
- Coaching turns a booking into a membership.
- The clubs with the best retention run the strongest coaching programmes.
- A coach-signed level makes the first matches fair.
Pick the booking and payments
- Take online bookings from the first day.
- Read the terms: the fee on each booking, and when the money lands.
- Check that the member list is yours to keep.
Open with an event
- An Americano on the first night: four players a court, partners rotating.
- Levelling sessions in the first week, so open matches start fair.
- A league from the first month gives players a reason to come back.
Questions
Starting a padel club, answered.
How much does it cost to build a padel court in the UK?
About £71,000 before VAT for an open court with lights and base, and £268,000 for four (LTA). A court inside an existing building costs £32,000 to £36,000 to fit out.
How long does planning take for a padel court?
About 118 days. Noise is the most common reason for refusal, and 87% of applications get approved.
How much does a padel court make a year?
£107,600 at the median. The bottom tenth makes £50,600 and the top tenth £195,600.
How long does it take to open a padel club?
About nine months from the planning application to the first booking.
Is padel still growing in the UK?
Yes. 674 courts were built in 2026 by early September, one every nine hours, and court bookings reached £304m a year at list price, up 95%.
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