If you’re running a leisure centre, managing a tennis club with space to spare, or looking at a private court for a development project, you’ll quickly discover that the UK padel court supply market has grown considerably in the past few years. What was a short list of specialist importers has become a competitive field of manufacturers, distributors, and full-service installers.
This guide covers who builds padel courts in the UK, what the different court types mean for your project, and what to ask before you sign anything.
The two types of supplier
Before you start comparing quotes, it helps to understand what kind of supplier you’re talking to.
Manufacturers build their own court structures – steel frames, glass panels, and mesh fencing – either at a UK facility or overseas, with a UK sales and installation team. Padel Build UK, based in Scunthorpe, manufactures its courts in North Lincolnshire. Portico Sport manufactures in Spain and runs a UK distribution hub in Congleton, near Manchester.
Distributors source courts from established European manufacturers – predominantly from Spain and Italy, where the padel court manufacturing industry is most developed – and deliver them with UK-based installation teams. SG Padel, for example, is the UK distributor for MejorSet, the official court supplier of Premier Padel and the FIP.
The distinction matters because it affects lead times, warranty support, and what happens if something goes wrong. A UK manufacturer can respond to problems faster; a distributor of a premium European brand may offer a superior court specification.
Main UK padel court suppliers
Padel Build UK
Based in Scunthorpe, Padel Build UK positions itself as a British manufacturer offering premium court quality without the import premium. Their courts use hot-dip galvanised steel with zinc-rich primer – important in the UK climate, where powder-coated steel frames on cheaper courts can corrode within a few years. They offer single and double courts, canopy options, and LED lighting, and handle groundworks, installation, and finishing. Contact: 01724 200136.
Portico Sport UK
One of the larger operators in the UK market, with a Congleton warehouse and access to the parent company’s eleven court models. Installations include Battersea Power Station, Harrogate Spa Tennis, and multiple clubs in Birmingham and Manchester. Courts start from £15,000 ex-works for the entry model; bespoke and canopy-integrated builds cost considerably more. A 10-year structural guarantee is standard across the range.
PRO Padel Courts
Founded in 2019 and recognised in The Times 100 Ones to Watch 2025, PRO Padel Courts is SAPCA-approved and works with premium manufacturers in Spain and Italy. Their proposition is quality-led, with project support on planning, funding applications, and commercial viability. Founder Paul Regan brings a background in international tennis infrastructure. Based in the UK with teams operating across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Hexa Padel
Essex-based, with completed projects in Bristol, Manchester, London, Bath, Luton, and Leeds. Hexa markets itself as the UK’s best-value padel court provider and offers a full post-build package including Padel Mates booking software, maintenance, and Academy coaching programmes. For operators who want a managed solution beyond the build itself, this wraparound offering is worth comparing.
Padel Tech
One of the most established names in the UK market, Padel Tech offers court installation, canopy structures, and a dedicated planning permission advisory service. Their full-turnkey project management covers everything from initial site assessment to net installation, and they have a track record across a range of venues – leisure centres, tennis clubs, and commercial operators.
SG Padel (MejorSet distributor)
The UK distribution partner for MejorSet, the official court supplier for Premier Padel and FIP events. If the specification of international tournament courts is the target – and for some commercial venues, the marketing value of that association matters – this is the route to it. MejorSet courts are at the premium end of the glass specification and finish quality available in the UK.
Court types: what you’re choosing between
Glass vs. mesh surround
Most commercial padel courts use a combination: two glass walls at the back and two shorter glass segments at the sides, with mesh fencing above and between. This is the standard club court format – it gives the glass wall play that defines padel, with mesh completing the enclosure above head height.
Panoramic courts increase the glass area significantly, reducing or eliminating the steel frame between panels. The result is a cleaner sight line and a more consistent wall bounce, which is why you see them at Premier Padel events. Panoramic courts cost more and require more careful installation – the neoprene-mounted panels and minimal framing mean less tolerance for groundwork imprecision.
Indoor vs. outdoor
Outdoor courts require concrete foundations and, almost always, planning permission. They’re lower-capital than indoor courts but expose the structure to UK weather year-round. Hot-dip galvanised frames matter here: powder-coated steel corrodes faster in rain and salt air.
Indoor courts – converting a sports hall, warehouse, or purpose-built structure – eliminate the weather variable and often allow longer playing hours and year-round bookings. They also tend to require more structural engineering work and specialist lighting design. The capital cost is higher; the revenue consistency is too.
Canopied outdoor courts
A middle option: an outdoor court with a purpose-built canopy covering the playing area. Portico Sport makes canopies specifically engineered for racket sports. Canopied courts cost more than open outdoor courts but deliver better utilisation in the UK climate and reduce the noise transmission that sometimes makes planning permission harder to secure.
What installation involves
The full build sequence runs: site assessment, groundworks and foundations, court structure delivery and assembly, surface installation, lighting, and finishing. The LTA’s 2025 guidance identifies groundworks as the most variable cost line – what you’re building on matters enormously, and a sloping site with poor drainage can add tens of thousands to the project.
Planning permission for outdoor courts typically takes 8–13 weeks to determine. Noise is the most common basis for objection: the sound of a padel ball hitting glass carries, and councils will want to see a noise impact assessment and mitigation plan for sites near residential areas. Starting the planning process before finalising supplier choice is worth doing – delays in planning are the most common reason projects overrun.
For a single outdoor court, the complete project timeline from first enquiry to first match is typically four to nine months.
LTA funding
The LTA’s Quick Access Loan scheme has funded over 34 covered padel courts since 2019, with £13.2 million invested across 114 projects. Loans run from £25,001 to £250,000 with a maximum ten-year term at 5% fixed interest. Venues in the 40% most deprived areas get a 50% interest rate reduction.
The scheme is only available to not-for-profit venues – tennis clubs and leisure centres qualify; standalone commercial operators do not. If your venue is eligible, talk to the LTA early: the application process takes time, and supplier selection and planning permission need to run in parallel, not sequentially.
Questions to ask before you commission
Before signing with any supplier, get clear answers to these:
What does your warranty cover, and for how long? The steel frame, glass panels, and turf typically carry different warranties. Know which parts of the court are covered for what period, and what the process is for making a claim.
Who handles groundworks? Some suppliers are court structure specialists who subcontract groundworks; others handle the full project. If groundworks are subcontracted, ask who is responsible if the foundations need remedial work.
What turf specification are you supplying? Pile height, sand infill weight, and whether the surface is ITF-certified all affect playing quality and longevity. Get the spec in writing – “artificial grass” covers a wide range.
What’s the lead time for court delivery? UK manufacturers can typically turn around court structures faster than imported systems. If your planning permission is conditional on a start date, you need certainty on the supply chain.
Have you done projects of similar scale and site type? A supplier with experience installing two courts at a tennis club is a different proposition from one with experience doing ten courts in a purpose-built venue. Ask for references from comparable projects.
What’s the annual maintenance commitment? Turf needs brushing and periodic sand top-ups; glass needs cleaning and edge-seal inspection; lighting needs periodic servicing. A realistic maintenance budget for a single outdoor court runs £1,500–£3,000 per year, rising in a resurfacing year.
What to read alongside this guide
The economics of padel court construction are covered in depth in our guide to how much it costs to build a padel court, and the technical specification of court types – glass weights, surface grades, lighting standards – is in how UK padel courts are built. The full installation process, from site assessment to handover, is in our padel court installation guide.