---
title: "How to Build a Padel Hall: The 5-Phase Process from Feasibility to Opening Day"
slug: padel-hall-build-guide
language: en
url_path: /padel-hall-build-guide
meta_description: "Complete guide to building a padel hall. All 23 steps across feasibility, design, construction, pre-opening, and operations. Realistic timelines and what to watch out for."
cornerstone: C8
---

# How to Build a Padel Hall: The 5-Phase Process from Feasibility to Opening Day

The realistic timeline from first concept to opening day is 12 to 18 months. Operators who plan for 9 months almost always run late. Those who budget 18 months negotiate better, handle surprises better, and open with less stress.

This guide walks through all five phases and 23 steps between your initial market research and a running facility. No glossy success stories — a practical account of what actually happens, in what order, and where things commonly go wrong.

---

## The 5 Phases at a Glance

```
Phase 1          Phase 2          Phase 3          Phase 4         Phase 5
Feasibility   →  Planning &    →  Construction  →  Pre-         →  Operations &
& Concept        Design           / Conversion      Opening         Optimization

Month 1–3        Month 3–6        Month 6–12        Month 10–13     Ongoing

Steps 1–5        Steps 6–11       Steps 12–16       Steps 17–20     Steps 21–23
```

---

## Phase 1: Feasibility and Concept (Months 1–3)

This is the most important phase and the one where projects most often go wrong in one of two directions: either stopping too early because the first obstacle looks daunting, or moving too fast because enthusiasm outpaces analysis. Rigorous work here prevents expensive corrections later.

### Step 1: Market Research

Before you look at a single site or open a spreadsheet, you need to understand whether your target market can support the facility you're planning.

That means:

- **Player demand:** How many active padel players exist within a 15–20 minute drive? How full are existing facilities? What are waitlist lengths? These are the leading indicators of unmet demand.
- **Competitive mapping:** Which facilities exist, which are planned? Court counts, pricing, utilization, service level. Planning applications are often public record — check them.
- **Demographics:** Where do your target customers actually live and work — working professionals aged 25–55, companies with wellness budgets, sports clubs needing training facilities? Do they concentrate within the catchment area of your proposed site?

Good market research won't guarantee success, but it will protect you from the most common mistake: building the right facility in the wrong location.

### Step 2: Concept Development

Your market research should drive your concept. How many courts? Which customer segments — competitive recreational players, club training, corporate wellness, broad community use? What service level — a pure booking facility or a full-concept venue with lounge, bar, pro shop, and coaching program?

Every decision here cascades into investment requirements, operating costs, and revenue potential. Nail this down before moving to site selection.

### Step 3: Location Scouting

Evaluate three to five candidate sites in parallel. Assess each against:

| Criterion | What to Check |
|-----------|---------------|
| Accessibility | Public transport, parking, cycling infrastructure |
| Visibility | Foot traffic, street presence, signage options |
| Floor area | Net usable area for courts plus ancillary spaces (changing rooms, reception, lounge) |
| Clear height | Minimum 8 meters for indoor courts — 10+ for competition use |
| Zoning | Is sports facility use permitted? Noise restrictions? Change-of-use requirements? |
| Rent | Monthly lease cost relative to projected revenue |

A site that scores 70% across all dimensions is almost always better than one that excels on a single criterion while failing on two others.

### Step 4: Preliminary Financial Model

At this stage you don't need a full financial model. You need a viability check.

Rough questions to answer:
- Does the total investment (construction, courts, fit-out, contingency) fit within your available capital plus realistic debt capacity?
- What utilization rate do you need to break even on operating costs? Is that achievable in your market?
- Does the model still work at conservative assumptions — 50% utilization, not 70%?

If the business only works under optimistic assumptions, that's a signal to stress-test the concept, not to adjust the assumptions until they fit.

### Step 5: Go / No-Go Decision

Phase 1 ends with a real decision. Not "let's keep going and see" — a reasoned answer to the question: do market, location, and preliminary financials together justify the substantially higher costs of Phase 2?

If yes: proceed. If no, or if material questions remain open: more analysis or a deliberate stop.

---

## Phase 2: Planning and Design (Months 3–6)

The project becomes concrete in this phase. External advisors, architects, and lawyers come on board. Costs increase meaningfully. The point of no return approaches.

### Step 6: Secure the Site

Sign a letter of intent or option agreement for your preferred site. This gives you an exclusive negotiation window without full contractual commitment.

Don't sign the final lease until the design concept is established — you need to know what you're actually leasing and whether the site can support your facility as designed. Lease terms are negotiated now, not after signing.

### Step 7: Appoint an Architect and Specialist Engineers

Hire an architect with demonstrated experience in sports facilities or industrial-to-sports conversions — not a generalist with a good portfolio, but someone who understands what padel courts require structurally and mechanically.

Deliverables from this phase:
- **Floor plans and spatial layout:** Court configuration, circulation, changing rooms, reception, plant rooms
- **Structural assessment:** Is the existing structure suitable for courts and any elevated seating?
- **MEP design (mechanical, electrical, plumbing):** Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, drainage — typically the most expensive trade package in a sports hall conversion
- **Fire safety strategy**

> **The most expensive planning mistake in padel hall builds:** underestimating HVAC complexity and budget. Large indoor courts need precise temperature and humidity control — not just for player comfort, but for playing surface longevity and air quality. Courts installed in a poorly climate-controlled building will degrade faster and generate complaints. Budget for it properly from the start, not as a value-engineering target.

### Step 8: Court Supplier Selection

Get quotes from at least three court manufacturers. European suppliers vary in specification, warranty terms, and delivery capability — evaluate all three dimensions, not just price.

Coordinate technical requirements between the manufacturer and your architect from the outset: court dimensions, drainage specifications, lighting requirements (lux levels vary by playing standard), glass specifications, and foundation construction requirements.

This coordination needs to happen in Phase 2, not Phase 3. Conflicts discovered during construction between manufacturer specs and building design generate costly change orders.

### Step 9: Detailed Financial Model

With real lease costs, architectural estimates, and court quotes in hand, build the full model. Refine all assumptions and run explicit sensitivity analysis — at minimum across utilization (±15 percentage points) and construction costs (+20%). These aren't stress tests for show; they're the scenarios you should actually be planning for.

### Step 10: Secure Financing

Approach lenders with your full business plan. Typical capital structure for padel hall projects:
- 50–70% debt (bank loan)
- 30–50% equity (own funds, silent partners, shareholder loans)

What lenders will require: a credible financial model, collateral, your track record, and — almost universally for single-asset leisure facilities — personal guarantees from principal shareholders. See the companion article on investment risks for a full treatment of personal guarantee exposure.

Investigate public funding programs: development bank loans, regional sports infrastructure grants, and municipal co-investment schemes can reduce either equity requirements or interest burden. This research is worth several hours of your time.

### Step 11: Planning Permissions and Regulatory Approvals

Typically required: building permit (change-of-use application if the building isn't already zoned as a sports facility), noise impact assessment, possibly environmental review.

Budget four to six months for this step depending on the local authority and project complexity. The single best thing you can do to protect your timeline is to have informal pre-application conversations with the relevant authority before submitting. Find out what they'll ask for and address it upfront.

---

## Phase 3: Construction and Conversion (Months 6–12)

The most capital-intensive and schedule-sensitive phase. This is where budget and timeline either hold or don't.

### Step 12: Tender, Contract, and Mobilize

Have your architect prepare detailed specifications and tender the main trade packages. Decide whether to appoint a general contractor (single point of responsibility, cost premium) or to manage trades directly (lower cost, significantly higher management burden).

Key trades in a sports hall build or conversion:
- **Structural / civil:** If structural modifications are required
- **Ground works:** Court foundations and drainage — often the first significant milestone
- **HVAC:** Heating, ventilation, air conditioning — typically 20–25% of total construction cost
- **Electrical:** LED court lighting to lux standard, distribution boards, emergency systems
- **Plumbing:** Changing rooms, showers, bar if applicable

Negotiate fixed-price contracts where you can. Read the risk allocation provisions in every contract — not just the summary price.

### Step 13: Court Installation

Courts are installed after the building envelope is weathertight. This is a hard sequencing rule, not a suggestion.

Glass panels, artificial turf, and court metalwork must not be exposed to construction dust, moisture, and site traffic. Projects that try to accelerate schedules by installing courts before the building is properly enclosed regularly end up with surface contamination, glass damage, and voided manufacturer warranties.

> **The most common construction mistake on padel hall projects:** rushing court installation sequencing under schedule pressure. The pressure to hit an opening date is real — but installing courts into an unenclosed building is one of the most reliable ways to add cost and delay, not reduce them. Hold the sequence.

Allow two to four weeks for court installation per batch, depending on the manufacturer's crew capacity. Build this explicitly into your master program.

### Step 14: Fit-Out of Ancillary Areas

Reception desk, changing rooms and showers, lounge area, bar setup, pro shop fixtures. These spaces make the first impression on every visitor and should not be treated as afterthoughts. Budget, specification, and timeline for ancillary fit-out belong in your main construction program, not as a separate appendix.

### Step 15: IT Infrastructure, Booking System, and Access Control

Decide early: which booking platform, which point-of-sale system, and whether you want automated access control? System configuration — setting up courts, defining pricing rules, configuring memberships, integrating payments — takes longer than expected.

Access control systems must be coordinated with the electrical design. Adding them in the final stages of construction is possible but costs more.

> **The most common pre-opening mistake:** the booking system isn't fully configured, tested, and working on day one. A broken booking flow, failed test payments, or a QR code that leads to an error page on opening day kills your launch momentum in a way that's difficult to recover from. Test the system end-to-end — including real bookings, real payments, and real cancellations — two to four weeks before opening.

### Step 16: Inspections and Certifications

Fire safety sign-off, building control completion certificate, operating license where required, accessibility compliance. Allow four to eight weeks before your target opening date for this step. Do not schedule your opening event until at least the fire safety inspection is confirmed.

---

## Phase 4: Pre-Opening (Months 10–13)

The building is ready. Now you determine whether you have customers on day one — or whether you're waiting for the first booking in an empty hall.

### Step 17: Hire Your Team

Start recruiting three to four months before the planned opening. Last-minute hiring gets you whoever is still available.

Core opening team:
- **Facility manager:** Operational accountability, booking management, customer relationships — the most important hire and the hardest to get right. Don't compromise here.
- **Reception / front of house:** For peak times — weekday evenings and full weekend days
- **Coaches:** If coaching programs are in scope, quality over quantity. One excellent coach with an established following is worth three average ones.
- **Cleaning:** Regular court maintenance is not a secondary concern. Dirty courts generate reviews. Clean courts don't, which is exactly what you want.

### Step 18: Pre-Launch Marketing

Don't wait for opening day to become known. Build your community in advance:

- Social media construction updates generate local awareness and genuine anticipation
- Local partnerships: sports clubs, companies with wellness budgets, nearby fitness operators
- Press outreach: local media covers new sports infrastructure willingly — but only if you approach them with a clear story before the opening, not after
- Founding member offers or introductory pricing: these create an early customer base and stabilize early-stage utilization, which is the hardest period in any new venue's life

### Step 19: Soft Opening

Before the public launch, invite a curated group: local padel players, micro-influencers with relevant audiences, sports journalists, potential corporate clients. The goals are specific: real feedback on court quality and operational flow, early reviews, photographs and video of actual players in a working facility.

The soft opening is also your last opportunity to identify operational problems before normal operations begin. Find them now, not in week three.

### Step 20: Grand Opening

Celebrate it — but understand that opening day is the beginning of a long build, not its culmination. The operators who succeed long-term treat the opening as the start of their community-building program, not the end of their pre-opening marketing.

---

## Phase 5: Operations and Optimization (Ongoing)

Construction is finished. The real work starts now.

### Step 21: Monitor Utilization and Manage Pricing Dynamically

Not all time slots are equal. Monday evening at 8pm books out; Tuesday at 1pm runs at 15%. Dynamic pricing — lower rates during off-peak hours, premium pricing at high-demand slots — can materially improve overall utilization without acquiring a single new customer.

Measure by court, by day of week, by time slot. Which courts fill first? Which times consistently underperform? The answers are in the data your booking system generates daily. Use them.

### Step 22: Build the Community

A high-utilization padel venue isn't a booking machine — it's a social hub. Regular tournaments, recreational leagues, corporate events, beginner courses, themed evenings: these are the formats that convert first-time visitors into regulars.

Corporate clients are a consistently underestimated segment. Companies with employee wellness budgets actively want team activities and employee benefits — they just don't know your venue offers it. Direct outreach with a clear proposition (flat-rate group events, framework agreements for regular bookings) opens this channel efficiently.

### Step 23: Broaden Revenue Streams

Court bookings are your core revenue, but rarely your only opportunity:

- **Coaching:** Qualified coaches with existing client bases are a real revenue lever when the compensation model is structured well
- **Equipment:** Racket rental and retail, balls, accessories — low capital requirement, reasonable margin
- **Food and beverage:** If you do this, do it properly or outsource it to a dedicated operator. A mediocre café doesn't just underperform — it actively degrades the overall venue impression.
- **Memberships:** Monthly packages with guaranteed booking allowances stabilize cash flow and build medium-term customer retention

---

## What Separates Successful Builds from the Ones That Overshoot

Patterns emerge when you observe padel hall projects across a market over time.

**Projects that go over budget** almost always cut at the wrong place early — too little HVAC budget, no construction contingency, a cheap general contractor without adequate contractual protection. The savings on the way in become much larger costs on the way out.

**Projects that slip their schedule** consistently underestimate the regulatory process. Permits, noise assessments, and change-of-use applications take time that money cannot buy once you've started too late. Start conversations with authorities before you need the approvals, not when you need them.

**Projects that open weakly** started marketing too late and tested the booking system too late. An empty calendar on day one and a broken booking page create impressions that stick longer than the opening week.

**Projects that succeed long-term** treat all three phases — planning, build, and opening — with equal rigor, and invest early and consistently in community and repeat customers.

---

## Find Builders and Suppliers Through Padelnomics

Padelnomics maintains a directory of verified build partners for padel hall projects: architects with sports facility experience, court suppliers, HVAC specialists, and operational consultants.

If you're currently in Phase 1 or Phase 2 and looking for the right partners, the directory is the fastest place to start.
