If you’re looking to install a tennis court at your home, school or sports club, there is a lot you need to consider and a wide choice of options in terms of surfaces, equipment and maintenance of the court.
You also need to consider what else the court will be used for. Although many courts are used solely for tennis, they can also be installed as part of a MUGA installation (Multi Use Games Area) which are increasingly popular with schools and public sports facilities.
The most expensive type of tennis courts range in cost from £50,000-£60,000, but because there are so many options to consider, the price can vary greatly. Natural grass and clay tennis courts are among the most expensive to install and maintain, with cement courts somewhat cheaper to build and significantly cheaper to maintain.
However, in recent years, synthetic grass and artificial clay court surfaces have improved significantly in quality and are now a viable alternative to natural courts, offering significantly lower maintenance costs.
As well as being cheaper to install, artificial courts can be used more regularly and are easier and cheaper to maintain. Synthetic surfaces can now replicate the feel of grass, clay and cement courts, and synthetic courts were already very popular for indoor courts.
Although synthetic courts still require some maintenance, this is considerably less than the equivalent natural court. For example if the courts use a sand or clay infill, this may have to be added and the surface should be brushed on a regular basis.
Our artificial surfaces have the highest UV stabiliser available that will protect against UV rays and prolong the life of the surface.
Many people can’t understand why a tennis court could be so expensive to install – it is after all a small area of flat ground. However, there are many complications that need to be taken into account with a tennis court installation project. Here are some of the main factors that can directly influence the cost of installing a court:
Whilst laying a driveway or surfacing a car park might look simple, a tennis court is another matter altogether. The preparation work for a new surface is considerable, with tennis court installations taking weeks rather than days. The site first needs to be cleared – the cost and complexity of this will vary, depending on what is currently on the site.
Proper drainage is then required to ensure that the court can be used as soon as possible after rain, and the surface itself must remain totally flat for many years, as any imperfections could affect play. So, a sub-layer is required below the playing surface, to allow proper drainage of the court.
Tennis court installation projects can also be very complicated logistically. Because most courts are installed at sports clubs or in very large gardens, the site is normally quite a distance from the nearest road. As well as transport costs, large amounts of materials need to be moved very carefully within the site itself, adding even further to construction costs and lead times.
Finally, once the groundwork is done, it is time to choose the playing surface. Traditionally, the choices consisted of cement, grass and clay. However, as synthetic surfaces have improved to the point that they now produce a playing experience very close to those of real courts these surfaces have grown rapidly in popularity.
They are considerably cheaper to maintain, and in the case of synthetic grass courts, can be used all year round, whereas real grass courts may need to be left for the playing surface to grow back following periods of heavy use.
Depending on the nature of the installation, there are still many optional extras that can add further to the cost of a court. All courts will of course need a net, and the posts need to be mounted firmly and positioned very precisely. Other options might include fences, floodlights, seating or even water fountains if the court is being installed at a private tennis club.
You can now see why the costs of installing a tennis court are so significant, and why artificial tennis courts are growing so rapidly in popularity.
If you would like to discuss a tennis court project, contact us through the website, or call us on 01924 412488 and our experts will be happy to assist you.
