Last updated October 2026
We build multi use games areas for schools, academies, parish councils, sports clubs, holiday parks and housing developers across the UK. Sport England’s Q4 2025 benchmark for a fenced, floodlit macadam MUGA of 782 m2 is £190,000 excluding VAT; small, simple courts start from about £15,000. One installer publishes 4 to 12 weeks on site. Send a site plan and the sports you want, and we arrange a survey and quote.
A full-specification MUGA works out at just under £250 per m2, and resurfacing one later costs about a seventh of that.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Item | Size or unit | Price (excl. VAT) | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New MUGA, macadam, fenced, sports lighting | 36.60 x 21.35 m (782 m2) | £190,000 | Sport England, Q4 2025 | High |
| Same court per m2 (our calculation) | per m2 | about £243 | From the row above | High |
| New MUGA, all sizes and specifications | per project | from about £15,000 to £250,000 | Nova Sport, Aug 2024 | Low |
| Resurfacing an existing MUGA, 35 mm porous multisport | 713 m2 | £24,000 to £26,400 (about £36 per m2) | Three quotes, Wickham Parish Council, Feb 2025 | Medium |
| Relining after resurfacing | per sport, or whole court | £600 per sport; £1,250 whole court | Same Wickham pack | Medium |
Sport England’s figure includes fencing, lighting, a notional allowance for external works and 6% fees for project management, site investigation and planning. It leaves out VAT, poor ground, difficult access, long service connections and regional cost differences.
What does a new MUGA cost to build?
From about £15,000 for a small unlit court on an existing base to £190,000 or more for a fenced, floodlit one, before VAT. Floodlights, fence height and the ground decide where your court lands, and reusing a sound tarmac base saves the most. The line-by-line breakdown is on MUGA cost.
What is a MUGA, and which sports can it host?
A MUGA is a fenced, hard-surfaced outdoor court marked for several sports, so one footprint serves football, netball, basketball, tennis practice and hockey skills. For a school or parish, the point is one budget and one maintenance plan for many users.
Decide which sport matters most before anything is drawn. That choice sets the surface, the fence height, the goals and hoops, and the lines.
How it works
- 01Send a plan and photosThe site, the surface and the date it must reopen.
- 02We check the groundLevels and where the water drains.
- 03Written quoteBuilt around your reopening date.
Macadam, polymeric or artificial grass: which surface?
Match the surface to your main sport. Macadam is the surface Sport England costs and suits ball-bounce games such as netball, basketball and tennis. Sand-filled or sand-dressed artificial grass suits football-led courts. Polymeric is a rubber-based layer that feels softer underfoot.
Whichever you pick, ask for the quote to name the surface system, its depth and the base build-up underneath. Two quotes can only be compared when those three lines match.
How big should our MUGA be?
Size it to your sports and the space you can give up. Sport England’s costed court is 36.60 x 21.35 m. Primary schools and tight village sites often choose a smaller court. Measure the whole area including run-off, not just the playing lines.
Fencing, floodlights and goals: what do they add?
They are the biggest optional costs after the base itself. Rebound fencing keeps the ball in play, and lighting lets a club or council hire the court out on winter evenings. Ask for fencing, lighting and goal ends as separate quote lines, so you can see each one’s effect on the total.
Will fencing and floodlights on our MUGA need planning?
Often, yes. New fencing above permitted heights, floodlights and a new hard surface on a playing field are the usual triggers. Sport England builds planning fees into its 6% allowance, which tells you planning is a normal MUGA cost. When an application is likely, and the time it adds, is set out in our guide to planning permission for courts and pitches.
How long does a MUGA take to build?
One installer publishes 4 to 12 weeks on site, depending on the ground, the weather and the extras. Planning and lead times for fencing and lighting come before that. If the court must be ready for a term start or a summer season, tell us at enquiry and the programme is built back from that date.
Can a covered MUGA be built?
Yes. Canopies and covered structures are designed separately from the court and need their own structural design and almost always planning permission. We price the court and the cover as separate lines after survey, because no published benchmark exists for covered MUGAs.
Can a MUGA go on an old tarmac playground?
Often, if the existing base is sound, level and drains. A survey cores or inspects the old surface before you are quoted. If it is cracked through or sinking, the price includes taking it out and building a new base, so you are not paying for a new top on a failing foundation.
Can PE and sport premium pay for a MUGA?
No. The gov.uk guidance says the primary PE and sport premium must not fund capital spending and names multi-use games areas as capital. Schools usually combine capital budgets, parent fundraising and community grants; the playground grants guide lists what each funder will and will not pay for.
Who maintains it, and what does resurfacing cost later?
You do, and the bill is predictable. In February 2025 Wickham Parish Council received three quotes to resurface its 713 m2 Knowle MUGA, at £24,000 to £26,400 excluding VAT, plus relining. Brushing and moss treatment between resurfacings keep a porous surface draining; see MUGA resurfacing for the upkeep plan and prices.
What’s included
- Site survey: ground, levels, drainage, access and services
- Written quote naming surface system, base build-up, fence and lighting specification
- Excavation and base construction to that specification
- Surface, fencing, gates and line markings as quoted
- Goals, hoops and nets where listed
- Floodlights where listed
- Final check of the court with you before handover
What’s not included
- VAT, shown on its own line
- Planning application fees, unless the quote lists them
- New electrical supply for lighting, unless listed
- Extra work from ground problems found on excavation, priced before it starts
- Biodiversity net gain requirements, which Sport England also excludes
Illustrative example
Built only from the price table, not from a real job. A parish council wants a court the size of Sport England’s example, 782 m2, in macadam with fencing and floodlights: the benchmark is £190,000 excluding VAT. When it is due, resurfacing at about £36 per m2 would cost roughly £28,000, plus about £1,250 to reline. Dropping the lights or reusing a sound base lowers the build figure; poor ground raises it.
Who does the work
Play and Sport Surfaces is a WeDo Property Services service. Alex Winser runs your MUGA hands-on from first call to handover, the surfacing teams build the base, surface and fencing, and the specialist teams handle the lighting and any other work the court needs, on one fixed written price.
Often needed alongside
New courts often get tennis court marking for extra sports, and the tarmac around them gets school playground markings. If football is the only sport and the site is big enough, compare 3G football pitch construction. School buyers can see the whole picture on our schools and academies page, and parish clerks on councils and parish councils.
FAQs
How does a MUGA compare with a 3G pitch on price?
It costs far less: £190,000 against at least £515,000 for a junior 3G pitch on Sport England’s figures.
Can the public use our MUGA?
That is your choice, but some grants require community use, so check before applying.
Can floodlights be added later?
Yes, if ducting is laid during the build. Ask for ducts even if lights are not in this budget.
Do you build unfenced MUGAs?
Yes. Low rebound panels or no fence at all suit some primary sites and cut the cost.
What should we send for a MUGA quote?
A site plan or photos with rough sizes, the sports you want, your deadline and how lorries reach the area.
Sources
- Sport England, Facility Cost Guidance Q4 2025, published Feb 2026
- Nova Sport, How much does a MUGA cost, Aug 2024
- Wickham Parish Council, Recreation Committee document pack, 27 Feb 2025
- DfE, PE and sport premium guidance for primary schools, updated 24 Sept 2026