Last updated October 2026
The LTA’s average cost to build a set of four tennis courts runs from £150,000 for porous asphalt to £200,000 for acrylic clay, which is £37,500 to £50,000 a court. Sport England’s Q4 2025 figures for fenced, floodlit macadam courts are £260,000 for two, £460,000 for four and £605,000 for six, excluding VAT. This page breaks those figures down for clubs, schools, councils and homeowners and shows what each one covers.
The two official sources differ because Sport England’s figures include fencing, floodlights and fees, while the LTA’s do not say what they include.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Courts | Surface or spec | Cost | Per court (our calculation) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set of 4 | Porous asphalt | £150,000 | about £37,500 | LTA (VAT basis not stated) |
| Set of 4 | Artificial grass | £175,000 | about £43,750 | LTA |
| Set of 4 | Impervious acrylic | £175,000 | about £43,750 | LTA |
| Set of 4 | Acrylic clay | £200,000 | about £50,000 | LTA |
| 2 courts | Macadam, fenced, floodlit | £260,000 ex VAT | about £130,000 | Sport England, Q4 2025 |
| 4 courts | Macadam, fenced, floodlit | £460,000 ex VAT | about £115,000 | Sport England, Q4 2025 |
| 6 courts | Macadam, fenced, floodlit | £605,000 ex VAT | about £100,800 | Sport England, Q4 2025 |
| Resurfacing later | one court, by surface | £12,500 to £17,500 | £12,500 to £17,500 | LTA |
How much does it cost to build a tennis court?
For a club or school, budget around £37,500 to £50,000 a court on the LTA’s set-of-four averages, or around £100,000 to £130,000 a court on Sport England’s figures for fenced, floodlit macadam courts. The gap between them is mostly fencing, lighting and fees, which Sport England includes. Your survey and quote replace both with a figure for your site.
Why do the LTA and Sport England figures differ so much?
Because they measure different things. Sport England’s lines are full project costs: fenced, floodlit courts with 6% fees for project management, site investigation and planning, excluding VAT. The LTA gives an average cost of building a set of four courts by surface, without saying whether VAT, fencing or lighting are included. Use Sport England’s figures for a lit, fenced club project and the LTA’s for comparing surfaces.
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.
How much does it cost to put a tennis court in your garden?
No official body publishes a single-court price, so start from the LTA’s per-court share, about £37,500 to £50,000, and expect a single garden court to cost more per court. One court carries its own set-up, fencing on all sides and often difficult access through a garden. Floodlights add more, and fencing over 2 m high on a boundary needs planning permission in England. See homeowners for garden projects.
Which surface is cheapest to build?
Porous asphalt, on the LTA’s figures: £150,000 for a set of four, against £175,000 for artificial grass or impervious acrylic and £200,000 for acrylic clay. The cheapest to build is not always the cheapest to own, so compare upkeep and resurfacing costs too. Tennis court construction compares how each surface plays.
How much more do more courts cost?
Less per court as the number rises. On Sport England’s figures, a pair of lit courts works out at about £130,000 each, four at about £115,000 and six at about £100,800, because shared fencing, lighting and set-up are spread across more courts.
What does a court cost to keep going?
Plan for a repaint every 5 years and a resurface every 8 to 10, as the LTA advises for porous macadam courts, with resurfacing averaging £12,500 to £17,500 a court by surface. Cleaning in between costs far less; the LTA’s indicative figures are about £150 a court for moss treatment and £350 for a pressure clean. See tennis court cleaning and tennis court resurfacing.
Can a club borrow for new courts?
Yes, if it qualifies for the LTA’s loan scheme: 5% fixed interest, with a discretionary 50% reduction for venues in IMD 1 to 4 areas and priority for covered courts. Applicants must be properly constituted, not-for-profit, inclusive and accessible; companies limited by shares and individuals cannot apply. See the guide to funding sports and play surfaces.
Should we consider padel instead?
If space or budget is tight, it is worth comparing. A padel court takes less room than a tennis court, and our sister site sets out padel court cost and planning.
What’s included in our court quote
- Site survey covering levels, drainage, soil and the route in for plant
- Excavation, base and the chosen surface
- Fencing, gates, nets and posts as listed
- Floodlights where listed
- Line marking to the court layout
- A final check before handover
What’s not included
- VAT, as its own line
- Planning applications, unless listed
- Electrical supply for lights, unless listed
- Unexpected ground conditions, which are priced before the work carries on
Illustrative example
An illustration from the table rows, not one of our jobs. A school compares four LTA-average artificial grass courts at £175,000 with Sport England’s four fenced, floodlit macadam courts at £460,000 excluding VAT. The gap of about £285,000 shows how much the fencing, lighting and fees in Sport England’s figure can add, which is why the quote lists them separately.
Who prices and builds your court
Play and Sport Surfaces is a WeDo Property Services service. The team prices your courts after the survey, and Alex Winser runs the build to handover, and the installers lay the base, surface and fencing.
All other figures are on sports and playground surfacing costs.
FAQs
What is the cheapest way to build a tennis court?
Porous asphalt on a sound base, without floodlights, on the LTA’s figures.
Does the LTA price include VAT?
The LTA does not say. Sport England’s figures exclude VAT.
How many weeks should a club allow for a build?
Weeks on site are set in the quote once the ground has been surveyed.
Can an existing court be rebuilt for less than a new one?
Often, if the base can be reused. The survey checks it.
Is VAT included in your figures?
Only where the source says so; Sport England’s exclude it.
Sources
- LTA, How much does it cost to build or renovate a tennis court, read Oct 2026
- LTA, court surfaces guidance, read Oct 2026
- LTA, General maintenance of courts, July 2024
- LTA, Quick access loan scheme, read Oct 2026
- Sport England, Facility Cost Guidance Q4 2025, published Feb 2026
- Planning Portal, Height restrictions for fences, gates and garden walls, read Oct 2026