Last updated October 2026
Play and Sport Surfaces cleans, repairs, relines and inspects play and sports surfaces for schools, councils, clubs and parks across the UK. Real figures put a wetpour patch at £120, an LTA moss treatment at about £150 a court, and a RoSPA annual play inspection from £83 per play area, all excluding VAT. A planned yearly visit costs far less than replacing a surface early, and one-off repairs are quoted as soon as we have photos.
Every surface needs some upkeep each year, and the cost is small next to replacement.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Surface | Main yearly tasks | Real or published cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennis courts (porous asphalt) | Weekly sweep; moss and algae treatment in spring or autumn; pressure clean once or twice a year | about £150 (treatment) and £350 (pressure clean) per court, indicative | LTA court maintenance guide, 2024 |
| Tennis courts, three-court deep clean | Chemical treatment, then rotary deep clean | £450 and £1,950 + VAT | Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, 2025 |
| 3G pitch | Brushing at least twice a week; rubber infill top-ups; a reserve for replacement | top-ups £2,245 to £5,955; reserve £12,000 a year | Woodley Town Council, 2024 |
| Wetpour play surface | Inspection; patching splits and edges; overlays where worn | patch £120; overlay £1,700 | Wem Town Council, 2025 |
| MUGA (macadam) | Relining; resurfacing when worn | £600 per sport relining; about £36 per m2 resurface + VAT | Wickham Parish Council, 2025 |
| Any public play area | Weekly routine check by staff; independent annual inspection | from £83 + VAT per play area | RoSPA rate quoted to Milford on Sea Parish Council, 2026 |
What maintenance does each surface need, and how much does it cost a year?
It depends on the surface, but the pattern is the same: frequent light checks by your own staff, then one or two specialist visits a year. The table above shows the published cost of each specialist task, and each surface has its own page with full detail:
- Artificial pitch maintenance for 3G and sand pitches
- Tennis court cleaning for moss, algae and repainting
- Wetpour repair for splits, edges and overlays
- MUGA resurfacing for relining and new surfaces
- Playground inspections for routine, operational and annual checks
Which jobs can our own staff do?
The frequent, low-skill ones. RoSPA expects a routine playground check at least weekly, carried out by the manager or staff and written down. The LTA’s court guide gives weekly sweeping and leaf clearing to the venue itself. Specialist cleaning, patching, relining and the annual inspection are where outside help is needed.
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.
When is a repair better than resurfacing?
When the damage is local and the base is sound. Wem Town Council’s quotes show the gap: a patch by the swings at £120 against a full overlay under a carousel at £1,700. A tennis court that is slippery with moss may need cleaning and a repaint rather than a new surface. The survey looks at the base before recommending either, so you do not pay to resurface over a problem underneath.
Can maintenance be funded?
Sometimes, though most of it comes from running budgets. The PE and sport premium can pay for maintenance of a primary school’s existing facilities, and the DfE’s own example is repainting playground lines. The Football Foundation funds 3G maintenance machinery but not routine maintenance itself. The guide to funding sports and play surfaces lists each route.
How often should a surface be replaced?
On a cycle you can plan for. The LTA’s guidance is that porous macadam tennis courts are repainted every 5 years and resurfaced every 8 to 10, and councils plan 3G carpets around a 10-year life. Put money aside each year from the start, so replacement is a budget line rather than a crisis.
Can you set up a yearly maintenance visit?
Yes. Tell us the surfaces on your site, and we quote a yearly programme that lists each visit, what it covers and what it costs, with any repairs priced separately before they are done.
What’s included
- A site visit to assess every surface you list
- A written programme with visit dates, tasks and prices
- Cleaning, treatment, patching or relining as quoted
- A short report after each visit, with photos of anything that needs attention
What’s not included
- VAT, shown separately
- Repairs found during a visit, which are quoted before they are carried out
- Resurfacing or replacement, quoted on its own
- Equipment repairs, unless listed
Illustrative example
From the table only; not a real contract. A small club has two porous asphalt tennis courts and one public play area. One moss treatment and one pressure clean on both courts comes to about £1,000 at the LTA’s indicative rates, and a RoSPA annual inspection of the play area from £83, so the year’s specialist upkeep starts at about £1,100 excluding VAT.
Who does the work
Play and Sport Surfaces is a WeDo Property Services service. Alex Winser sets up and runs your maintenance programme, the installers carry out each visit, and annual play inspections are done by an independent inspector.
FAQs
Do you maintain surfaces you did not install?
Yes. We survey the existing surface first and quote what it needs.
Can maintenance be booked at short notice?
Ask when you enquire. Small jobs such as cleaning or a patch can often be fitted in quickly.
Do you carry out RoSPA inspections?
Annual inspections are carried out by an independent inspector, as RoSPA advises.
Will cleaning affect our warranty?
Check your surface warranty first; most require regular cleaning, and we follow the maker’s instructions.
Is VAT included in maintenance prices?
No. VAT is shown as its own line.
Sources
- LTA, General maintenance of courts, July 2024
- LTA, How much does it cost to build or renovate a tennis court, read Oct 2026
- LTA, court surfaces guidance, read Oct 2026
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, Annual Review of Tennis addendum, 2025
- Woodley Town Council, 3G Pitch Management Development Plan 2024 to 2025, Apr 2024
- Wem Town Council, Contractor quotes (agenda item 14), Feb 2025
- Wickham Parish Council, Recreation Committee document pack, 27 Feb 2025
- RoSPA Play Safety, Inspection and maintenance of playgrounds, updated Mar 2026
- Milford on Sea Parish Council, RoSPA play park inspection schedule, June 2026
- DfE, PE and sport premium guidance for primary schools, updated 24 Sept 2026
- Football Foundation, 3G maintenance machinery and equipment grant, read Oct 2026