Last updated October 2026
Play and Sport Surfaces builds, resurfaces and maintains pitches and courts for football, rugby, hockey, tennis and cricket clubs across the UK. Official 2026 benchmarks put a set of four new tennis courts at £150,000 to £200,000, tennis resurfacing at £12,500 to £17,500, and a floodlit 3G training pitch at £515,000 to £545,000 excluding VAT. Most club projects follow a funding decision, so we quote early enough to support your bid.
For most clubs the real question is not the build price but who pays for which part, and what the club has to commit to afterwards.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Project | Size | Typical cost | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New tennis courts | set of 4 | £150,000 (porous asphalt) to £200,000 (acrylic clay) | LTA | High |
| Tennis court resurfacing | average by surface | £12,500 (artificial grass) to £17,500 (acrylic clay) | LTA | High (per court) |
| 3G training pitch, fenced, floodlit | 61 x 43 m | £515,000 to £545,000 ex VAT | Sport England, Q4 2025 | High |
| 3G senior football pitch, fenced, floodlit | 106 x 70 m | £1,185,000 to £1,245,000 ex VAT | Sport England, Q4 2025 | High |
| Sand-dressed hockey pitch | 101.4 x 63 m | £1,010,000 ex VAT | Sport England, Q4 2025 | High |
| 3G carpet replacement, one council pitch | pitch size not stated | £120,000 estimate after a 10-year life | Woodley Town Council, 2024 | Medium |
| Artificial cricket wicket or hybrid pitch | per pitch | priced on survey | none published | Firm once surveyed |
Which grants and loans can a club use?
Three routes cover most club projects. The Football Foundation funds 3G pitches, fencing, portable floodlights and maintenance machinery, with 3G, fencing and floodlight grants listed at up to £25,000. The LTA lends to tennis venues at a 5% fixed rate, with a discretionary 50% interest reduction for venues in IMD 1 to 4 areas. Sport England’s Movement Fund gives £300 to £15,000 and matches what you raise from your community.
Each has limits. The Football Foundation will not fund facilities without community use, projects for private gain, routine maintenance or work already done. The LTA lends only to properly constituted, not-for-profit, inclusive venues, not to individuals or companies limited by shares, and it prioritises covered courts. The guide to funding sports and play surfaces has the full table.
What does the Football Foundation expect after it funds a pitch?
A long commitment. One council’s grant terms run for 21 years from acceptance and require the pitch to be listed on the FA 3G Football Turf Pitch Register, kept in good repair, run to an agreed management plan, and its accounts kept properly. Charges to the public could not rise faster than RPI. Another council’s report records that funding depended on a satisfactory programme of use and enough income to cover annual maintenance.
Build those conditions into your business plan before you apply, because they outlast most committees.
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 should a club put aside each year?
Enough to replace the surface when it wears out. Woodley Town Council moves £12,000 a year into a reserve for its 3G surface, expecting a 10-year life and a £120,000 replacement. For porous macadam tennis courts, the LTA plans a repaint every 5 years and a resurface every 8 to 10, so a club with four courts should budget for both cycles.
See artificial pitch maintenance for the yearly running costs of a 3G pitch.
Can you build tennis courts for a club?
Yes, from a single court to a full set with fencing and floodlights. The LTA’s set-of-four averages run from £150,000 for porous asphalt to £200,000 for acrylic clay. Tennis court construction covers surfaces, lighting and build time, and tennis court cost breaks the price down.
Can you build a 3G or hockey pitch?
Yes. 3G football pitch construction covers 3G, sand-filled and water-based pitches, with Sport England’s benchmarks for each size and pile height. Most clubs only reach these figures with grant funding and by sharing the project with a school or council.
What about cricket?
We quote artificial wickets, hybrid pitches and nets on survey, because no official price benchmark exists for them. Send the number of strips, the square layout and your ground’s access, and see synthetic cricket pitch installation for options.
Do club projects need planning permission?
New pitches, floodlights and tall fencing often do, and the LTA lists a change of court surface or colour too; for a like-for-like resurface, ask the council to confirm in writing. The planning permission guide for courts and pitches sets out which is which, and Sport England’s benchmarks already include planning within their 6% fees.
Could a club add padel?
Many tennis clubs are weighing it up. Our sister site covers padel courts for clubs and operators, including converting tennis courts and the planning questions padel raises.
What’s included
- Ground, drainage and access survey of your site
- Itemised quote that separates grant-eligible items from the rest
- Base works, surface, fencing and lighting as quoted
- Line marking for your sports
- A maintenance plan with the handover
What’s not included
- VAT, as its own line
- Grant applications, which the club submits
- Ground investigation, unless listed
- Maintenance machinery, unless listed
Illustrative example
Worked from the LTA rows above; this is not a real club. A tennis club with four ageing porous asphalt courts compares resurfacing with rebuilding. On the LTA averages, resurfacing a porous asphalt court runs at about £15,000, or £60,000 for all four, while a new set of four averages £150,000. If its base is sound, resurfacing is the far cheaper way to keep the courts in play, and an LTA loan at 5% may help spread the cost if the club qualifies.
Who does the work
Play and Sport Surfaces is a WeDo Property Services service. Alex Winser runs your club’s project from enquiry to handover and is the one contact for your committee, while the installers build or renew the surface.
FAQs
Can you help with our Football Foundation application?
We provide the costed, itemised quote funders ask for. The club writes and submits the bid.
Does the LTA lend for resurfacing?
Its loan page does not mention resurfacing, so ask the LTA before applying.
Do you work with clubs that share a school site?
Yes. Tell us who owns the land and who signs the contract.
Can you quote in phases?
Yes, so the club can fund one stage at a time.
Is VAT included in club prices?
No. Clubs recover VAT differently, so it is always a separate line.
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, Quick access loan scheme, read Oct 2026
- Sport England, Facility Cost Guidance Q4 2025, published Feb 2026
- Sport England, Movement Fund, read Oct 2026
- Football Foundation, Looking for funding, read Oct 2026
- Woodley Town Council, 3G Pitch Management Development Plan 2024 to 2025, Apr 2024
- Bolsover District Council, Pitch improvements report, Jul 2020