Groundworks — the part nobody sees but everyone feels.
The base under a padel court does more work than any other component. We've been doing groundworks across the UK for twenty years, and we build padel bases the way a structural job deserves.
Groundworks is where most padel courts win or lose. Get the drainage, sub-base and concrete right and the court plays true for decades. Get them wrong and you'll be looking at standing water, surface lift and cracked slabs inside a handful of seasons.
We come from a construction and groundworks background, so this isn't a side service for us — it's the bit we've been doing longest, and the bit we care about most.
What we actually do.
Site clearance & strip
Vegetation removal, topsoil strip and disposal, level checks and grid setting out.
Excavation
Excavation to design depth with proper compaction testing and edge stability.
Drainage design & install
Falls, perimeter and sub-surface drainage tied into existing site systems or new soakaways.
Sub-base
MOT Type 1 or engineered sub-base laid and compacted in lifts, with CBR-checked stability.
Reinforced concrete slab
Steel-reinforced concrete base poured to tolerance, with proper cure and joint design.
Edge & fixings
Kerb edge detailing, post fixings and tolerances ready for the court structure to land cleanly.
Get this stage right or pay for it later.
An under-specified base is the most expensive mistake in UK padel right now. Once turf and glass are on top of a failing slab, putting it right means stripping the entire court back — a six-figure correction for the sake of saving a few thousand at the start.
But a padel base is not simply about adding more concrete or reinforcement. It is about building the right specification accurately. A contractor unfamiliar with padel can over-engineer the slab and add unnecessary cost, while still missing the levels and tolerances needed for the court structure, glass and playing surface above.
Our bases are designed for the British climate: drainage that copes with the wet, slabs that don't move, and tolerances that let the courts above sit and play correctly.
Can I use my own groundworks contractor?
Yes. Build & Padel does not have to undertake every element of a project. If you already have a contractor you trust, we can review the court manufacturer's requirements, base specification and critical construction stages so that the finished base is ready for installation.
Construction Assurance
Build & Padel can act as the customer's specialist eyes and ears where groundworks are delivered by another contractor — checking the specification, key construction stages and readiness for court installation.
Discuss Construction Assurance →
Read: What groundworks and foundations does a padel court need? →
Already have a groundworks contractor? We can work alongside them through Build & Padel Construction Assurance.
Get the base right for your court.
Whether we build it or your own contractor does, the levels, drainage and tolerances need to match the court being installed.