Two Racket Sports, One Empty Building
Owners of vacant warehouses keep hearing the same pitch from two directions: turn it into a pickleball center, or turn it into a padel club. Both sports are booming, both fit well in industrial buildings, and both can fill a building that has sat empty. But they are not interchangeable, and the building often makes the choice for you.
The Player Numbers
Pickleball is far bigger. The SFIA counted about 24.3 million American pickleball players in 2025. Padel had about 1.07 million in the same year, the first time SFIA tracked it.
Padel is smaller but younger as a U.S. business. The U.S. Padel Association counted just over 1,000 courts in April 2026 and reported club memberships up about 51 percent in 2025. In many cities, padel is where pickleball was a few years ago: few courts, strong demand, and room for a first mover.
Ceiling Height Decides a Lot
This is the biggest physical difference.
- Padel: the FIP requires a minimum of 6 meters, about 19.7 feet, of clear height over the whole court, and suggests 8 meters, about 26 feet, for new facilities.
- Pickleball: summaries of the USA Pickleball construction guidance commonly cite about 18 feet at the net as a minimum, with more preferred for competitive play.
A building with 20 feet of true clear height is a solid pickleball candidate and a borderline padel site at best. A building with 28 to 32 feet works well for either.
Space Per Court
A padel court is 20 by 10 meters, about 66 by 33 feet, inside a glass enclosure. A pickleball court is 20 by 44 feet, and a full playing area with run-out is often planned at about 30 by 60 feet.
That means a given floor plate holds far more pickleball courts than padel courts. Padel makes up for it with higher revenue per court, since each booking is usually four players at a higher hourly rate.
Build Cost
Padel courts cost more. A pickleball court is mostly a surface, a net, and some fencing or dividers. A padel court needs a steel frame, tempered glass, mesh, turf, and sand. U.S. pricing guides put padel court packages from about $23,000 for a basic classic court to $75,000 or more for a full panoramic show court, before the building work.
The building costs, including HVAC, restrooms, sprinklers, and lighting, are similar for both. Compare our padel club cost breakdown with our pickleball facility cost guide.
Side-by-Side Summary
- Player base: pickleball is much larger today; padel is growing from a small base.
- Clear height: padel needs about 20 to 26 feet or more; pickleball can work from about 18 feet.
- Courts per building: pickleball fits more courts in the same floor area.
- Court cost: padel courts cost considerably more.
- Noise: both are loud. Pickleball's pop is a common neighbor complaint, and padel adds ball strikes off glass.
- Competition: pickleball is crowded in many metros. Padel often has fewer rivals.
- Who plays: pickleball draws a wide age range. Padel draws heavily from tennis players and younger, social groups.
Can You Do Both?
Yes, and some new clubs do. A shared front desk, lounge, locker rooms, and bar can serve both sports. Put padel courts under the tallest bays and pickleball courts where the ceiling drops. The combined player pool helps fill weekday hours, which is where most racket clubs struggle.
How to Decide
- Measure the true clear height first. If it is under about 20 feet anywhere above the court area, padel is likely out.
- Map the competition within a 15 to 20 minute drive for each sport.
- Count the tennis players nearby. They convert to padel quickly.
- Price both builds, including courts, and compare revenue per square foot, not per court.
For the full process, start with our posts on converting a warehouse to a padel club and warehouse-to-pickleball conversions.
Related Reading
- Padel Club Permits: Zoning, Change of Use, and Assembly Occupancy
- Pickleball Court Build: Flooring, Lighting, and the Noise Problem
- Warehouse and Big-Box Conversions Ranked for 2026
Compare the warehouse to padel club guide with the warehouse to pickleball facility guide, and estimate either one with the cost calculator.