Padel Has Arrived in the United States
For years padel was the sport Americans heard about from friends who had been to Spain. That changed quickly. The SFIA's 2026 Topline Participation Report, the first to track the sport, counted about 1.07 million Americans who played padel in 2025. Of those, roughly 238,000 played eight or more times, which is the core group that buys memberships.
The courts followed. The U.S. Padel Association says the country passed just over 1,000 open courts across 31 states in April 2026. It also reported that club memberships grew about 51 percent in 2025, and it projects as many as 10,000 courts by 2030. That projection is a forecast, not a promise, but the direction is clear.
Why Padel Ends Up in Warehouses
Padel is played on a 20 by 10 meter court enclosed by glass and mesh walls, and the walls are in play. Players hit high defensive lobs all the time. That makes the ceiling the single most important feature of any indoor site.
The International Padel Federation (FIP) rules require a minimum free height of 6 meters, about 19.7 feet, over the whole court, with nothing such as a light fixture hanging into that space. For new facilities, the FIP suggests 8 meters, about 26 feet. Most retail boxes and office floors cannot come close. Clear-span warehouses and light-industrial flex buildings can.
The founders of NorthPoint Padel, which opened Indiana's first padel facility in Westfield in January 2026, said it plainly: finding high ceilings usually means industrial zoning, and they already had a warehouse with 32-foot ceilings.
What a Good Padel Building Looks Like
- True clear height of 26 feet or more measured under the lowest obstruction, not the roof deck
- Wide column spacing so courts sit in clean rows without stranded floor
- A sound, level slab that can hold the anchor bolts for each court frame
- Enough power for LED sports lighting and new heating and cooling
- Parking that will satisfy a recreation-use ratio, which is usually higher than a warehouse ratio
- Loading doors for delivering crated glass and steel
Listing sheets advertise clear height, but sprinkler mains, unit heaters, and joists often hang lower. Walk the building with a laser meter before you sign anything.
How Much Space a Club Needs
The playing surface is only part of the footprint. Each court needs room for its frame, entry doors, walkways, and spectators. A practical planning figure is about 3,500 to 4,500 square feet per court once circulation is included, before the lounge and locker rooms.
Real projects line up with that. Epic Padel's Milwaukee club, approved in 2026, uses about 31,000 square feet of a light-industrial building for eight indoor courts plus a warm-up area, locker rooms, a lounge, co-working space, and a cafe. That works out to under 4,000 square feet per court, amenities included.
How Many Courts to Build
Early U.S. clubs often opened with two or three courts. NorthPoint launched with two and runs them around the clock through an app with digital door access. That model works for a lean, unstaffed site.
A staffed club with a lounge and coaching usually needs more courts to cover its costs. Peak demand falls on weekday evenings and weekend mornings, and a league night needs several courts at once. Many new clubs plan for five or more courts. Settle your court count first and let it choose the building.
Where the Money Goes
The courts themselves are not the biggest cost. The building work is: fixing the slab, moving sprinklers, adding HVAC, building restrooms and showers, and installing sports lighting. Our padel club cost breakdown walks through each line and explains why an all-in conversion costs far more per court than the court kit alone.
The Approvals You Will Need
A warehouse is approved for storage or industrial work. A padel club is an assembly and recreation use. That means a change of use, a building permit for the new occupancy, and often a conditional or special use permit. Epic Padel needed a special use permit from Milwaukee's Board of Zoning Appeals before it could open. See our guide to padel club zoning and permits for the full list.
Is Padel Right for Your Building?
If your building is tall, has wide bays, and sits near a population of tennis and pickleball players, padel is one of the strongest uses you can put in it. If the ceiling is closer to 20 feet, pickleball may fit better. Our padel vs pickleball comparison lays out the trade-offs, and our article on the warehouse-to-pickleball boom covers the other option.
Related Reading
- Running an Indoor Padel Court: Lighting, Turf, Glass, and Climate
- Warehouse and Big-Box Conversions Ranked for 2026
- Empty Warehouse to Climbing Gym: What the 2026 Numbers Actually Support
Follow the full warehouse to indoor padel club guide, and estimate your budget with the cost calculator.