Court Layout Calculator
See how many pickleball or badminton courts fit in your building, around its columns, with the run-off and clear height each court needs.
Your building
How many courts fit in a building?
A court is more than its lines. Players need clear space behind the baselines and beside the sidelines, and indoors they need height above it. This calculator gives every court its full play area, keeps that area clear of columns, and tries the courts both ways round in your building to find the larger count.
Pickleball: how much floor per court
| What | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Court lines (singles and doubles) | 20 × 44 ft (6.10 × 13.41 m), measured to the outside of the lines | 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook, 3.A.1–3.A.2 |
| Minimum playing surface | 30 × 60 ft (9.14 × 18.29 m): 5 ft beside, 8 ft behind | Rulebook 3.A.3 |
| New construction and tournament play | 34 × 64 ft (10.36 × 19.5 m): 7 ft beside, 10 ft behind | Rulebook 3.A.3 table |
| Clear height | No rule. Reported recommendation: about 18 ft for 30 × 60, about 21 ft for 34 × 64 | USA Pickleball / ASBA construction manual (2020), as quoted by a secondary source |
The rulebook treats a ceiling or light fixture as a permanent object: a ball that touches one is a fault, not a let, so a low ceiling costs points rather than breaking the rules. The clear-height figures come from the USA Pickleball / ASBA construction manual as reported by a secondary source; the manual itself is a paid publication we couldn't read.
Space between courts is not settled. The rulebook gives a playing surface per court but doesn't say whether neighbours can share it. This calculator lets them share, so two 30 × 60 ft courts sit 10 ft apart sideline to sideline, and two 34 × 64 ft courts 14 ft apart. Published advice for that gap ranges from about 8 to 14 ft, often with divider nets; ask your court builder.
Badminton: how much floor per court
| What | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Doubles court lines | 13.4 × 6.1 m (44 × 20 ft) | BWF Laws of Badminton; Sport England design note |
| Beside the sidelines, and between courts side by side | 1.5 m (shared between neighbouring courts) | Sport England (2011), Table 2 |
| Behind each baseline, to a wall | 2.0 m | Sport England (2011), Table 2 |
| Clear height | 6.7 m community, 7.5 m club, 9.0 m premier; 6.1 m absolute minimum for recreational play | Sport England (2011), Table 3 |
| BWF-sanctioned tournaments | 9 m clear; 12 m and 4 m between courts recommended for Grade 1–2 | BWF Statutes 5.3.4 (2019) |
One court with its run-off is 9.1 × 17.4 m (about 1,705 sq ft), almost the same as pickleball's 30 × 60 ft minimum. Each extra court side by side adds 7.6 m: four in a row need 31.9 × 17.4 m. Courts laid end to end need a dividing curtain between them, with 1.5 m from each back line to the curtain at community and club level (2 m at premier level); the calculator doesn't count the curtain's thickness. The Sport England note dates from 2011 and is the newest one we found. Clear height is needed over the courts, measured under beams, backboards and lights.
What kind of building has the height?
Light-industrial and flex buildings are commonly 18 to 24 ft clear; newer distribution warehouses run higher. That puts many of them within reach of pickleball's reported 18 to 21 ft, while badminton's 7.5 m (24.6 ft) club height usually needs a taller building, and its 6.7 m (22 ft) community height sits at the top of the flex range. Measure the clear height yourself, under the lowest beam, light, duct or sprinkler pipe.
Why columns matter so much
Warehouses suitable for conversion have column grids from about 30 to 60 ft on centre, older and smaller buildings at the low end. A column inside a play area is a hazard, so that court position is lost. Courts can still sit between column lines, or in a strip that runs between two rows of columns, so the answer depends on whether one play area fits in a bay: a 34 ft wide pickleball surface fits a 40 ft bay but not a 30 ft one. Enter your own grid and the calculator shows how many courts the columns cost.
What the calculator doesn't check
- Exits, fire separation, sprinklers, accessible routes, occupancy and zoning (some industrial zones don't allow indoor recreation): ask your architect and planning department.
- Lighting, netting between courts, spectator seating, storage and parking.
- Layouts mixing court orientations or staggered rows, which can sometimes fit one more court when drawn by hand.
- Walls that aren't square or columns off a regular grid.
To test those, draw the building to scale and place the courts yourself: RoomSketch3D has regulation pickleball and badminton courts and ready-made Pickleball Courts and Badminton Hall templates. Once you know your court count, the court facility break-even calculator shows what it would take to cover the rent.
Sources
- USA Pickleball, 2026 Official Rulebook, Section 3 (court, playing surface, net) and the definition of a permanent object.
- USA Pickleball / ASBA, Pickleball Courts Construction & Maintenance Manual (2020): indoor clear heights as reported by a secondary source, not read directly.
- BWF, Laws of Badminton (court, posts and net), and BWF Statutes Section 5.3.4, Specifications for International Standard Facilities (v1.1, 2019).
- Sport England with Badminton England, Badminton Design Guidance Note (December 2011, revision 003), Tables 2 and 3.
- Building clear heights and column grids: industrial real-estate guidance (light-industrial 18–24 ft clear) and an architects' conversion guide (LaBella Associates, March 2025: grids of 30–60 ft on centre).
Rule books and guidance change; check the current edition, and your league, insurer and local code, before you build. More sports, and the governing body behind each number, are in Sports court dimensions with run-off.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How much space does one pickleball court need?
The court itself is 20 × 44 ft. The 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook (Rule 3.A.3) sets a minimum playing surface of 30 × 60 ft per court and recommends 34 × 64 ft for new construction and tournament play. The rulebook doesn't say whether neighbouring courts may share that surface; the calculator lets them, so two 34 × 64 courts sit 14 ft apart sideline to sideline (10 ft at 30 × 60). Published advice for that gap ranges from about 8 to 14 ft.
How many pickleball courts fit in a 100 × 200 ft building?
With no columns, no walkway and no lobby, 6 courts at the recommended 34 × 64 ft (2 across, 3 along) or 9 courts at the 30 × 60 ft minimum. A lobby, restrooms and a walkway take floor from that, and interior columns can take more: the calculator counts only positions whose play area is free of columns.
Why do columns cost me courts?
A column inside a court's play area is a hazard and blocks play, so that position is lost. The calculator places courts so each play area sits between column lines, or in a strip between two column rows. Buildings suitable for conversion commonly have column grids of about 30 to 60 ft on centre. When a bay is narrower than one play area (a 30 ft grid against a 34 ft wide pickleball surface, for example) no court fits between the columns and the count can drop sharply. Ask a structural engineer whether columns can move before you sign a lease.
What ceiling height do I need for pickleball?
The USA Pickleball rulebook sets no minimum ceiling height; ceilings and light fixtures count as permanent objects, so a ball that touches one is a fault. The USA Pickleball / ASBA construction manual is reported to recommend about 18 ft of clear height for a 30 × 60 ft court and about 21 ft for 34 × 64 ft. That comes via a secondary source (the manual is a paid publication), so treat it as a recommendation, and measure under the lowest beam, light or duct, not to the roof deck.
How much space does a badminton court need?
The doubles court is 13.4 × 6.1 m (BWF Laws of Badminton). Sport England's Badminton Design Guidance Note (2011, with Badminton England) asks for 1.5 m beside the sidelines and between courts side by side, and 2.0 m behind each baseline to a wall. One court with its run-off is 9.1 × 17.4 m, and each extra court side by side adds 7.6 m. BWF's own tournament rules use the same 2 m and 1.5 m, and recommend 4 m between courts at its top (Grade 1–2) events.
What clear height does badminton need?
Sport England's Badminton Design Guidance Note (2011) gives 6.7 m for community play, 7.5 m for club play and 9.0 m for premier level, with 6.1 m as the absolute minimum for recreational badminton such as a village hall. BWF Statutes 5.3.4 require 9 m for sanctioned tournaments and 12 m for Grade 1–2 and World Tour events. Heights are measured under beams, backboards and lights, over the courts.
Is the court count guaranteed?
No. It's a planning estimate from the dimensions you enter. The calculator keeps every court in one orientation and in straight rows, so a hand-drawn layout that mixes orientations can sometimes fit more. It doesn't know about doors, exits, fire code, sprinklers, lighting, netting or where the building's walls aren't square. Confirm the final layout with your architect or court builder.