Facilities guide
Is your site suitable for outdoor squash?
A supplier-neutral project guide for comparing court formats, sites, proposals, costs and the route into sustained participation.
In short
Start with the people, purpose and access model, then choose the least complex format that can meet them. Test the whole site and operating plan before comparing supplier claims or headline court prices.
Published by Squash Dog, a trading style of Fagan Consulting Limited. Reviewed 30 September 2026
Coverage note
This is an early-stage checklist, not engineering, planning, safety, accessibility or legal advice. A competent local professional must assess the site and applicable requirements.
1. Define the people and purpose
- Who should use it: beginners, existing players, schools, community groups, events or several audiences?
- What prevents them playing now: distance, price, visibility, booking, equipment, confidence or something else?
- What format fits the purpose: a full court, partial court, rebound wall, temporary activation or adapted multi-sport space?
- Who will programme, supervise, maintain and fund it after opening?
2. Choose the right format
Outdoor Squash is not one product. Full courts, partial courts, rebound walls, adapted multi-sport spaces and temporary installations need different evidence, permissions, supervision and measures of success.
| Format | Potential use | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Accredited competition court | Sanctioned high-level play or events | That dimensions alone prove product approval or event suitability. |
| Regulation-size adapted court | Full-court play outside a traditional building | That it is accredited, all-weather or suitable for every competition. |
| Recreational or community court | Accessible local play and introductory programmes | That non-standard construction is safe for every format or user group. |
| Mini-court or practice wall | First contact, skills, schools and constrained sites | That it offers the same game or capacity as a full court. |
| Temporary activation | Events, trials and visible demonstrations | That short-term success proves permanent demand or operating viability. |
3. Test the site
- Usable footprint, clear height, orientation, boundaries and safe circulation.
- Ground conditions, foundations, levels, drainage and surface-water routes.
- Wind, rain, heat, cold, UV exposure, corrosion and local extremes.
- Sun and artificial-light glare for players, neighbours and transport users.
- Noise, ball impact, lighting spill, operating hours and proximity to sensitive neighbours.
- Accessible arrival, entrance, playing and spectator routes.
4. Compare proposals on evidence
Ask exactly which dimensions, standards, loads and environmental conditions a proposal addresses. Terms such as regulation, approved, competition-standard and all-weather are not interchangeable.
Record who made each claim, the supporting test or certificate, its date and the limits of what it demonstrates. Supplier material is useful evidence about a product; it is not an independent site assessment.
| Claim or feature | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Regulation or compliant | The precise dimensions, tolerances and standard addressed, plus any independent inspection. |
| Approved or competition-standard | The approving body, product or installation certificate, permitted events and validity date. |
| Wind resistance | Project-specific structural design, design wind speed, applicable standard, foundations and local ground assumptions. |
| Wet grip and drainage | Test method, drainage capacity, falls, outlets, sub-base and the conditions requiring closure. |
| Reduced glare or noise | Test data, orientation and lighting study, acoustic model and limits for neighbouring receptors. |
| Low maintenance or relocatable | Inspection schedule, consumables, warranties, dismantling method, lifting plan and reinstatement cost. |
5. A dated supplier case study
Access Courts is one example of a modular full-court system. Its current public product page states a 6.40 m by 9.75 m by 5.60 m internal court, a 6.60 m by 10.00 m by 5.80 m external envelope, four 150 W lights and an approximate nine-tonne total weight.
The supplier also describes laminated glass, a perforated composite floor, a concrete ring beam or pads around a permeable sub-base, perimeter netting and an optional elevated floor. It claims Beaufort 12 wind resistance, glare reduction, sound-minimising glass, wet grip, drainage and relocatability. These are supplier statements, not independent Squash Dog findings or proof that a particular installation is approved for competition.
6. Build the whole budget
A dated equipment price is not a project cost. Ask each bidder for a current, site-specific and like-for-like proposal with exclusions, taxes, responsibilities, programme, warranty and lifecycle assumptions stated clearly.
- Court system, options, packaging, shipping, insurance in transit, import duties, taxes and currency exposure.
- Surveys, design, planning, building control, engineering, acoustic and lighting work, professional fees and project management.
- Groundworks, foundations, drainage, utilities, access, cranage, local assembly, testing and handover.
- Booking, security, cleaning, inspections, repairs, replacement parts, insurance, staffing, programming and eventual relocation or removal.
7. Plan operation and access
- Opening hours, booking, pricing and fair access.
- Loan rackets, suitable balls, storage and replacement stock.
- Cleaning, inspection, repairs, graffiti response and weather closures.
- Safeguarding, supervision, emergency response and incident reporting.
- Coaching, introductory sessions and links to nearby clubs or programmes.
- Measures for first-time use, repeat visits, cost, downtime and community benefit.
8. Commission the right advice
A credible project may need the landowner, planning authority, structural and civil engineers, drainage and electrical specialists, access expertise, acoustic and lighting advice, insurers, governing bodies and local delivery partners. The exact team depends on the site and proposal.
Use the contact page to share a non-confidential site outline. Squash Dog can help frame the questions and evidence; it does not replace appointed professionals.
Primary sources
World Squash and Sport England provide general facilities guidance. Squash United Foundation illustrates the range of outdoor formats. Access Courts details are supplier statements used as a dated comparison case, checked 7 September 2026.