Padel Court Setting Out: A Survey Checklist Before Drilling

State exactly which feature is being measured

An internal playing dimension, a post centre-to-centre dimension and the edge of a concrete slab are different references. FIP defines the internal playing rectangle as 10 by 20 metres. The court supplier's model-specific layout must establish the corresponding structural coordinates; it is unsafe to assume every post line coincides with a playing boundary.

Add a feature description to every survey point. A label such as P07 centre, plate corner or finished surface is more useful than an unexplained number. Include the orientation of the court, entrance locations and the relationship to adjacent courts so a mirrored or rotated drawing cannot pass unnoticed.

Freeze the reference package before setting out

Use one controlled package for the foundation contractor and installation crew. It should include the approved court layout, foundation drawing, base-plate or drilling-template drawing and level schedule. A drawing register should show the issuing party, revision, date and permitted use; a quotation sketch should not silently become the construction drawing.

If the court model, doorway arrangement or plate pattern changes, review all affected survey points. Send an explicit replacement instruction to everyone holding the earlier layout. Keep the earlier survey as historical evidence, then issue a new accepted record for the revised geometry rather than overwriting its values.

Protect the survey controls and record independent checks

Place the agreed control points and benchmark where excavation, deliveries and storage will not disturb them. Record how they can be recovered after the slab is poured. The surveyor should select the instrument, observation method and check procedure appropriate to the project's specified tolerances.

Check the overall geometry and the individual post spacings. Equal diagonals alone do not confirm every intermediate position or the intended rectangle. Record the design dimension, measured dimension and difference rather than a bare tick. Where rounding is needed for a report, retain sufficient underlying precision for the acceptance decision; do not compare a millimetre requirement with a heavily rounded diagonal.

Coordinate the vertical references as carefully as the plan

The same location may have a formation level, concrete level, plate-seat level and finished playing-surface level. List them separately and show the material build-up between them. Record how the court supplier expects glass, mesh and post heights to relate to the finished surface and access thresholds.

A level difference should trigger a drawing review before a proposed shim arrangement is accepted. Do not use a general shim allowance to conceal an unresolved drainage slope or uneven support. The LTA's UK guidance treats foundation and drainage design as site-specific; the project level schedule is where those decisions must be reconciled for construction.

Make the release to drill a separate decision

Before marking anchor holes, compare the completed concrete survey with the approved post positions and anchor zones. Confirm that the proposed locations remain within the verified member geometry and avoid identified reinforcement and services. Hilti's base-plate guidance highlights spacing and edge distance among the fastening design inputs; moving a hole can therefore affect more than appearance.

Use a release sheet that identifies the accepted survey, concrete readiness evidence and current anchor package. If a mismatch appears, record its location and refer it to the responsible designer and supplier. A new hole, altered plate or shifted post should follow an approved resolution, not an improvised correction on site.

• Match every post identifier to the equipment layout.
• Record measured position and level against the agreed limits.
• Confirm template identity and approved anchor locations.
• Close discrepancies before drilling the affected positions.

Retain a survey record that can be checked later

Include the survey date, operator, instrument reference, control points, drawing revisions and results. Attach marked-up plans and photographs that identify the points rather than only showing an overall slab. Keep an exception register linking each deviation to the accepted corrective detail.

For handover, distinguish the initial set-out, the completed foundation survey and the final installed-post survey. These records answer different questions and help trace an issue without guessing which trade changed the geometry. Send the final accepted interface record to the court installation team before it mobilises.