How much does it cost to build a 3G 5-a-side pitch?

21 September 2018 • By - Emilie Adib

How much does it cost to build a 5-a-side pitch? or even an 11-a-side pitch? If you’re a venue owner looking to re-lay your football pitch, or you’re a football fan who dreams of having their own 5-a-side pitch in their garden, this question may have crossed your mind.

So what does it actually take to lay your own pitch? We’re going to cover it all, from the pitch itself, to goal posts and floodlights…

Why astroturf?

We’re used to having kickabouts in the garden or park with jumpers for goal posts, so why bother investing in an astroturf pitch?

Unlike the grass we’ve all played on, astroturf pitches are all-weather, meaning that they can be played on all year round regardless of what the British weather has to throw at them.

If you’re a frequent player, you’ll know there are a few different kinds of astroturf pitch out there, but the most sought after for football is 3G, which consists of an artificial grass surface covered in shock-absorbent rubber pellets. For a full breakdown of the difference between 2G, 3G, and even 4G astroturf, check out our astroturf guide.

For the purpose of this post, we’ll be focusing on 3G astroturf, as it’s the most common artificial 5-a-side surface.

What you’ll need

A lot more goes into installing a 3G pitch than just the turf. You’ve also got to think about equipment, such as goals, floodlights, and rebound boards.

You don’t necessarily need all these things, but we’re going all out. Here’s a full breakdown of anything and everything you might need for your football pitch:

3G astroturf (around 500 square metres for 5-a-side)
2 x Goals
Rebound boards (optional)
Net (optional)
Floodlights (optional)

Construction and cost

Once you’ve worked out what equipment you need for your pitch, you need to buy your materials and start construction.

There are plenty of pitch laying companies out there that will do the job for you. The average cost of a 5-a-side 3G pitch is around £50 per square metre, meaning a total cost of £25,000 for the 500 square metres we recommended earlier. If you’ve decided to splash out for a 4G pitch, that cost would rise to £35,000.

Pitch cost: £25,000

Standard 5-a-side goals are 12 x 4ft. The cheapest we found were £190 for two goals, but since we’re going all out with our pitch, we’ve decided to splash the cash on some higher quality, aluminium goals for £600. Goal costs can range anywhere from £90 – £3000, so it’s really up to you how much you’re willing spend.

Pitch and goals: £25,600

The next items on our list are rebound boards and netting to go around the outside of the pitch. These aren’t essential but unless you don’t mind chasing after the ball every time it goes out of play, boards and netting are going to make your playing experience a lot better. It depends what material you go for, but the average cost of putting up rebound boards and netting is £7000.

Pitch, goals, rebound boards & netting: £32,600

Unless you only want to play football in the summer, you’ll need floodlights for evening games. These will set you back around £350 a piece, and we’re going to splash out on 6, plus the cost of installation, which should be add up to around £2,800.

And that’s all you need to build a 5-a-side pitch!

If you decide to go ahead with building one, and you are looking to rent it out make sure you check out Bookteq’s sports facility management software!