Real build, real numbers
What does a commercial batting cage facility cost? A real 7-tunnel build.
Most cost guides give a range. This one walks through an actual contract we signed for a 7-tunnel baseball and softball training facility in an existing building: every line, and everything the price leaves out.
Updated · From a signed Bearcat contract (client and city withheld)
The short answer.
Seven tunnels, 16 ft full-shell netting, six sliding dividers, a whiffle inlay, and a viewing area came to about $206,000, or about $29,400 per tunnel. That is before pitching machines, hit tracking, lighting, and permits.
Total contract
$206,045
Turf and netting package plus build-out, excluding machines, tracking, lighting, and permits.
Per tunnel
$29,400
About $17,100 of it is turf and netting; the rest is the building around them.
Turf and netting share
58%
The package is $119,845. Our labor is 36% of that package.
Where the money went.
The contract splits cleanly in two: the turf and netting package we install, and the build-out that turns a shell into a facility.
Turf and netting package: $119,845
| Line | What it covers | Cost | Share of package |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitting turf | Padded hitting turf, about 9,300 SF, with a whiffle inlay | $37,600 | 31% |
| Cage equipment | Cage frames and hardware | $13,095 | 11% |
| Netting system | 16 ft full-shell netting, six sliding dividers | $19,770 | 16% |
| Install materials | Install materials and consumables | $6,695 | 6% |
| Labor, welding, equipment, project management | Our install crew, welding, equipment, and project management | $42,685 | 36% |
Build-out: $86,200
| Line | What it covers | Cost | Share of build-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fencing | Fencing | $21,535 | 25% |
| Epoxy floor | Epoxy floor coating | $28,700 | 33% |
| Electrical | Electrical work | $13,735 | 16% |
| Bar top | Bar top for the viewing area | $10,600 | 12% |
| Sound | Allowance in the contract | $4,675 | 5% |
| Security | Allowance in the contract | $6,955 | 8% |
Figures are from the signed contract, rounded to the nearest $100 in the contract's own units. Sound and security were allowances, not final quotes.
What the price leaves out.
- Pitching machines (we are an authorized Sports Attack dealer, so they can ride on the same proposal)
- Hit tracking systems such as HitTrax
- Lighting
- Permits
- The building itself, lease or purchase
Always confirm what a facility bid includes before comparing two prices. Machines, tracking, lighting, and permits can add a meaningful share on top.
What 6, 9, or 12 tunnels would cost.
Turf, equipment, netting, labor, fencing, floor, and electrical grow with the number of tunnels. The lobby, bar top, sound, and security do not. Scaling the real lines that way gives these illustrative figures.
| Tunnels | Estimated total | Per tunnel | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 tunnels | $180K | $30K | Illustrative scaling |
| 7 tunnels | $206,045 | $29K | The real contract |
| 9 tunnels | $260K | $29K | Illustrative scaling |
| 12 tunnels | $335K | $28K | Illustrative scaling |
This extrapolates from one build, rounded to the nearest $5,000, and excludes machines, tracking, lighting, and permits. Real jobs vary with building condition, ceiling height, slab, and finish level. For fixed packages by tunnel count, see the indoor baseball and softball packages.
The choices that move the number.
Netting height
A full-shell net at 16 ft encloses the whole tunnel. Lane-only nets cost less and protect less of the room. Match it to your ceiling and your hitters.
Sliding or fixed dividers
Sliding dividers let one coach run a team across three lanes, then close them for individual lessons. They are in this build.
Whiffle or fielding inlay
An inlay area gives younger players and team practices somewhere to play that is not a hitting lane.
The lobby
A viewing area and bar top are where parents wait and memberships get sold. They are a small share of the cost and a large share of how the place feels.
Floor
Epoxy was the largest build-out line. Bare concrete saves it, at the cost of dust and a rougher finish.
Machines
Pads, power, and L-screens are poured and wired during the build, so machines are scoped with the tunnels, not added after.
For the engineering behind each choice, see our training facility cage specs, and check whether your building works with what fits by ceiling height.
Cage facility cost FAQ
Questions we hear before a facility build.
How much does a commercial batting cage facility cost?
A real 7-tunnel build in an existing North Texas building came to about $206,000, or about $29,400 per tunnel, before pitching machines, hit tracking, lighting, and permits. About 58% of that was the turf and netting package and the rest was build-out.
What is included in the price?
Hitting turf, cage equipment, 16 ft full-shell netting with six sliding dividers, install materials, and our crew, plus the build-out: fencing, an epoxy floor, electrical work, a bar top, and sound and security allowances. Pitching machines, hit tracking, lighting, and permits were not included.
Does the cost scale evenly with the number of tunnels?
Mostly, but not entirely. Turf, equipment, netting, labor, fencing, floor, and electrical grow roughly with the number of tunnels. The lobby, bar top, sound, and security do not. That is why the per-tunnel cost drifts down slightly as a facility gets bigger.
How many tunnels fit in my building?
Divide your clear width by 12 to 15 ft per tunnel, then check that you have 80 ft or more of clear length and a ceiling of 14 ft or higher, with 16 ft preferred. Send us the plan or the dimensions and we will draw the layout before anything is priced.
Can we start with fewer tunnels and add more later?
Yes. We design in modules, so a first phase can grow without re-rigging the tunnels already built.
Do you build cage facilities outside Texas?
Yes. A multi-tunnel facility in an existing building is an indoor facility build, which we do across Texas and in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Georgia. Outside DFW we start with a video consult before anyone drives out.
Planning a cage facility?
Send the dimensions or the plan and the number of tunnels you want. We draw the layout, recommend a package, and put together one fixed-price scope. Free site visit in DFW, a video consult everywhere else, and a response within one business day.
Keep reading
Packages
Indoor baseball and softball facilities
Starter, Training Center, and Academy packages by tunnel count.
Calculator
Operator ROI calculator
Payback and break-even from your own rate, hours, and costs.
Specs
Training facility cages
Frames, nets, partitions, and machine integration for commercial use.
Markets
Where we build
The eight states we build in and what travels to each.