Opening an indoor baseball facility in leased space costs far less than building one. A 10,000 sq ft industrial lease runs about $78,000 a year in Atlanta and about $283,000 in New York City, while building or fully renovating costs $150 to $250 per sq ft, or $1.5M to $2.5M. The cages themselves are the cheap part. A turf, net and hardware package for a 55-foot cage costs about $2,650.
Below we break down every startup and operating cost, then use data from nearly 500 facilities on Swift to show how many cages facilities build, what each cage brings in, and when they actually get booked. We’ve also covered the hidden costs separately, and how to keep your facility profitable once it’s open.
Key takeaways
- Your space is the biggest cost variable. A 10,000 sq ft industrial lease runs about $78,000 a year in Atlanta and about $283,000 in New York City (Q3 2026 asking rents).
- Building or fully renovating costs $150 to $250 per sq ft, or $1.5M to $2.5M for 10,000 sq ft.
- In a leased space, a 5-cage facility costs about $49,000 to $179,000 to open before build-out (deposit, permits, turf, cages, machines, insurance and three months of rent).
- The cages themselves are the cheap part. Batting cage turf starts at $1.69 per sq ft, a #36 nylon 70-foot net costs about $1,150, and pitching machines run $1,500 to $15,000.
- The median facility on Swift has 5 cages and brings in $13,873 a year per cage. Revenue rises with cage count, from a median $66,512 a year at facilities with 4 to 6 cages to $109,979 at 7 to 9.
- Cages are busiest on weekday evenings. In winter, the average facility saw 61% of its booked cage hours start after 3pm on a weekday, and only 10% before 3pm.
- Most facilities we work with run margins of 10% to 20%. The median baseball facility on Swift recorded $74,124 in revenue over the last 12 months.
Indoor baseball facility costs at a glance
| Cost | Typical range | For a 10,000 sq ft facility |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial lease | $7.79 (Atlanta) to $28.26 (NYC) per sq ft a year; $10.55 US average | About $78,000 to $283,000 a year |
| Construction and build-out | $150 to $250 per sq ft | $1.5M to $2.5M |
| Permitting and compliance | $0.15 to $0.50 per sq ft | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Turf | From $1.69 per sq ft | About $1,400 per 70' x 12' tunnel |
| Batting cage netting | About $1,150 per #36 nylon 70' net | About $5,750 for 5 cages (the median on Swift) |
| Pitching machines | $1,500 to $15,000 each | Entry-level models around $3,000 |
| Payroll, utilities, insurance, software | Varies by market | See operating costs below |
Lease rates are Q3 2026 average asking rents from CBRE (NYC outer boroughs), Cushman & Wakefield (Atlanta) and JLL (US). Equipment prices were checked on retailer sites on Oct 26, 2026.
Here’s what we have coming up:
- Baseball facility startup costs
- Rent or Mortgage
- Build-out & Renovation
- Essential Equipment
- How many cages to build (data from facilities on Swift)
- Baseball facility operating costs
- Payroll
- Utilities
- Insurance
- Scheduling Software
- Cost factors: considerations & tradeoffs
- Are baseball facilities a profitable business?
- Final thoughts & more resources
Full Breakdown of Indoor Baseball Facility Startup Costs
Let’s start at the very beginning and look at the startup costs for indoor batting cages.
Rent or Mortgage Costs
Renting a warehouse or industrial space is often the most practical option in large cities. CBRE’s Q3 2026 report on New York City’s outer boroughs puts the average industrial asking rent at $28.26 per square foot a year, down 10% from a year earlier.
Cities in southern states typically offer much lower industrial lease rates. Cushman & Wakefield’s Q3 2026 Atlanta report has the direct asking rate at a record $7.79 per square foot. Across the US, JLL puts the average asking rent at $10.55, up 3.2% in a year. Smaller towns may have even lower rates, though the specific numbers can vary widely depending on the exact location and market conditions.
👉 Example: Leasing a 10,000 sq. ft. space in NYC costs ~$283,000 per year.
👉 Example: Leasing a 10,000 sq. ft. space in Atlanta costs ~$78,000 per year.
👉 Example: At the US average, a 10,000 sq. ft. lease costs ~$105,500 per year.
Depending on the leasing rates available to you, purchasing land and building your own facility from the ground up could be a viable option. Your own build will give you complete control over the layout, size, and truly enable you to create a building designed exclusively for baseball.
Build-Out & Renovation Costs
Turning an industrial space into a baseball facility requires serious renovations. Starting from scratch with a build of your own will be even more costly.
Estimates vary, but here’s a rough breakdown:
- Construction & Build-Out – $150 to $250 per sq. ft. (Source: CostHack)
- Permitting & Compliance – $0.15 to $0.50 per sq. ft. (Source: The Cost Guys)
👉 Example: The build cost of a 10,000 sq. ft. facility could range from $1.5M to $2.5M
While that cost might seem steep, with the right source of financing and/or investment building could be the best option for your facility. In the US, exploring loan options from the Small Business Administration (SBA) is a commonly suggested option.
Essential Equipment Costs
You can’t just roll out turf and a few hitting mats and call it a day. A quality baseball facility requires specialized equipment. Let’s take a look at the must-haves for any indoor baseball facility.
Turf – starting at $1.69/sq ft from ATX Turf
You don’t want to skimp out on your turf. Especially for long practice sessions for infielding or outfielding, not only will turf get torn up quickly, the athletes might be exposed to higher injury risk from the harder surface. The good news is turf is everywhere and multi-sport. There’s a good chance you can find some used turf in bulk from other facility owners downsizing or moving locations.
While turf will likely cover 80-90% of your square footage, don’t forget about the costs of other flooring like weight room rubber matting, laminate flooring for a front desk / retail section, or tiling in the bathrooms.
Batting Cages & Netting – about $1,150 per 70' net from On Deck Sports
Quality netting is crucial to limiting ongoing maintenance costs of your batting cages. Good material will also avoid potential hazards with ripped material. #36 Gauge Nylon is the most commonly used material for indoor batting cages as it has a lifespan of 3-5 years depending on usage. A 12' x 14' x 70' #36 nylon net from On Deck Sports costs $1,149.99. If you'd rather buy everything at once, ATX Turf sells a 55-foot cage package with turf, nets, hardware and an L-screen for $2,650.
The dimensions of battings cages (sometimes referred to as “Tunnels”) typically come in two standard sizes 55’x12’ or 70’x12’.
Though square footage and your building layout will largely dictate how many cages (and their sizes) you can accommodate, it is important to consider the profitability of each size.
Smaller cages (55’x12’) will typically garner lower revenue per hour as they cannot be used for full-distance pitching (ie. 60.6’ mounds).
If your layout cannot accommodate larger batting cages, or full-distance pitching isn’t a large part of your business plan, sometimes facilities opt to use portable pitching mounds in an open turf multi-use space. This allows your cages to stay dedicated to hitting.
However, if your business will rely heavily on teams it might be important to have at least one extra large cage (70’x12’ or bigger) to accommodate live-abs (ie. pitchers throwing to batters). This is also an important consideration for facilities in colder climates where you’ll be forced indoors for the majority of your off-season. As in place of a traditional “Spring Training” many teams and athletes will perform simulated games indoors to ramp up to game speed and improve their pitchers' workload capacity.
Pitching Machines – $1,500 to $15,000 per machine
Pitching machine prices vary a lot depending on the features you want.
Rental facilities catering to a more recreational clientele might opt for self-feeding machines like an Iron Mike. These machines were fixtures throughout the early 2000s but have started to get phased out as baseball technologies keep advancing. Today, many facilities are investing in more portable solutions capable of throwing higher velocities and different pitch types.
Entry-level machines like the Hack Attack or Spinball are typically in the $3,000 range. Opting for a self-feeder attachment can almost double this price.
High-tech machines like Spinball’s iPitch model might be an attractive option for facilities catering to advanced high school, college, or professional athletes. This model allows you to randomize or program a sequence of pitches with velocities upwards of 100mph and spin rates of 3000rpm making it extremely game-like for hitters.
Pitching machines are just the beginning of the different technology baseball facilities are using nowadays. Check out our article on the top 5 technologies you need at your baseball facility to stay ahead of your competitors.
Example startup budget: 5 cages in a leased space
Here's how those prices add up for a facility with 5 cages, the median on Swift, in an 8,000 sq ft leased space with turf on most of the floor. It assumes you lease rather than build, and it leaves out build-out because that depends on the building you find.
Startup budget for a 5-cage facility in 8,000 sq ft (prices checked Oct 26, 2026)
| Item | Low | High | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease deposit and first month | $10,400 | $37,700 | Two months of rent at $7.79 (Atlanta) to $28.26 (NYC) per sq ft a year |
| Permits and compliance | $1,200 | $4,000 | $0.15 to $0.50 per sq ft |
| Turf (6,800 sq ft) | $11,500 | $21,000 | $1.69 nylon to $3.09 padded turf per sq ft (ATX Turf) |
| Cages (5) | $5,750 | $13,250 | $1,150 for a 70-foot net alone to $2,650 for a complete 55-foot cage package |
| Pitching machines (3) | $4,500 | $45,000 | $1,500 to $15,000 per machine |
| Liability insurance, first year | $400 | $1,100 | $1M general liability (TRUiC, Feb 2026) |
| Working capital (3 months of rent) | $15,600 | $56,500 | Enough to cover rent while you build a member base |
| Total before build-out | About $49,000 | About $179,000 |
Build-out is the line that moves the total most: lighting, HVAC, restrooms, a front desk and any walls you add. Get quotes from two or three local contractors before you sign a lease. The budget also leaves out software, staff hired before opening, and marketing. For comparison, five cages at the median $13,873 a year per cage on Swift works out to about $69,000 a year in revenue, before any costs.
How Many Cages Should You Build? Data From Facilities on Swift
Your cage count drives both your build cost and your revenue, so we looked at how facilities on Swift are set up and what they bring in.
The median facility on Swift has 5 cages, and the middle half has 3 to 8 (488 facilities). Annual revenue works out to a median of $13,873 per cage, with the middle half between $4,553 and $35,912 (268 US facilities). That's revenue from everything the facility sells, including memberships and lessons, divided by its number of cages.
Annual revenue by number of cages (US facilities on Swift, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026; every row covers at least 30 facilities)
| Cages | Median annual revenue | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | $34,471 | $12,714 to $113,552 |
| 4 to 6 | $66,512 | $19,766 to $174,151 |
| 7 to 9 | $109,979 | $45,871 to $271,988 |
| 10 or more | $140,244 | $48,872 to $371,152 |
Revenue climbs with cage count, from a median $34,471 at facilities with 1 to 3 cages to $140,244 at facilities with 10 or more. More cages won't raise revenue on their own, since bigger facilities differ in plenty of other ways. What you run in the cages matters just as much. The highest-earning quarter of facilities on Swift get 23% of their revenue from lessons and 14% from rentals, while the lowest-earning quarter get 8% from lessons and 42% from rentals (see how much indoor sports facilities make).
When cages actually get booked
Last winter (Nov 2025 to Feb 2026), the median facility on Swift booked each cage for about 7 hours a week, with the middle half between 3 and 14 hours (342 facilities). That counts rentals, lessons, classes and camps booked in a cage. Time members spend in a cage without a booking isn't included. Measured against opening hours, the median cage was booked about 10% of the hours its facility was open, and 15% of weekday hours from 3pm on (363 facilities).
When booked cage hours start (average share per facility, winter 2025-26)
| Time | Share of booked cage hours |
|---|---|
| Weekdays, 3pm or later | 61% |
| Weekends | 29% |
| Weekdays, before 3pm | 10% |
Plan your cage count around the weekday evening rush, not your daily average. Then use the quiet daytime hours for business that doesn't compete with it, like school and college team rentals, adult sessions or off-peak pricing. Our guide to filling your batting cages this winter has more ideas.
Some caveats: Figures describe facilities on Swift, not every facility, and count the payments facilities record in Swift, cash included. We report medians with the middle half (25th to 75th percentile), and no figure comes from fewer than 5 facilities.
Operating Costs for an Indoor Baseball Training Facility
The costs don’t stop after construction. Regular expenses are required to maintain your sports complex and ensure a quality experience for your customers. These costs will be crucial to the day-to-day operation of your facility and important to incorporate into your financial planning.
Examples of operating costs include things such as:
Instructor & Staff Payroll
For baseball/softball facilities heavily centered around lessons, classes, clinics, and camps, instructor costs will be a large ongoing expense.
Retaining your instructors can also incur costs and an expense to account for when planning any future growth. Despite the cost, instructors can bring in new clientele to your facility and increase customer retention by offering lesson packages.
Check out our complete guide on hiring and charging instructors to learn all the costs associated with instructors.
Utilities
Monthly utility bills can be another sustainable expense for an indoor sports facility. When establishing a budget, energy costs for lighting, heating/cooling, and other maintenance are important to consider.
Costs here largely depend on your square footage and facility layout. However, you can find a rough estimate with a quick search for your state. Across New York, for example, industrial spaces' monthly average retail price of electricity was seen from 7.54 cents to 9.72 cents per kilowatt-hour depending on the time of year.
Insurance
Having a comprehensive insurance plan will protect your business against unforeseen events and accidents. These expenses can include property insurance, liability insurance, and workers’ compensation.
PS: ensure your clients have signed a liability waiver to reduce your risk. Use our free liability waiver template to get started.
Scheduling Software
Keeping your indoor sports facility running smoothly will require modern facility management software. This software will typically cover key features such as online booking & payments, membership management, packages & credits, instructor pay rates and payroll reports, and more.
Investing in the right software will be a revenue generator, not a sunk cost. It should save you and your staff hours of manual work, and open up new sources of revenue that you may not have previously considered.
View our comparison page for a comprehensive guide on popular options in the industry and learn which software is the right fit for your business.
PS: Swift offers a substantial discount to new businesses. You can book a free demo with a member of our team to hear more about this offer.
Cost Factors: Considerations & Tradeoffs
Now that we’ve gone through all the costs of starting an indoor baseball facility, let’s recap some of the variables that affect the total cost.
Lease vs Own
Industrial spaces in metropolitan cities have steep rent costs, but purchasing land comes with its own challenges and higher startup costs. If you’re looking for a lower commitment out the gate, leasing space is likely the best option. You can also look to stockpile savings from your initial lease and look to expand into building your own location later on.
Size of the Facility
A larger space means more money spent on the build-out, renovation, equipment, maintenance, etc. However, more square footage can also lead to higher foot traffic and revenue. It can also open your facility up to more revenue opportunities like showcase events.
Renovations & Compliance
Adapting an industrial space requires significant investment to meet safety and zoning laws. These types of spaces however will be the most conducive to an indoor baseball feature with features like high ceilings and a relatively open concept.
Equipment & Technology
High-quality turf, netting for cages, lighting, and training technology add to your upfront investment. Out the gate you might feel inclined to cut costs here, but ensuring you purchase the right gear will offset your ongoing maintenance costs and position your facility for the most success when trying to build a clientele from scratch.
Operational Costs
Staffing, utilities, scheduling software, insurance, and other hidden costs are recurring expenses that must be factored in as you look to open your facility. Clearly outlining these expenses and looking for the best value can help you price your services to ensure profitability.
In the end, starting a sports facility is no cheap task. Each area we’ve covered comes with its own tradeoffs and considerations. As a facility owner only you know the type of risk tolerance, ambition, and vision you have for your business.
Common Mistakes When Starting a Baseball Training Facility
These are the mistakes we see most often from new facility owners. Most of them cost more to fix after you open than to avoid up front.
1) Building only short cages
55' x 12' cages can't host full-distance pitching from a 60'6" mound, so they earn less per hour. If teams are part of your plan, fit at least one 70' x 12' or larger cage for live at-bats.
2) Relying on cage rentals alone
Rentals made up 24% of revenue at baseball facilities on Swift, compared with 33% for memberships and 17% for lessons. A facility built only on rentals feels every slow week, so plan memberships and lesson packages from the start.
3) Underpricing lessons and memberships
It's tempting to price below the facility down the road. The median baseball facility on Swift charges $85 for a 60-minute private lesson and $91 a month for a membership. Start from real numbers in our pricing guide and adjust for your market.
4) Opening with an empty calendar
The facilities that open strongest pre-sell memberships, packages and camps before the doors open. Our guide on how to launch with a full calendar walks through how they do it.
5) Skimping on turf and netting
Cheap turf wears out fast and raises injury risk, and good #36 gauge nylon netting only lasts 3 to 5 years. Cutting corners here comes back as maintenance costs later.
6) Forgetting the costs that don't show up in a quote
Card processing fees, insurance and utilities all add up. See our list of hidden costs, and have every customer sign a liability waiver before they train.
Is an Indoor Baseball Facility Profitable?
Seeing these costs stack up can make you wonder if an indoor baseball facility is a profitable business. The answer is if managed well, absolutely.
Profit margins vary considerably, with many facilities' margins falling between 10% and 20%. On revenue, the median baseball facility on Swift recorded $74,124 over the last 12 months, and the middle half fell between $20,427 and $196,200. At facilities with 10 or more cages, the median was $140,244.
Check out our guide on how much money an indoor sports facility can make for a more in-depth look at the numbers and key revenue streams.
FAQ
Are batting cages profitable?
They can be, as part of a full facility. The median baseball facility on Swift recorded $74,124 over the last 12 months, and facilities on Swift bring in a median $13,873 a year per cage. Rentals alone rarely cover the rent. The lowest-earning quarter of facilities relied on rentals for 42% of revenue, against 14% for the highest-earning quarter.
How much revenue does a batting cage make?
The median facility on Swift brings in about $13,873 a year per cage, counting everything it sells, and the middle half falls between $4,553 and $35,912 (268 US facilities, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026). Last winter the median facility booked each cage for about 7 hours a week, mostly on weekday evenings.
How much do batting cages charge per hour?
The median public price for a batting cage rental on Swift is $60 an hour, and the middle half charge $50 to $80 (523 US facilities, October 2026). Cages cost more in the Northeast and West, at a median $70, than in the South ($60) or Midwest ($50). Members often pay less through discounts or credits.
How many batting cages should an indoor facility have?
Most facilities on Swift have 3 to 8 cages, and the median is 5. Facilities with 7 to 9 cages recorded a median $109,979 a year, about 65% more than the $66,512 at facilities with 4 to 6. Build for the weekday evening rush, when the average facility books 61% of its cage hours, and include at least one 70-foot cage if teams are part of your plan.
How do I start a batting cage business?
Start by working out your costs (space, build-out, equipment and monthly expenses) and the prices you'd need to charge to cover them. Once the numbers work, sign your lease, get insurance, and set up online booking, payments and waivers. We always recommend pre-selling memberships and packages before you open the doors. Our guide on how to launch with a full calendar walks through how facilities do it.
How much does it cost to build an indoor batting cage?
The cage itself costs about $2,500 to $3,000. A #36 nylon 70-foot net is about $1,150, and turf for a 70' x 12' tunnel (840 sq ft) runs about $1,400 at $1.69 per sq ft. A pitching machine adds anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000. The building is where the real money goes, at $150 to $250 per sq ft for construction and build-out.
How much does it cost to open a batting cage facility?
In a leased 8,000 sq ft space, a 5-cage facility costs about $49,000 to $179,000 to open before build-out. That covers the lease deposit, permits, turf, cages, pitching machines, insurance and three months of rent. Rent drives most of the range: $7.79 per sq ft a year in Atlanta against $28.26 in New York City. Build-out comes on top and depends on your building.
What goes in a batting cage or indoor baseball facility business plan?
Cover startup costs (lease, build-out and equipment), monthly costs (rent, payroll, utilities, insurance and software) and pricing. For revenue, facilities on Swift bring in a median $13,873 a year per cage, book each cage about 7 hours a week in winter and charge a median $91 a month for a membership and $85 for a 60-minute lesson. Our baseball facility pricing guide has templates you can copy.
How do I start a baseball academy?
Most academies are built around instructors and recurring programs, with cage rentals filling the gaps. Look for instructors who already have clients, decide how you'll pay them, and price lessons for your market. For reference, the median US baseball facility on Swift charges $85 for a 60-minute private lesson. Our guide to hiring and paying instructors covers the pay structures we see most.
How do I work out when an indoor baseball facility breaks even?
Divide your monthly fixed costs by what an average customer spends each month. A 10,000 sq ft lease in Atlanta runs about $6,500 a month at Q3 2026 rents, so at the $91 median membership price on Swift you'd need about 71 members to cover rent. The median facility on Swift has about 36 active members, so most cover the rest with lessons, rentals and camps.
When are batting cages busiest?
Weekday evenings. Last winter (Nov 2025 to Feb 2026), the average facility on Swift saw 61% of its booked cage hours start at 3pm or later on a weekday, 29% fall on weekends, and only 10% start before 3pm on a weekday (342 facilities). Size your cage count for the evening rush, then sell the quiet daytime hours to school teams, adult hitters or off-peak members.
Final Thoughts
Opening an indoor baseball facility requires careful planning and a sizable investment. However, with the right financial planning you can create sustained profitability.
Thinking about starting a facility? Check out the guides below to get a head start.
5 Hidden Costs to Starting a Sports Facility
5 Technologies Your Baseball Facility Needs in 2026
5 Reasons Your Baseball Facility Needs Modern Scheduling Software
5 Ways to Maximize Indoor Sports Complex Profitability
Ready to open your baseball facility? Book a free demo with our team, we’d love to hear about your facility and how we can help you grow your business on auto-pilot.
