How to build a petanque court – dimensions, build-up and gravel

Petanque is great fun for children and adults alike, and a court in the garden quickly becomes a summer meeting point. The good news is that you can easily build a petanque court yourself – all it takes is the right build-up and the right gravel on top.

In this guide you find out how big a petanque court should be, how to make the edging, how to build the court, and how much gravel you need.

How to build a petanque court - maxibag.dk

Petanque court dimensions

How large the court should be depends on the space available and how it will be used:

For national championships and international competitions: at least 15 × 4 metres.
For other competitions: at least 12 × 3 metres.
Garden court: Many choose 10-12 metres long and 3 metres wide. If you have less space, a shorter court is perfectly fine for casual play.

Place the court on level ground, ideally sheltered and with space around it for spectators and a bench.

Edging for the petanque court

Edging keeps the gravel in place and stops the boules so they do not roll onto the lawn. Many choose:

Timber: Sturdy planks or boards of pressure-treated timber or larch, fixed with stakes.
Sleepers: Provide a robust edge you can also sit on.
Kerb stones: Durable and maintenance-free.

Let the edging stand 10-20 cm above the playing surface so the boules stay on the court.

How to build a petanque court

The build-up depends on how good the bearing capacity of the ground is.

Ground with good bearing capacity (e.g. firm sandy or gravelly soil):

Dig out approx. 20 cm.
Lay approx. 20 cm of road base and compact it well with a plate compactor. The layer compresses by approx. 3-4 cm, ending up at approx. 16 cm.
Lay 3-4 cm of petanque gravel as the top layer and compact it well.

Ground with poor bearing capacity (e.g. soft or clay soil):

Dig out deeper.
Lay 10 cm of sub-base sand or paving sand at the bottom and compact it.
Lay approx. 20 cm of road base and compact it.
Lay petanque gravel as the top layer and compact it.

The build-up follows the recommendation of the Danish Petanque Federation. Ideally give the court a very slight fall to one side so rainwater can run off.

Which gravel should go on a petanque court?

The top gravel is crucial for play. It must become hard so the boule can roll freely, it must not be dusty, and it must drain rainwater away.

Petanque gravel 0-6 mm is blended specifically for petanque courts and gives a firm, even surface that is good to play on. For a slightly different look, red stone dust can also be used as the top layer – read more in our guide Stone dust – what is it, and what can it be used for?.

How much gravel do you need?

Multiply the court area by the layer depth in metres. For example, a 12 × 3 metre court (36 m²) on good ground needs:

Road base: 36 m² × 0.20 m = 7.2 m³
Petanque gravel: 36 m² × 0.04 m = 1.44 m³ = approx. 1,450 litres

A smaller 10 × 3 metre court (30 m²) needs 6 m³ of road base and 1.2 m³ of petanque gravel. See more calculation examples in How to calculate square metres, or use our quantity calculator.

Maintaining the petanque court

Rake the court level after play so holes and unevenness do not develop.
Remove leaves and weeds regularly – a firm, compacted surface makes it hard for weeds to take hold.
Top up the surface with a thin layer of petanque gravel as needed, and compact it.

We deliver road base and petanque gravel in bulk bags – right onto the site if there is access. Read more about delivery.