What changes in practice
A good builder conversation starts on the site, not in the inbox.
Two companies can both say they build padel courts and still be solving different jobs. One might be brilliant with steel, glass, turf, and enclosure tolerances; another might be better at permits, concrete, drainage, and local trades. On a real site, those differences show up fast: where the truck can unload, how the slab falls, whether evening lights spill toward neighbors, and who comes back when the first heavy rain tests the court edge.
The first visit
A useful builder asks about access, slope, drainage, wind, lighting, and court count before promising a number. That is not delay; it is how a good quote stops pretending every site is flat, open, and simple.
The paper trail
Look for drawings, service terms, insurance, references, and a written split between court supply, civil work, electrical work, and handover. Clear paperwork is less glamorous than new turf, but it saves more headaches.