Frequently asked questions

Generally, yes. Florida's farm-building exemption covers nonresidential buildings used for farming on a farm, and a private training building is not usually one of them, so expect to permit it as an accessory structure under the Florida Building Code with engineer-sealed steel drawings for your site's wind design. Check setbacks and size limits with the county too.

Expect the local planning office to sign off on zoning and the site layout, the fire marshal to review the plans under the Florida Fire Prevention Code, and the design to meet ADA rules for parking, the entry and restrooms, since paying customers walk in. Call the county or city early to learn which of those apply to your parcel.

Long enough for the pitching distance plus room behind the plate and behind the machine or pitcher. A baseball mound sits 60 feet 6 inches from home plate at high school level and up, which is why full-length tunnels are commonly around 70 feet; fastpitch softball and youth leagues pitch from shorter distances and can use shorter tunnels. Size the building to the longest tunnel you plan to hang.

The net sets the minimum. Many commercial tunnel nets are around 12 feet tall, and the building needs clearance above that for the cable system, the lights and any balls that pop up. If the floor will also be used for fly balls, pitching or team drills with the nets raised, plan for more height.

It can, if the engineer knows about them. Tunnel nets hang from tensioned cables or track that pull on the frame, and a full building of nets adds real load to the purlins and rafters. Give the builder the net layout and cable plan before the building is designed so the hang points are part of the engineering, not an add-on later.

Most hitting tunnels use synthetic turf over a slab or a compacted base, sometimes with a pad underneath. Mound lanes need a portable or built-in mound, and a strength area does better on rubber flooring over concrete. Decide on the surfaces before the slab is poured so the finished heights line up.