Frequently asked questions

Yes. A gym that holds games, assemblies or church events is an assembly use, so the plans are reviewed under the Florida Fire Prevention Code as well as the Florida Building Code, and the project usually needs site-plan or zoning approval first. The steel drawings are sealed by an engineer for the wind speed and exposure at your site. Ask the county or city which reviews apply.

Public owners in Florida select architects and engineers under the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act, and construction is usually put out to bid. A quote here can help with early budgeting, but the purchase itself follows your procurement office's rules.

A gym open to students or the public carries ADA requirements: an accessible route into the building and onto the floor, wheelchair spaces in the seating, and accessible restrooms and locker rooms. Your designer and the building department will check the plans against them.

Start from the court. A basketball court is 84 by 50 feet at high school size and 94 by 50 at college size, and the building also needs run-off around the lines, room for bleachers, a scorer's table and walkways. Most gyms are framed clear-span so no columns land on the floor, and the span width tends to drive the steel more than the length does.

It depends on the level of play and what else happens in the room. Volleyball and basketball both need open height above the court for high balls, and athletic associations publish recommended minimums. Design to the clear height under the lowest beam, light fixture or duct, not to the eave height shown on the drawing.

Telescoping bleachers fold back against a wall and give the floor back for practice and events; fixed seating takes floor space for good. Either way, the seat count sets the occupant load, which decides the exits, restrooms and fire protection the reviewers will ask for, so settle it early.

Maple hardwood on a cushioned subfloor is the traditional basketball surface. Poured urethane and sports tile cost differently, handle chairs and tables better, and suit multipurpose rooms. Any floor needs a flat slab, and wood needs a moisture barrier under it because it swells and shrinks with humidity.

Insulate the roof and walls, and size the ventilation or air conditioning for a full house, not an empty practice. Uninsulated panels over a warm, crowded room collect condensation that can drip onto the court.