Batting Cages & WindScreen Installation
Current Availability
Estimate Response
1–2 business days
Lead Time
3–5 weeks out
Demand
High — spring season
Book early if your project has a hard deadline.
100% Workmanship
Guaranteed
Member, American
Fence Association
Fencing
Since 1987
Baseball and softball run year-round in Eastern NC—and a batting cage that sags or fails in a summer storm isn’t much of a training tool. Fence Craft builds and installs batting cages for residential backyard setups, youth and travel ball programs, school and recreation facilities, and commercial training academies across Nash, Wilson, Halifax, and Franklin counties.
Batting Cages & Netting
Travel teams, high school programs, and private academies across Nash, Wilson, and Halifax counties all depend on practice infrastructure. A cage built to handle three years of daily swings and Eastern NC’s summer storms is a different animal than a big-box kit.
Fence Craft builds permanent, semi-permanent, and replacement-netting installations. Frames go in with the correct anchor depth for the site’s ground conditions. Netting is UV-treated, commercially rated, and properly tensioned. We’ve worked on both residential backyard cages in Nash County neighborhoods and multi-tunnel facility installs at Roanoke Rapids schools and parks in Halifax County.
Why Homeowners and Facilities Choose Fence Craft
Fence Craft has been building permanent structures across Eastern NC for nearly 40 years — Roy Garner’s experience shows up in how cages are anchored, framed, and built to hold up over time.
- Frame and netting matched to use frequency — we don’t spec a residential cage for a travel-ball program
- UV-treated netting standard on all outdoor installations
- Anchor depth calibrated to the site — soil conditions vary across Eastern NC; we assess each site before specifying footing depth and anchor method
- School and facility experience in all surrounding counties
- NC 811 on every in-ground installation — school and park sites have buried utilities from prior construction phases
- 100% workmanship guarantee — frame movement, netting attachment failure, and anchor issues caused by our installation
Batting Cage & Netting Options
Residential Backyard Batting Cage
Permanent single-cage installation for residential lots in Rocky Mount, Nashville, and Wilson-area neighborhoods. Standard residential sizing: 35–55 feet long × 12 feet wide × 10 feet high. Galvanized steel frame anchored in concrete post sleeves or direct-bury footings. #36 UV-treated polyethylene netting rated for outdoor use. Hinged entry door. Built to handle full-swing practice without movement or sag.
Youth Program & Travel Ball Tunnel
Full-size or near-regulation cage (55–70 feet long × 12–14 feet wide × 10–12 feet high) for youth travel teams, club programs, and private instruction setups. Heavier frame gauge and #42 netting standard. Common installation for programs across Nash and Wilson counties, where teams practice at dedicated facilities or church/park properties.
Full-Size Baseball & Softball Cage
Regulation-length cage — 70 feet long × 14 feet wide × 12 feet high — for high school programs, adult leagues, and training academies. #42 knotted or knotless netting. Frame: heavy-gauge galvanized steel with concrete footings. Door: hinged, single- or double-entry. Designed for daily use and pitching machine velocity. Anchor depth adjusted for site soil conditions — important on Halifax County park sites near the Roanoke River basin, where soil moisture varies seasonally.
Multi-Tunnel
Facility
Two or more side-by-side batting tunnels within a shared frame structure. Common for school, recreation, and academy programs — especially in Roanoke Rapids and Louisburg. Shared frame posts between tunnels reduce material cost and footprint. Concrete footings on all terminal and intermediate posts.
Replacement
Netting
Net-only replacement for existing frames — galvanized, aluminum, or conduit structures still in serviceable condition. We measure, cut, and install new #36 or #42 UV-treated netting on existing frames. Common for schools and rec departments with aging netting on frames that are otherwise still sound. Available across all service counties.
Infield & Outfield Specialty Netting
L-screen frames, backstop netting repairs, and practice screen netting for school and park baseball fields. Common at school athletic programs and municipal parks across Halifax and Franklin counties where Fence Craft handles specialty netting work regularly.
Key Considerations for Batting Cage Installation in Eastern NC
A cage that looks right at installation can fail inside one season if the specs are wrong from the start:
Frame gauge for the use case
residential #18 gauge conduit is insufficient for high-frequency program or facility use; school and travel-ball programs need 1⅝-inch or 2-inch galvanized steel pipe
Netting weight for use frequency
36 twine handles residential backyard use; #42 twine is the minimum for daily youth program or high school use; heavier use demands heavier netting
UV treatment
Eastern NC’s summer UV load degrades untreated polyethylene netting noticeably in the first season and significantly by season two; all outdoor nets must be UV-stabilized
Anchor depth and footing method
shallow anchors on Eastern NC soils can shift after heavy rain; in-ground concrete footings go a minimum of 24 inches; post sleeves on softer sites go deeper
Wind loading
fully enclosed batting cages catch heavy wind load on open lots east of Rocky Mount and along the Tar River basin; anchor design must account for this, particularly on multi-tunnel facilities
NC 811
any installation requiring ground penetration (in-ground anchors, concrete footings) requires a 3 full working days’ utility locate notice before digging
Materials & System Details
Frame
- Residential: 1⅝-inch galvanized steel pipe or equivalent; ground-sleeve anchors or direct-bury
- Program/facility: 2-inch galvanized steel pipe; concrete footings to minimum 24-inch depth
- Corner and terminal posts: heavier-wall pipe; anchor to grade with concrete pour
- Frame finish: hot-dipped galvanized; resists corrosion for 20+ years without coating maintenance
Netting
- Material: UV-treated polyethylene (PE) standard outdoor; nylon for premium durability
- Weight: #36 twine for residential; #42 twine for youth programs and facilities; heavier available for high-use commercial
- Construction: knotted or knotless; knotless is easier on ball covers at high velocity
- UV rating: rated for outdoor use in full-sun exposure — mandatory for Eastern NC conditions
- Attachment: tension cable at top and sides; bottom ground anchors or sand tube ballast
Entry & Access
- Hinged door: single entry standard; double door for equipment access on facility cages
- Door frame: same gauge as main frame; latch hardware rated for weather exposure
- Netting flap option: zippered or hook-and-loop entry on residential cages where a frame door is not preferred
How We Install Batting Cages in Rocky Mount, NC
1
Site Visit, Dimension Confirmation & Estimate
We walk the site, confirm available footprint against target cage dimensions, check grade, and identify any drainage or soil conditions that affect anchor depth. A written line-item estimate with frame, netting, anchoring, and labor separated is returned after the visit. We note utility locate requirements if in-ground anchoring is planned.
2
NC 811, Permit (If Required) & Material Order
For in-ground anchor installations, NC 811 is called — 3 full working days’ notice required by NC law. Freestanding or post-sleeve installations without ground penetration may not require a utility locate. Permits are not typically required for residential batting cages below a specific size threshold, but school, park, and municipal sites may require a building or site permit — we confirm with the applicable jurisdiction.
3
Frame Anchor, Assembly & Net Tensioning
Ground anchors or concrete footings are set first and allowed to cure. Frame assembled from anchor points up — corners and terminals first, line posts second. Netting is installed on the frame with tension cable at the ridge and sides; the bottom is secured with ground anchors or ballast. Entry door or netting flap installed and tested for a full open-close cycle. We walk through the installation with the client before leaving.
Is a Batting Cage the Right Fit for Your Project?
| Good Fit | Consider First |
|---|---|
| Residential backyard in Rocky Mount or Nash County — competitive youth player needing year-round reps | Site has drainage issues that cause standing water — address before installing frame anchors |
| Youth travel team or private program needing a dedicated practice tunnel | Available footprint is under 35 feet — a full cage may not fit; discuss L-screen or alternative setup |
| School or park athletic program replacing aging netting or adding new tunnels | A school or municipal project requires capital budget approval or a bid process before work can begin |
| Private training academy looking for a commercial-grade single or multi-tunnel setup | Property has overhead utility lines within the cage footprint — requires reroute before installation |
| Recreation department facility in Halifax, Franklin, Nash or Wilson county | Existing frame is damaged beyond net replacement — full frame replacement may be needed |
Batting Cage Sizing by Use Case
Residential Backyard (Rocky Mount / Nash County)
Most common residential cage: 35–50 feet long × 12 feet wide × 10 feet high. Fits a standard suburban rear yard without encroaching on setbacks on most Nash County lots. Sufficient for tee work, soft toss, and pitching machine use at standard residential distances. Frame: 1⅝-inch galvanized steel pipe. Netting: #36 UV-treated PE. Anchor: ground-sleeve system or direct-bury concrete on Eastern NC lots where sleeve anchors can shift after heavy rain.
Youth Program & School (Wilson / Nash / Halifax Counties)
Travel programs and school teams typically need 55–70 feet of cage length to accommodate full regulation pitching distances. Frame steps up to 2-inch galvanized pipe. Netting steps up to #42 twine — daily practice use at higher pitching machine velocity and contact frequency degrades #36 netting noticeably within two seasons. Concrete footings standard. Wilson County school athletic programs and Halifax County (Roanoke Rapids) facility installations are where this configuration is most common.
Facility & Academy (Multi-Tunnel)
Private academies and high-use recreation departments use two or more tunnels in a shared frame. Shared intermediate posts reduce the footprint without sacrificing structural integrity. All posts on concrete; netting #42 minimum. Roanoke Rapids (Halifax County) and Louisburg (Franklin County) are the most active markets for this configuration in our work area.
Recent Netting Projects
Where We Install Batting Cages & Netting
Fence Craft installs batting cages and specialty sports netting across Eastern NC from our Rocky Mount shop on Dortches Blvd. Residential and youth program installs are concentrated in Nash County (Rocky Mount, Nashville, Dortches, Red Oak) and Wilson County. School, park, and facility installations are most active in Halifax County (Roanoke Rapids — where we regularly handle athletic field fencing and specialty netting) and Franklin County (Louisburg — school, park, and community facility work). Johnston, Edgecombe, Warren, and Northampton county projects are part of our regular schedule.
What Customers Say About Our Work
Ready to Build Your Batting Cage?
Every installation — backyard or multi-tunnel facility — starts with a site visit. We confirm dimensions, check ground conditions, and return a written estimate within a few days.
Schedule your Free Estimate Today!
Frequently Asked
Questions
What size batting cage do I need for a backyard in Rocky Mount?
For a standard suburban lot in Nash County, a 40–50 foot cage is the most common fit — enough length for pitching machine use and tee/soft-toss work at regulation distances, without taking up the entire rear yard. Minimum usable length for full-swing practice is 35 feet. If you’re pitching live or using a high-speed machine, 55–70 feet is the better target. We confirm the available footprint and recommended sizing at the site visit.
What’s the difference between #36 and #42 netting?
The number refers to the twine diameter — a heavier number means thicker, stronger netting. #36 polyethylene is appropriate for residential backyard use with normal practice frequency. #42 is the minimum standard for youth travel programs, high school teams, and any setup with daily or near-daily use — higher pitching machine velocity and contact frequency degrades #36 netting noticeably within two seasons under those conditions. We match netting weight to the use case at the estimated visit.
Do I need a permit to install a batting cage in Rocky Mount or Nash County?
Residential batting cages below certain size thresholds typically don’t require a building permit in Rocky Mount or Nash County — but if the installation involves concrete footings that qualify as a permanent structure, or if the cage height exceeds local accessory structure limits, a permit may be required. School, park, and commercial facility installations go through the applicable building or site plan permit process. We confirm permit requirements at the initial visit.
How long does batting cage installation take?
A single residential cage with in-ground concrete footings typically takes 2–3 days — one day for anchor pour and cure, one day for frame and netting assembly. A multi-tunnel school or facility installation runs 2–4 days, depending on cage count and site conditions.
How do I maintain batting cage netting in Eastern NC’s climate?
Inspect netting tension once per season — Eastern NC’s summer heat causes slight elongation in PE netting; re-tensioning every year or two keeps the net from sagging mid-cage. Check the bottom anchor or ballast before each season; soil can shift after heavy rain and loosen ground-level attachment points. Rinse netting with fresh water if installed near irrigated turf. UV-treated netting in full outdoor exposure typically lasts several years before replacement, depending on use frequency and UV load.
What does Fence Craft’s warranty cover on batting cage installations?
The 100% workmanship guarantee covers frame movement, netting attachment failure, and anchor issues caused by our installation. It excludes storm damage, flooding, acts of God, ball impact damage to netting, and neglect. Netting manufacturers may provide a separate material warranty; we document and provide that warranty at project completion.
