How Much Does it Cost to Build a Pickleball Court?
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, with its number of participants nearly doubling since 2019. It’s an excellent activity for all ages and athletic experiences, with simple rules and a court small enough to fit in spacious backyards. Many people have wondered whether they have the funds and space to build their own pickleball court.
How much does it cost to build an outdoor pickleball court, and what kind of playing area is required? The price can reach over $50,000 to build a sports court, as many factors influence the final number, including location. Here’s a look at the various expenses required to build a regulation-sized court.
Full List of Costs
Here is a rough list of the costs you must cover for the new pickleball court construction:
Concrete Installation: $6,500
Fencing: $5,000
Labor and Equipment: varying rates
Lighting: $5,000
Net System: $50 to $1000
Playing Surface Coating and Court Line Painting: varying rates
Pickleball Accessories: $60 to $100
Site Clearing and Grading: $5,000
Based on these rates, you’re looking at an average cost of at least $25,000 for a backyard pickleball court. The pickleball court cost is a significant investment only serious pickleball players should consider.
Site Preparation
First, you need to find an ideal spot for the court. Pick a quiet location and align the court north to south to prevent sunlight glare. Other outdoor courts, such as tennis courts and badminton courts, have the same orientation.
Once you establish your court’s location, clearing the area is the first big step. You’ll need to remove trees, bushes, and any other surface obstructions.
A pickleball court’s dimensions are 44 x 20 feet, but most people opt for a 54 x 24 tournament-sized court to provide extra space in the out-of-bounds area. These dimensions add up to a pickleball court surface area of 1,296 square feet.
Your site might need some or all of these tools to clear out enough space:
Ax or hatchet
Backhoe
Bulldozer
Chainsaw
Excavator
Pole saw
Stump grinder
Hiring a contractor with all these tools could cost up to $5,000. Choosing a site with minimal obstacles will make the clearing process easier and cheaper. After clearing the area, you must create about a one-percent slope to prevent standing water.
Concrete Installation
Now you’re ready for the most expensive part of the project. Once you prep the site, you can start applying 4 x 6 slabs of concrete or pouring asphalt onto the surface. Concrete slabs are much easier and cheaper to work with, costing about $5 per square foot. That means your concrete costs — not including labor — will be just under $6,500 to cover the 54 x 24 court.
After the main layer of concrete gets installed, you need to apply an acrylic resurfacer to prevent cracks and weather damage. Your court’s protection needs might vary depending on local temperatures and weather conditions.
Court Construction
Once the installation is complete, you can start adding the pickleball details. Start by choosing the paint colors. Most pickleball courts are blue or green, but you can choose a more vibrant color as long as it contrasts with the white lines. In any case, the paint must be 100% acrylic. One gallon covers 60-75 square feet, so you’ll need a lot of it.
You can save money on paint by creating lines with sidewalk chalk instead of paint. Use a tape measure and a spool of string to ensure the lines are straight and symmetrical. You will have to draw over the lines again when they start to fade, but that’s a better option than exceeding your budget on acrylic paint.
Next, you need to get a temporary or permanent pickleball net. The temporary setup is much easier and cheaper because you don’t have to install the net into the concrete. You can find portable nets that cost as low as $50 on online marketplaces. Most permanent nets are around $1,000.
Aside from the paint and lines, everything else is optional. Some people add fencing around the court to prevent losing balls. Chain link fences are priced in linear feet, so they could easily top $5,000. Pickleballs aren’t heavy, so they’re unlikely to bounce far anyway. A thick lawn and proper landscaping will stop the balls in their tracks.
Other people install artificial lighting for another $5,000 or so, depending on the number of fixtures. This addition might be necessary if your schedule is inflexible and you want to practice at night.
The court is all but finished at this point. The pavement, paint, and lines of play are in place. Now you only need a couple of paddles and plenty of pickleball balls. Paddles cost from $40 to $250, and a pack of six balls costs less than $20.
Enjoy Your New Pickleball Paradise
Having a personal court for your favorite sport is a dream come true. You can play any time you want — weather permitting — and take your game to the next level within weeks of the project’s completion. Of course, if the costs of a permanent court are out of reach, you can always opt for a temporary DIY pickleball court instead. Either way, enjoy your new pickleball paradise and keep contributing to the growth of the game.
