How to Build a Pickleball Court | Cost & Method 

As pickleball courts are smaller and tiny ones that hardly require a large area, many pickleball players wonder if they can build a pickle court outside or in their backyard. Surprisingly, ”yes”  you can make an amazing pickleball court with minimum effort and expense only if you know the right process. So, here in this article, we have brought the simplest method involving the least tools. So read out and explore “how to build a pickleball court” in the text below. 

Well, you can build the court in either a luxurious way where you will use paints, surface materials lights, and everything or you can simply draw lines with chalk as well. In addition, it can be both in your backyard or the outside depending on the environment you love to play in. The consideration of place, cost, and court type also matter while building one. Therefore, we have added all these odds and ends to help you decide what kind of court to build and how!

What do you need to build a Pickleball Court? 

In building any kind of court (other than one with the chalk), the requirements are pretty much the same. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping list. 

  • Land (and don’t add this one)
  • Court material (asphalt, concrete, plastic tiles) 
  • Net and poles 
  • Pickleball court fencing 
  • Lightings (optional) 

Land and Location

The first thing, obviously, is the place where you will be building your court. It can be a badminton, tennis court, or you build the new on plain land. Additionally, the location should also be considered based on the noise-pollution rules as it is one of the cons of pickleball. 

Anyhow, how much area you will need for that? Well, here are the dimensions given by the US pickleball for building the court. 

  • Overall playing area: They generally recommend 30 x 60 feet as a round-off value but the actual is 34 x 64 feet. 
  • Court dimensions: apart from the playing area, there’s a limited area of 24 x 44 where you can play and that is covered by the fencing. The extra area is for the volleys and making room for the ball to go outside and you can run after them within the courts. 

If you are building a pickleball court in a former tennis court, you will be making 4 out of that one. However, you will need fencing to separate each court from one others.

While you are marking the dimensions, do consider the north-south orientation as the sun’s rays might affect the player’s eye in the otherwise directions. 

Court material

The court surface material can be back-breaking if you are building a new court. Even though, some people hire specialists or contractors to make the surface of the court. In case, you are doing it yourself, there are three choices for you to choose the surface material from. 

Concrete:

Concrete is your first choice to get for the surface material for three reasons. It is highly affordable; it is long-lasting and provides good quality for the ball to bounce pretty nicely, it does not require any other material for laying down. 

Concrete
Concrete

Asphalt:

Asphalt, like concrete, is also a heavy-duty and budget-friendly option. Though, the only problem with these is they need a concrete base since they have durability issues and your surface would need additional maintenance to keep up the quality. 

Asphalt
Asphalt

Snap together Plastic:

Snap together is a permanent option that you can use on concrete or asphalt surfaces. This eliminates the need for upkeep as the plastic tiles will be permanent and they are least prone to any damage. 

However, this is an expensive option and it also limits the use of the court to pickleball only yet the surface quality with bounce and cushions it provides, is totally worth it. 

Along with the surface, consider padding an important material to have on your surface. It absorbs the noise and shock and also provides a pop effect that gives value to the court and enhances the overall playability. 

Net and poles

After the surface and the pain, the next most important thing is the pickleball net. Though there is a number of brands you can choose from but make sure the quality is trustable because you don’t want to purchase new accessories every other week and then install them all over again in the court. In addition, the dimensions are also necessary to take into consideration. Here are the official measurements provided by the USAPA

  • Sideline: 36 inches 
  • Middle portion: 34 inches 

Although, you may choose the fixed net as most of the nets offer a good quality that can stay outside under the sun and harsh weather with minimum maintenance. The other option is the portable net that you can fold and keep inside when not used. However, you have to set that up every time you make use of it. 

Pickleball court fencing

Since there are no boundaries or walls in the pickleball hence fencings are used to secure the area for playing. It is for two reasons; to keep the ball within the inbound area and also to protect the spectators to get accidentally hit by the ball. Coming towards how to choose pickleball fencing? 

Pickleball Court
Pickleball Court

Well, first of all, make sure it is of wire since the bigger holes help the spectator to better see the game. It should be corrosion-resistant as well since you can’t trust the rain. Finally, the dimensions are here for you to note down. 

  • Maximum: 10 feet 
  • Minimum: 4 feet with padded outers 

Before you get the fencing done, make sure you have painted and mark the lines on the court. 

Additional Facilities:

Remember the place we left in the court. Here we can add shade shelters for the sun. posts, center straps, and the windscreen are some of the good accessories to give your court a professional look. Other than that, you can put court benches for the spectators to see the match. 

Lightings: (For Night play)

Lastly, to decorate your outdoor court, you can simply add some lighting to it. This way, you can also make use of it in nighttime games. Since it will be your personal property, you can extra decorate items that are not acting as permanent objects in the actual playing area in your court. 

Pickleball in lights
Pickleball in lights

Cost:

The cost of building differs from the ways you are adopting. If you are using low-quality materials, it can cost you around 200-300 dollars. In other cases, where you will hire a contractor and make all the arrangements to make a top-notch court, it can cost you not less than 35,000 to 40,000 dollars. 

FAQs:

Well, you will need a total of 200 feet of tape and that is a minimum amount. You should have 20-25 feet of extra tape in your bag to be saved from running out of it. Also, you can use blue painter’s tape or green frog tape as you please.

A pickleball court made of concrete surface should be 4 inches thick to make it enough cushion and bounce-friendly to play the game. 

Blue or pink are the best colors for pickleball since they help differentiate the color of the ball. Likewise, you can use those colors that differ from the ball. Additionally, it should be acrylic paints to give you a hundred percent result.

Wrapping up:

Huh, probably you can make one now and you should! Well, this is all the sorcery behind how to build a pickleball court, and hopefully, we have covered all the information along with answering your queries as you will begin with making a court, what equipments you will need, and what necessary arrangements you are required to do within. From here on, you have to take the mentioned list, be mindful of the key facts, and start building your court today. Good luck!

HARRY ANDERSON
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