Frequently Asked Questions

A proper backyard pickleball court will cost somewhere between $25,000-50,000. Much of this depends on whether you opt for a post-tension concrete slab or a conventional concrete slab. Post-tension slabs are typically about $10,000 more.
Other considerations that affect price include the following:
1. Current site condition - Is there landscaping or trees that need to be removed? Do sprinkler lines need to be relocated or capped?
2. Lighting - Do you want wired lighting or solar-powered lighting? How much lighting? If wired, how far is the court from the nearest electrical panel?
3. Hoops, nets, fencing - prices vary for all of these items. We will always beat Dominator’s online prices.
4. Multiple game lines - We charge $250 for each additional set of game lines (ie: adding basketball lines to the pickleball court)
5. More than 2 colors - We charge $300 for each additional color beyond the first two.

Conventional concrete is reinforced with rebar placed in a grid formation throughout the concrete. If you’ve ever seen a concrete driveway or patio being built, they were most likely using this method.
Conventional concrete will have “expansion joints” in it. These joints allow the slab sections to move a little bit with normal expansion/contraction or settling that occurs due to temperature changes or moisture conditions.

Post-tension concrete is reinforced by cables running through plastic tubes in the concrete which are tightened and anchored to the side of the slab after the concrete is cured but before any load is placed on it.
Tensioning the cables on all 4 sides of the slab pulls the concrete inward which eliminates the affects of expansion and contraction and therefore prevents cracking.
Post-tension slabs do not have expansion joints for this reason.

Why are saw cuts & expansion joints placed in concrete?

Concrete is a very hard substrate, and it’s very important that the sub-base is properly laid, sloped for drainage & compacted.  Another popular concrete construction method is reinforced concrete.  Reinforced concrete slabs contain rebar, or steel reinforced bars that lend extra strength within the concrete slab.  For most applications, like driveways, saw cuts are placed after the concrete is formed to control cracking.  However, once the saw cuts are placed, you always have a cut through the slab that will open and close during expansion and contraction from temperature swings.  The saw cuts are straight and consistent, to minimize random cracking in varying directions.

Acrylic Crack Filler | Uses and Longevity

Acrylic crack fillers are usually applied before application of court coatings to fill the saw cuts.  This helps to keep the coatings from puddling in the joints and maintain a cleaner look.  However, movement in the joints will cause a hairline crack to appear, which will gradually widen.  Some joints will reopen quickly and others may take longer to appear, depending on the amount of movement and moisture under the court.  Crack fillers can be reapplied as needed, to minimize moisture intrusion, but this is a continuing maintenance cycle.  The saw cuts/expansion joints are doing their intended job by allowing movement to minimize stress on the rest of the slab.

Remember, saw cuts are uniform and are designed to prevent breakage and cracking throughout the slab.  If the cracks open, they are preventing additional damage to the slab and other random cracks.  Asphalt courts are a bit more flexible, but the asphalt binders will also become brittle with age and will become more susceptible to cracking and settling.  Compaction, drainage and overall construction is also important to longevity of asphalt courts.

Short answer: It depends, but for pickleball or basketball, not really.

At Champion Courts, we can build your court with either a post-tension or conventional slab. In some cases we will require a post-tension slab or we will not be able to provide our standard warranty. This will be determined after a site visit.

So why do people say you need a post-tension concrete slab?

This mostly comes from the tennis world. With a tennis court, we absolutely recommend a post-tension slab because the ball is easily influenced by the tiniest infirmity. In pickleball and basketball, though, the balls and players are not as influenced.

Post-tension slabs are much less likely to have any cracking, while conventional slabs are susceptible to cracking over time. This cracking is caused by the freeze and thaw cycles in Utah and by changes in the ground underneath the court. This is why if our team feels the drainage or soil composition is in question, a post-tension slab will be required for us to offer our warranty.

If your court is going on flat ground, if you are working on a tight budget, or if you just aren’t too worried about a little cracking appearing after a few years, perhaps a conventional concrete slab will work for you.

Contact our team to discuss it more!

A pickleball court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide (44’x20’). It is recommended to have 5 feet on each side and 8 feet on each end to have enough room for proper play.

Therefore a total court size of 30’x60’ is recommended. If space is an issue, the minimum size would be 28’x50’. If you play extremely aggressively or plan on hosting tournaments or events, we suggest going as large as 34’x64’.

A home lot with at least 0.25 acres is needed for a pickleball court. If you’re not sure, our team would be happy to come measure for you!

Short Answer: 5-7 weeks for a full build, 2-3 days for surfacing-only

Typically our concrete crews can complete their work in 2-5 days depending on the site conditions and weather.

For proper bonding, concrete must cure for 28 days before we can apply the surface.

After the concrete is poured and cured, we can surface and paint the court in 2-3 days.

Lighting and hoops would be done at the same time as the surfacing/painting and fencing can be done while the concrete is curing.

For a properly surfaced basketball court will cost somewhere between $20,000-50,000.
This mostly depends on whether you are doing a full-court or half-court and whether you want high school, NCAA, or NBA dimensions.

Other considerations that affect price include the following:
1. Current site condition - Is there landscaping or trees that need to be removed? Do sprinkler lines need to be relocated or capped?
2. Lighting - Do you want wired lighting or solar-powered lighting? How much lighting? If wired, how far is the court from the nearest electrical panel?
3. Hoops - What size and type of hoop do you want?

Reach out to our team to talk through the specifics!

Yes! We work with HOAs, cities, and businesses for full builds, resurfacing, and line painting.