If you really can’t get enough basketball at the gym, you might want to take it home with you. This could mean installing a hoop in the driveway. But do you want to deal with a slanted playing surface or have to worry about hitting a car every time you miss a shot? Okay, okay, we know you don’t miss that often. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to have a dedicated court to play on right in your backyard?
If you’ve got some extra cash lying around, investing in a backyard basketball court can provide hours of enjoyment. Your backyard will be the hotspot of the neighborhood and your own skills will drastically improve thanks to an always-open practice facility. But how much does it actually cost to build a backyard basketball court?
It can be difficult to nail down an exact price because some factors depend on your specific property and situation. However, there are certainly others that are universal to the process. So, let’s dive in and see how much it will cost you to build your dream backyard basketball court.
Size
Full or half court? The question every out of shape baller dreads hearing before a pickup game. When it comes to building your court, this likely doesn’t come as a surprise. Will you be building a full 94 x 100-foot court or a half court perfect for 3 on 3 games?
The size of your court is the single biggest factor in determining the final cost. But you didn’t need us to tell you that. As you may assume, a full court will cost roughly twice as much as a half court. (You’ll see why when we get further).
Since most of us don’t have space or the money to build a full court, we’ll stick with estimates for a half court for the rest of this post. However, keep in mind if you want to build a full court, you should roughly double the numbers below here.
Concrete / Foundation
Costs:
Leveling = $1,000 – $5,000
Concrete = $9,000 – $19,000
Preparing your property for the court is the most expensive part of the process aside from the size. Unfortunately, most pieces of land aren’t perfectly level, flat, and self-draining. This means most backyard basketball courts will involve a bit of excavation, leveling, and drainage. Skipping these steps will leave you with an uneven court that will collapse in a few years.
You should estimate between $1000-$5000 for the leveling and drainage of your court. This depends solely on what your property is like. Fortunately, the concrete company that will pour the court’s foundation can usually give you and estimate and then do the work.
Next, you’ll need a concrete base to support the court’s playing surface and ensure it lasts for years to come. Generally, concrete reinforced with rebar at least 4 inches thick is enough to do the job. In most cases, this costs about $4-8 per square foot. For a 47 x 50-foot half court, you’re looking at $9000-$19,000.
Hang in there, things get better soon. We promise.
Playing Surface
Costs:
Playing Surface = $9,000 – $10,000
Here’s where you start to get some choices. If you’re extremely tight on budget, you could opt to leave the playing surface as concrete. However, basketball is a rough sport and you’ll likely experience many scraped knees and elbows. Not to mention you’ll burn through shoes at a rapid pace.
So, most court enthusiasts choose to top their concrete foundation with a more forgiving playing surface. There are plenty of options to go with. Some of the more popular include Rhino Court and VersaCourt. These are made from plastic polymers and offer a softer surface that is kind to your knees and ankles. It is also more realistic to the hardwood experience than playing on cement.
These toppers are custom cut to the dimensions of your court and can be shipped with pre-painted lines. Some even allow you to customize the court with a team logo or your favorite color scheme. They snap together like a giant jigsaw puzzle atop your court and give you a permanent playing surface.
These systems cost about $4 per square foot. So, once again, for a 47 x 100-foot court you should budget another $9000-$10,000.
Basketball Hoop
Costs:
Basketball Hoop = $500 – $2,000
If you’re investing thousands of dollars in a basketball court, you’re certainly going to need a hoop (or two if you’re going full court). How much you spend can vary but you’ll probably want to pay up for a nicer hoop since you’re already spending thousands of dollars.
Building a backyard basketball court is a big investment. And as such we recommend going ahead and opting for a premium in-ground basketball hoop. At this point you’ve already poured in thousands so spending an extra “G-bar” for a premium hoop is well worth it in the grand scheme of things. We’ve highlighted several in-ground basketball hoops here on Hoops Fiend. Most of these range in price from $500-$2000. This is all preference, but a nicer hoop can make your court 100x better than a wobbly cheap one.
In-Ground Hoops We Recommend:
Lifetime Mammoth, Goalrilla FT, First Team Game Changer, Goalsetter All-American
Portable Hoops We Recommend:
Extras
Costs:
Netting = $7-$20/foot
Lighting = $1,000 – $2,000
So, you’ve got a basketball court in your backyard. Congratulations! You might be crying looking at a much lighter wallet but we promise it will be worth it once you start playing on your very own court. Want to customize it even more?
When you build an outdoor basketball court, you have the option to include several extra features. These can be anything from netting or a fence surrounding it to stop stray balls. Remember those ones you missed? Yeah, you’re still going to miss some unless your name starts with Steph and ends in Curry. Hint: it costs around $7-$20 per foot.
You may also want to consider adding outdoor lighting so you can enjoy your court day and night. After all, nothing is more fun than playing under the lights. Budget for roughly $1000-$2000 for a quality system.
Finally, you could consider painting additional lines or investing in other nets to make your court accessible to multiple sports. Volleyball, tennis, badminton, just to name a few. These can be done on your own at little cost or professionally for a few hundred dollars.
When all is said and done, you can expect your court to cost between $19,000 for a basic court (with upgraded playing surface) and a cheap goal and $34,000 for a high-end court with all the extras. Of course, for a full-sized court, you’ll need to double these numbers.
Regardless of which way you choose to go, you won’t regret the investment to put a court for your favorite sport right in your backyard.
Total Costs for Backyard Basketball Court (Half Court)
Costs:
Low = $19,000
High = $34,000
When all is said and done, you can expect your court to cost between $19,000 for a basic court (with upgraded playing surface) and a cheap goal and $34,000 for a high-end court with all the extras. Of course, for a full-sized court, you’ll need to double these numbers.
Regardless of which way you choose to go, you won’t regret the investment to put a court for your favorite sport right in your backyard.