Started thinking about building a basketball gym ’cause my driveway hoop just ain’t cutting it anymore. Figured it’d be straightforward, you know? Like gettin’ some concrete poured, throwin’ up walls, and bangin’ up a couple hoops. Man, was I wrong.
The Research Phase
Went online first. Just typed in “how much to build indoor basketball court.” Man, those numbers hit me hard. Saw figures like $100,000 floating around easy. Panicked a bit, thought maybe just a half-court? Nah, gotta go full court if you’re gonna dream big, right?
Got real serious then. Went down a rabbit hole:
- Space: Measured my empty land near the garage. Needed at least 60 feet long by 40 wide bare minimum, even felt cramped thinkin’ about it.
- Structure: Do I buy one of those pre-fab steel buildings? Looks cheap upfront, but folks online say foundation and install adds a ton.
- Flooring: This! Forget just concrete. Real gym floor? That maple stuff? Nearly fell off my chair lookin’ at prices per square foot. Settled on basic sport tiles for now.
- Hoops: Wanted real ones, the good kind that bounce back when you dunk. Saw decent ones… $2,500 each? Was hopin’ for like $500 tops.
- Lights: Can’t play in the dark! LED court lights ain’t cheap either.
Digging Deep & Getting Quotes
Reached out. Actual builders, electricians, even asked a buddy who knows concrete. Spent weeks emailing and calling. Here’s the gut punch:
- Builder quote for a basic steel shell: “Starts around $45,000.” He said that like it was pocket change. Just for the empty metal box!
- Concrete slab for inside: Needed rebar, gotta be thick and flat. Guy quoted $8,500. Said “surface prep” costs extra.
- Electrician for those lights: Wiring it safe? Another $3,000 easy.
- The dang sport tiles: Budget option? Still $15,000 just to cover the concrete!
- Two regulation hoops: Basic portable ones? Min $4,500. Better ones were like $7k.
Started adding this nonsense up in my head. Nearly passed out. Ballpark? Like $80k without even sweating yet. Seriously, 80 grand!
The DIY Pipe Dream
Reality sucked. Thought maybe… just maybe… I could save a ton DIYing parts. Rented a skid steer to prep the ground myself. What a disaster. Almost clipped my own garage. Digging trenches for drainage? Mud everywhere. Took three weekends just to get the site kinda ready. Hired the concrete guy to pour the slab anyway – no way I could get that smooth.
Tried assembling a cheaper steel frame kit myself. Bolts everywhere. Instructions might as well be Egyptian hieroglyphs. Spent two days upside-down under a beam just to get it wrong. Seriously bruised my pride and my elbow. Threw in the towel. Called the damn contractor back.
Where I’m At Now (Not Happy)
Okay, deep breath. Downsized dreams hard.
- Structure: Settling for a smaller, lean-to style build off the garage to save walls/roof cost.
- Court: ONLY a half-court now. Feels like defeat.
- Flooring: Just painted concrete with outside court lines. Sport tiles are on the “maybe someday” list.
- Hoop: ONE good, wall-mounted adjustable hoop. Still cost $1,800.
- Lights: Basic spotlights instead of fancy court LEDs. Still cost $1,200 installed.
The slab is poured, the metal frame is half up (contractor finally doing it), the wall-mounted hoop arrived yesterday. No ceiling fans, no slick flooring, no second hoop. It’s basically a giant shed with a basketball hoop.
The Real Cost (So Far)
Here’s where my wallet cries:
- Land Prep/Slab: $9,200
- Metal Building Portion (smaller): $28,500
- Electrical (Lights Only): $1,200
- One Regulation Hoop: $1,800
- Paint/Supplies: $300 (and climbing)
We’re already brushing $40,000… and it ain’t even done! Still need doors, proper ventilation, insulation is a “future me” problem. Feels crazy spending this much for something not even full size. Shoulda bought a pool. Or a boat. Or just kept playin’ on the driveway.
Buildin’ a gym costs way more than a ball hits the floor. Way. More. Learned that the painful way. Don’t trust Google guesses. Get real quotes early… and then maybe just buy gym membership.
