So I decided to build my own backyard sport court for basketball and tennis. Thought it’d be simple – just some concrete and nets, right? Boy was I wrong.
Started by digging up half my yard with a rented excavator. Got muddy like a pig after heavy rain, ruined our whole lawn. Wife still reminds me about the dead azaleas crushed under those tractor treads.
Got three quotes from contractors that made my wallet cry:
- $8k just for concrete pouring
- $12k for professional grading and drainage
- $3,500 for sports court surfacing special coating
Almost fainted when the fencing guy said court nets cost another $2,600.
Decided to go rogue and DIY it. Bought 80-pound concrete bags from Home Depot – total disaster. Mixing in a wheelbarrow took forever and nearly broke my back. Ran out of bags mid-pour, concrete started hardening before I finished. Had to chip it out with a sledgehammer next day.
Finally hired the cheapest contractor I found. Big mistake. Dude disappeared after laying wonky concrete. Surface looked like potato chips. Had to pay someone else another $5k to grind it flat.
Ended up costing me nearly triple my original budget. Spent $28,753 total when you count:
- Wasted DIY materials
- Medical bills for back pain
- Marriage counseling sessions
- Dead landscaping replacement
Plus that cheap contractor? Saw him installing a gorgeous court at my neighbor’s last week – at 30% less than he quoted me!
Kids play on the court every day now though. Worth every penny and argument with the wife? You decide.
