Alright, so you wanna know what it actually costs to build a damn basketball gym? Buckle up, because I learned this the hard way after my kid begged for one. Thought it’d be simple – just pour some concrete and slap up a hoop, right? Nope. Started scribbling numbers on a napkin, and reality smacked me in the face.
Started With the Dirt
First, I needed land. My backyard was too small, so I hunted for cheap plots. Found a half-acre lot zoned for light industrial for $45,000 cash. Survey guy charged me another $1,200 just to tell me where the boundaries were. Already bleeding money.
Paperwork Nightmares
City permits almost broke me. Filled out forms thicker than my arm. Building department wanted drainage plans, traffic impact studies, even a damn tree preservation report. Paid an architect $8,000 to stamp drawings that looked like spaghetti. Permit fees alone? $7,500. Took three months of arguing with pencil-pushers.
Breaking Ground Hurt My Wallet
Crew showed up with excavators. Dug footings six feet deep. Cement trucks rolled in – 120 yards of concrete at $150 per yard. Steel rebar everywhere? $5,300. By the time they framed the walls with lumber, I’d blown $68,000 before even having a roof.
The “Box” Costs More Than You Think
Putting on a roof ain’t cheap. Trusses cost $12,000. Metal sheeting for the whole thing? $22,000 installed. Then came insulation – spray foam for walls and ceiling ate another $16,000. HVAC guy laughed when I asked for a window unit. Industrial system? $28,000. Almost cried.
Court Stuff Blew the Budget
Real maple flooring? Ha. Settled for synthetic sports tiles at $4.50/sq ft. Whole court was $19,000 just for materials. Hoops? Thought Walmart ones would do. Nope. Commercial-grade goals with breakaway rims cost $2,800 each. Lighting needed stadium fixtures – $6,400 for LED rigs bright enough for night games.
Surprise Expenses I Didn’t Expect
- Fire alarms and emergency exits: $3,200
- Painting the whole interior stark white: $4,100
- Random bullshit like signage and permits: $2,700
Final Gut Punch
Added everything up while drinking cheap beer. Land prep? $46,200. Building shell? $146,000. Court installation? $35,000. Extras? Another $10k-ish. Grand total? Roughly $237,200. My kid better become the next LeBron.
Moral of the story? Triple your initial estimate. Then cry. Then write checks. Cheaper to just buy YMCA membership, but where’s the glory in that?
