So I kept getting asked about building a home sport court – friends, neighbors, even strangers at the grocery store. Everyone assumes I’d know since I do DIY stuff. Truth is? I had zero clue about the costs. So I decided to figure this out properly.
Starting the Hunt
First I grabbed my laptop and searched around online. Typed “sport court cost” like a madman. Results were all over the damn place. Saw ads claiming $5k installs (total scam btw) and fancy sites quoting $100k+. Just confused me more.
Grilling the Contractors
Called up four local installers over two weeks. Asked identical questions to compare apples to apples:
- Court size – Standard half basketball court they recommended (30×50 feet)
- Surface type – Asphalt vs concrete vs modular tiles
- Prep work – Ground leveling, drainage, base materials
- Extra crap – Hoops, fencing, lighting
Two took a week just to call back. Contractor Tom showed up 90 minutes late scratching his belly. Felt like pulling teeth getting straight answers.
The Money Punch
When quotes finally landed, my eyes bulged. Here’s the real breakdown:
- Asphalt setup: $12k base + $5k for grading. Seemed cheap until Tom mentioned cracks in 3 years. No thanks.
- Concrete version: $18k minimum before we even talked surfacing. Pouring ain’t cheap.
- Modular plastic tiles: Shockingly $25k-$40k! Those interlocking bastards cost more than my car.
Add-ons murdered the budget too. Lighting? $3k. Fence? $5k. Professional hoop? Another $2k. Almost choked when one estimator casually said “Oh you’ll want ball returns? That’s another grand.”
Reality Check
Went back to the first “cheap” quote pretending to commit. Contractor immediately slapped on $4k for drainage rock and soil disposal fees he “forgot” initially. Classic bait and switch.
My takeaways after this circus:
- Basic concrete court without extras starts around $15k if you beg
- Good-quality setup will gut you for $35k minimum
- Gotcha fees hide in every proposal like cockroaches
Bought a portable hoop for $300 instead. Screw this overpriced rabbit hole – I’ll drive to the public courts.
