So I finally decided to tackle that indoor sports court project this month. Always dreamed of having one in the garage, y’know? Like those cool Instagram setups. Started totally clueless about what it actually costs.
First Steps – Gut Feeling Guess
Figured I could just slap down some tiles and call it a day. Grabbed my tape measure and ran numbers for my 20×20 foot garage space. Did some quick math: “Okay, tiles gotta be cheap, maybe $1 per square foot… so like 400 square feet equals $400? Sweet!” Boy was I naive.
Reality Check Phase
Started googling “garage basketball court tiles.” Clicked like fifteen online stores. Realized pretty quick:
- Tiles ain’t just tiles. Found some flimsy roll-out mats for 60 cents/sq ft… then saw legit interlocking tiles meant for impact at $3-$5 PER TILE. One little tile!
- Thickness matters a ton. Thin ones wobble? Forget dribbling. You need the thick ones, obviously.
- Suddenly my “400 bucks” dream vanished. Doing proper math this time: 400 sq ft needing 12″x12″ tiles? That’s 1600 tiles minimum. Even at $2/tile? $3,200 already. Oof.
Panic Calls to Local Guys
Freaked out and called three local sports flooring companies.
- First guy laughed politely when I mentioned my $400 budget. He mostly does fancy gyms.
- Second guy talked about poured rubber floors. Sounded amazing – smooth bounce, durable. Then he casually dropped “$8 to $12 per sq ft installed.” Did the math: 400 sq ft x $10 = $4,000. Nearly choked on my coffee.
- Third guy quoted modular tiles. Cheaper than poured stuff… but his decent stuff was still $4-$6 per sq ft installed. That’s $1,600 to $2,400 for my little garage court. Still way over.
Unseen Costs Hit Me
Even the tile option wasn’t simple.
- Subfloor prep? Garage concrete ain’t pool-table flat. Needed leveling stuff? Self-leveling compound quoted extra.
- Mold prevention? Some tiles need moisture barriers underneath. Add $0.50-$1/sq ft.
- Accessories? Court lines? Boundary walls? Paint? Lighting? Hoop itself? Nope, not included in any base price. Budget ballooning fast.
The Final Awkward Tally
Ditched the dream pour. Settled on decent, thickish modular tiles I found online. Got pricey:
- Tiles (15mm thick, decent brand): ~$3.50 per sq ft -> $1,400
- Self-leveling goop for the wonky spots: $150
- Moisture barrier roll: $80
- Custom court line stencil kit: $65
Just for the floor, roughly $1,700. Add a basic hoop? At least $500+. Proper sports lighting? Another $800 easily. Suddenly looking at $3,000+ starting point for a basic, functional garage court. That first $400 dream? Pure fantasy. Lesson learned the expensive way!
