So about a month ago I decided it was time to finally get that basketball court built in my backyard. My kids kept complaining about driving to the public courts, and honestly? I was tired of it too. Had this whole vision of DIY-ing it myself with those rubber basketball pine timber thingamajigs. Yeah, that fancy wood-looking court stuff with rubber pellets. Sounded kinda straightforward, right? Boy was I wrong about the cost part.

Started With Wild Guessing

First thing I did? Hopped online trying to find “how much rubber basketball court wood costs.” Sounds dumb now, but I genuinely thought someone would just list a price like “$20 per square foot” and call it a day. Nope. All I got was fancy websites quoting “systems” and telling me to “contact for consultation.” Ain’t nobody got time for that. Felt like they were hiding the price.

Figured I’d just go check stuff out myself. Drove down to the big building supply store, grabbed a cart, and wandered over to the lumber section. Saw some pressure-treated pine boards, thought “hey, maybe this is it?” Grabbed a pen and started scribbling on a torn receipt envelope.

• Boards: Each 12-foot pine plank was like $12. For my 40×30 foot dream court? Did the math. Needed about… 400 feet? Wait no, needed rows of boards across the width… my head started hurting.
• Rubber: Asked some dude in an orange vest where the “rubber bits for basketball courts” were. Blank stare. Turns out they didn’t sell the actual rubber granules loose like gravel. Gotta order that special.
• Joints & Fasteners: Oh yeah! Bolts! Brackets! Screws! Looked at tiny bags of steel connectors costing $15 each. Realized I needed dozens. Cart started feeling heavy with just a few items already pushing $200.

Then Came The Contractor Quotes

Okay, fine, maybe this DIY idea was stupid. Called three local companies saying “I need a backyard hoop court, with that wood-look rubber stuff.” Sent them rough dimensions.

First Quote: Guy showed up, looked at my weedy patch of grass, grunted, pulled out a tablet. Swiped, tapped, tapped some more. “$38,000.” I choked on my coffee. “Say again?” “$38,000 minimum. Site prep’s messy, drainage needs work, special base layer required.” Felt like I’d asked for a Lamborghini.

Second Quote: Emailed me later: “$28,500. Includes 50mm recycled rubber infill, premium pine-look timber tiles, edge restraint, sealant.” “Sealant?” Apparently you gotta seal it yearly. Another $500+ he “forgot” to mention upfront. Sneaky.

Third Quote: Some guy working from his truck, looked like he knew basketball courts. “$19,900 cash, but I gotta do it next week, material prices shootin’ up.” Felt semi-reasonable compared to the others, but still crazy high. Asked what the BIG costs were: “Son, it’s all the base. Diggin’ out 8 inches, hauling away dirt, bringing in road base gravel, compacting it like crazy… that bit alone? $12k easy. The fancy timber tiles on top? Only like 30%.” Mind blown.

What I Actually Ended Up Doing

Watched my budget vaporize. No $40k court happening. Got real scrappy.

• Way Smaller Court: Scaled my grand vision down to a humble 20x15ft space. Still usable.
• Flooring: Ditched the premium pine-look tiles. Found standard interlocking rubber sports floor tiles meant for gyms. Thinner, less fancy, but functional. Scored a slight discount on a bulk pallet. $2,700 delivered.
• Groundwork: Did the worst part myself. Rented a mini excavator for the weekend ($350). Dug out the area about 6 inches deep. Felt like an archeologist finding old toys and rocks. Hauled away dirt myself using my truck (countless messy trips).
• Base: Used cheaper crusher dust instead of fancy road base. Three dump truck loads ($900). Borrowed a plate compactor from a neighbor ($0, traded for beer). Packed it SOLID. Took two sweaty days.
• Assembly: Rolling out and locking the rubber tiles together was the easiest part. Took an afternoon. Kids helped!
• Final Touches: Grabbed a decent in-ground hoop kit on clearance ($900). Installed it myself. Cheapo court lines painted on later.

The REAL Damage (My Budget)

Kept every darn receipt:

• Rubber Floor Tiles: $2,700
• Excavator Rental: $350
• Fill Material: $900
• Hoops & Net: $900
• Paint & Misc: $150

TOTAL: $5,000 (and countless hours of sweat)

What I Learned (My Wallet Hurts Less Now)

Main takeaway? Forget the material cost. Look UNDERNEATH. Site preparation and a proper base are the silent budget killers. Even going small, that base work was brutal and crucial. Cheaping out on the rubber surface was acceptable; skimping on the base would’ve ruined everything fast.

Realistic budgeting tip? For a basic backyard setup? Budget $8k-$15k+ even for pros. My DIY route saved me a fortune, but cost me weekends and backaches. Was it worth it? Seeing my kids shoot hoops after school? Heck yeah. But next time? I might just pay the guy in the truck.