Alright so when I decided to build a backyard basketball gym, I thought “how hard could it be?” Yeah, dumb idea. Started with Google searches like a normal person, typing “build basketball court costs” like fifty times. Found some forums where dudes argued about concrete versus asphalt prices – felt like reading a boxing match.
Step One: Measuring My Yard
Grabbed a tape measure and stepped outside. Realized half my backyard is basically a hill. Needed serious flattening. Called three excavation guys. First guy shows up, stares at the slope, spits, says “$9k just for digging.” Almost choked on my coffee. Second guy quoted $7k – still made my wallet cry. Third guy never called back. Classic.
Decided maybe a full NBA court was overkill. Scaled down my dreams to a half-court. Okay, slightly less painful.
Cost Hunting Like a Madman
Started breaking it down:
- Groundwork: Settled for the $7k dig guy because my back ain’t digging that dirt.
- Surface: Wanted that fancy NBA maple. Real price? Insanity. Went with basic concrete slab instead. Contractor quotes averaged $12k. Ouch again.
- Hoops: Dreamed of those glass backboards. Looked up Spalding – $2k+ per system?! Yeah, no. Settled for a $500 in-ground one from Academy Sports. Felt like a downgrade from Lebron to YMCA.
- Fence: Balls fly everywhere, right? Basic chain-link fence quotes – another $3k down the drain.
- Lights: Wanna play past sunset? Got floodlight quotes. Simple metal poles + decent LED lights added another $1.5k.
Kept finding extra crap:
- Permit fees nobody told me about ($300)
- Freakin’ sales tax on everything
- That dude Mike wanting $200 just to deliver the concrete forms
Reality Smacked Me Hard
Added it all up quietly one night:
Excavation + Concrete + Hoop + Fence + Lights + Random Fees = roughly $24k and a headache.
Way more than I ever planned. My savings account screamed. Almost scrapped the whole thing right there.
How I Did It Anyway (Kind Of)
Phased it like a coward. Year One:
- Hired the excavator guy. Rained for two weeks. Turned my yard into a swamp pit. Awful.
- Concrete pour day – sweated bullets watching them spread $12k in wet gray gold. Prayed for no cracks.
- Installed the hoop myself with a buddy. Took us 5 hours and three beers because the instructions were garbage.
Total Spent Year One: Around $19k.
No fence, no lights yet. But I could shoot hoops! Sorta played in socks to avoid scratching the new concrete. Worth it? Mostly.
Year Two (Bonus Pain):
Saved up cash, added the ugly but functional chain link fence ($3k) and basic lights ($1.5k). Done-ish.
So… How Much?
Bottom line? Depends massively on your land and how “pro” you wanna be. Basic functional half-court setup? Ballpark $20k-$30k all-in, easy. Got soft dirt? Easier digging? Lucky you – maybe less. Trying to flatten a mountain? Add 10k. Want fancy floors and glass boards? Forget it, start saving for LeBron’s salary.
It’s cool having it now. Shooting around whenever is sweet. But man, paying for it still hurts. Would I do it again? Maybe. Smaller.
