Pickleball court lighting

These figures are US averages for a painted concrete court built on a pad measuring 30 by 60 feet. The lighting figures cover the poles and LED fixtures. The last figure for each size is the whole job: court, fence and lights together.

• One court: lights $5,000 to $10,000; fence $1,800 to $6,300; whole build $19,200 to $48,200.
• Two courts: lights $10,000 to $20,000; fence $2,400 to $8,400; whole build $37,200 to $92,200.
• Four courts: lights $20,000 to $40,000; fence $3,600 to $12,600; whole build $73,200 to $180,200.

Getting light along the path to the court is priced on its own. A set of 10 to 20 landscape lights along that path costs $800 to $6,000 installed.

You may not have to pay it all at once. Some lighting companies offer cooperative contracts and custom financing, so it's worth asking what's available for your project.

One court is usually lit by four fixtures on two poles, though HomeGuide lists 2 or 4 poles with four LED lights on each pole.

Poles outdoors usually stand 20 to 22 feet high. USA Pickleball recommends poles over 40 feet tall for outdoor lights placed outside the courts, so ask your lighting designer which height fits your layout.

Courts for casual or backyard play call for 30 to 50 foot-candles across the playing surface. A foot-candle measures the amount of light reaching a surface, so the higher the figure, the brighter the court.

Even light matters as much as bright light. Good court design targets a brightest-to-darkest ratio near 2:1 or 3:1 across the playing area. Uniformity describes how evenly the court is lit, and the closer the brightest and darkest areas are, the more even the light.

As you gather quotes, share your light level and uniformity goals with every company. Any manufacturer bidding on the job should be prepared to meet them, and that puts the quotes on equal footing when you compare them.

Court LEDs work best at a color temperature of roughly 4000K to 5000K. Color temperature describes how warm or cool the light looks.

Pickleball court LED fixtures generally keep working for 50,000 to 100,000 hours, and certain warranties include parts and labor for as long as 25 years. Warranties vary, so it's worth checking what each quote covers before you choose.

Nearby residents can be troubled by spill light, sky glow and glare. Thoughtful design, suitable pole heights, shielding and precise aiming all help reduce them.

During planning, weigh up the court layout, how skilled the players are and the distance to the closest homes. Those details decide where the poles end up and which way each light points.

Most lighting work fits into three categories, and the options suit single courts as well as multi-court complexes:

• Lighting a court for the first time when it has never had lights
• Switching existing lights over to LED
• Temporary lighting

Older HID fixtures can be swapped out for LEDs.

Plenty of sports lighting jobs call for professional installation, since the poles have to stand safely and the wiring has to be done right. A full system design brings the lights, the structure and the electrical side together as one plan.

Volunteers can sometimes assemble the lighting themselves. That route may work for a club or community group, though it depends on the setup and the job.

Certain systems allow you to switch lights on and off using a smartphone or computer. Control-Link is one example, adding scheduling plus instant on-off control from a mobile app, and it sends automatic alerts when a light fails.

Entertainment packages are available too. They bring dimming, light shows and other features.