Pickleball court tiles
Pickleball court tiles are rigid plastic squares that lock together over a concrete or asphalt slab to form a playing surface. A slab is the flat block of poured concrete (or asphalt) the court sits on. One tile company says a typical backyard court costs $8,000 to $12,000. But once you add a new concrete slab, site work and a net, a tile court more often costs $18,700 to $60,700. Site work means clearing and shaping the ground. The size you build, the base you pick and where you live all change the price.
What are the tiles made of?
The tiles are made of polypropylene, a type of plastic. One company says its court should stay strong for 25 to 30 years.
That company covers the tiles with a limited lifetime warranty. A limited warranty covers some problems, not all.
Warranty terms are not the same for every brand. Another company offers a 16 year limited warranty on its tiles. It is worth reading the fine print before you buy.
Court size and the number of tiles
A regulation pickleball court measures 20 by 44 feet along its lines. Regulation means the official size. You need tiles beyond those lines, because players often chase balls well outside them.
| Area | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Playing area inside the lines | 20 ft x 44 ft |
| Pad for regulation play | 30 ft x 60 ft |
| Ideal pad | 34 ft x 64 ft |
| VersaCourt's smaller standard kit | 28 ft 2 in by 52 ft 8 in |
| VersaCourt's larger standard kit | 31 ft 7 in by 64 ft 6 in |
The pad is the flat area the court is built on. The pad sizes come from the court company Pinnacle Sports Group. The kit sizes come from the tile company VersaCourt.
Each tile is usually 1 foot across and half an inch thick. You order enough tiles to cover the whole pad, not only the lined part. A pad of 30 by 60 feet needs 1,800 tiles of that size.
How do tile courts stack up against painted acrylic?
Acrylic is the other popular choice. It is the paint-like coating that gives a court its color and grip, and it is rolled straight onto the slab.
Pinnacle Sports Group says its tiles give 14% more cushioning than acrylic.
The time it takes is different too. A 30 by 60 foot tile court can be installed in 1 day.
New concrete needs 30 to 45 days to cure before acrylic can go on. To cure means to let the concrete dry and harden. Acrylic also has to be put on when it is 50 °F or warmer.
Tile courts usually come with pickleball lines already painted on.
What does a sport court cost?
Say you already have a good concrete or asphalt slab. Then sport court tiles cost about $4 to $17 per square foot installed. The base itself costs extra.
| What you buy | Price installed |
|---|---|
| Base made of concrete | $5 to $10 for each square foot |
| Base made of asphalt | $3 to $7 for each square foot |
| A net for tennis or pickleball | $75 to $250 |
| A half court for multiple sports, pickleball included | $3,600 to $35,700 |
| A full court for multiple sports, pickleball included | $12,400 to $80,000 |
These prices come from the price guide HomeGuide. VersaCourt says a concrete slab base usually costs $4 to $10 per square foot across the country.
The prices below are US averages for one court on a pad of 30 by 60 feet. Each price includes getting the site ready, building the base and laying the playing surface. It also includes painting the game lines and a net on posts.
- Asphalt with a painted finish costs about $8,800 to $26,500. This is the cheapest choice.
- Concrete with a painted finish costs about $12,400 to $31,900.
- Cushioned acrylic over concrete costs about $15,100 to $37,300. Cushioned acrylic is the color coating with soft rubber layers under it.
- Snap-together tiles over concrete cost about $18,700 to $60,700. This is the most expensive choice.
For one tile court over concrete, the tiles alone cost $7,200 to $30,600. The slab costs $9,000 to $18,000. Getting the site ready and grading, which means shaping the ground, costs $2,000 to $10,000.
Game lines cost $200 to $600. The net and posts cost $300 to $1,500.
Fencing and lighting raise the total. For one painted concrete court, about 180 feet of fencing costs $1,800 to $6,300. Lighting costs $5,000 to $10,000.
With fencing and lighting, the whole project costs $19,200 to $48,200.
Where you live changes the price too. Iowa is the cheapest state, where one painted concrete court costs $11,600 to $29,800. Hawaii is the most expensive, at $13,200 to $34,100.
Most states are close to the national average. California and New York cost a little more. There, one painted concrete court costs up to about $33,300 in California and $33,700 in New York.
Already have a tennis court? Turning one tennis court into four pickleball courts costs $5,000 to $20,000.
What goes under the tiles
The tiles work best on something solid and level. VersaCourt says a 4 inch concrete slab is the best base.
VersaCourt recommends a strong concrete mix with rebar, which is steel bars set inside the concrete. The bars help keep the slab from cracking. Your concrete contractor will know the right mix to use.
Pinnacle Sports Group recommends 3/8 inch rebar. The bars should be spaced 24 by 24 inches apart, or 36 by 36 inches apart.
Give the slab a 1% slope. This lets rain run off instead of pooling on the court.
Some builders also offer a post-tension slab. This is a slab with steel cables pulled tight inside so it cracks less. It costs about twice as much as a rebar slab.
Keeping the court in good shape
A painted court needs resurfacing from time to time. Resurfacing means a fresh top coat on a worn court. For one court, it costs $1,500 to $3,500.
A regulation pickleball net is 36 inches high. Check that height whenever you replace or adjust a net.
Where to go from here: get a price for your court or see who builds courts in your state.