You have your home and outdoor kitchen, what's next when it comes to building your perfect outdoor space? For some it might be a pool and others it might be a putting green, but what about a home basketball court instead? Sure, you can throw a hoop up on your garage but that risks hitting cars and potentially uneven surfaces that aren't designed for the game. Let's take a look at how you can take the game to the next level by adding a real basketball court to your home!
As with all projects, it is critical that you set the parameters ahead of time so you can build the right thing within your budget. Here's some of the components that you should consider when thinking about building a home basketball court ...
Inside Or Outside Basketball Court
There are a few different options here ranging from building a simple outdoor court with one hoop or two, all the way up to a fully-enclosed all weather court. For the sake of this article, we're going to focus on costs and components of an outdoor basketball court.
Concrete Surface and Leveling
Any sports court needs to be built on a flat, concrete surface with a properly prepared base. This space though may be covered in a variety of surfaces ranging from asphalt to rubberized court tiles. Things have come a long ways since the days of driveway hoops and this new generation of tiles are slip-resistant as was providing a surface with more give and less impact than concrete. Depending on the size of your court, you could be spending anywhere from $7 to $8 per square foot. For reference, a full-sized college basketball court is 94'x50' or 4,700 sq ft. This makes the starting point of leveling approximately $37,600 for a full-sized basketball court plus cost of surfacing and other components.
If the surface that you intend to build your court on isn’t level, then you’re going to have to hire a contractor to excavate the ground and to level it, which is going to cost you more. However, you can save money by reducing the space to a half-court design instead.
Court Components
Court tiles, the hoop, and the nets. These are all things that you need to account for. A hoop has a price range of $1,000 to $1,750. The court tiles cost about $4 per piece (each piece is a square foot) so, on a full-sized basketball court, it could cost an additional $18,800 to install.
Design and Building Labor
Labor costs vary from contractor to contractor, but it’s usually best to work with those who have a solid reputation like the professionals at Neave Group. Make sure your contractor specializes in building athletic courts and fields and is also reasonably priced. As a rule of thumb, you need to make sure that you only transact with established contractors in order to minimize risk and to maximize the quality of the output that you’re getting for the price.
Basketball Court Extras
You also have to consider the things that aren’t directly related to your basketball court, but could have a significant impact on the overall experience on your court. You need to have lighting installed. You might also want to have fences built for security as well as to keep errant balls from leaving the court. You might even need a proper drainage system to help prevent flooding as well as a roof to help shield protect the court and the players from the intense heat of the sun as well as the rain.
Improving Your Skills Is More Than Just Equipment
Building a home basketball court is a great first step if you are looking to take your passion for the sport to the next level. However, for those that are looking to truly improve their skills and become better players, it's about more than just building a great place to play the game. For instance consider hiring a private basketball coach to mentor you or even attend some basketball camps to build on your skills so when you play against your friends at home you can continue to improve.
Upgrades and Enhancements
Sometimes, a basic court isn’t going to be enough for you. You might want to get a full glassboard, have extra game lines painted for other sports (like tennis, badminton, and volleyball), an adjustable net system that allows you to play other sports on your court, and even better court tiles. You shouldn’t view these upgrades as mere expenses because they can also increase the value of your house.
As you can probably already surmise, a backyard basketball court is a costly endeavor. Like all big investments, you want to be able to get the best possible results for the money you pay. Nothing can ruin a project the way a lack of budget does. An unfinished project is like an unfinished love affair — you get nothing out of what you’ve already invested. The most painful part is that such a disaster is easily avoided with a bit of planning and foresight.
