Raised in California and transplanted to Utah. Married my college sweetheart from Montana, and we are raising 4 nuggets together. I love all things DIY projects and doing them on a budget. I don’t mind messing up and am ok with the 90/10 rule - nothing is perfect over here and it’s fine by me! Encouraging all ‘wanna-be’ DIYers to just get out there and try it! You will be so glad you did.”
If you’ve fallen in love with pickleball like my family has, you’ve probably had the same thought we did: “Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a court in our own backyard?”
Spoiler: It is amazing. We use ours constantly for family matches, friendly tournaments, and even nighttime games under the lights. But I’ll be honest, building a pickleball court at home takes planning, work, and a little bit of investment.
The good news? If you go the partly DIY route, you can save thousands while getting exactly the court you want.
If you’re ready to start building your dream court, keep reading, and grab the pickleball gear we recommend.

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America for a reason; it’s fun, social, and easy for all ages to pick up. But public courts can get crowded, and scheduling around the weather and other players isn’t always ideal.
Having your own pickleball court at home means:
If you have the space, it’s one of the best backyard upgrades you can make for both lifestyle and property value.
A standard pickleball court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long for doubles play, with recommended clear space of 30 feet by 60 feet for safety.
You’ll need:
If you don’t have room for a full-size court, you can still create a practice court or half court for drills.


We went with a concrete base for durability and low maintenance. Asphalt is another option, but concrete tends to last longer and feels more solid underfoot.
Pro bids for a concrete base: $25,000 – $35,000
Our price with a small local business: $20,000 (including rebar reinforcement). Thanks Sport Master Utah!
Tip: Rebar reinforcement is non-negotiable, it prevents cracks and keeps your court safe and stable over time.


Once the base is fully cured (about 28 days for concrete), you can paint your pickleball court. This is where you can either:
We chose to DIY with help from Ace Coatings, and yes, it took days of work, but it saved us thousands and gave us a sense of ownership over the project.
Court colors: The official USA Pickleball recommendations are a darker color for the main court and a lighter contrasting color for the kitchen.




Your net should be 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle. You can choose from:
Our pick: Shop the net we use here.
We initially installed permanent LED fixtures, but found they didn’t fully light the court. That’s when we discovered portable 13-foot lights from Alta Lighting, game changer!
Once we switched them on, our whole family said, “Whoa!” It completely transformed our night games.
Shop Alta Lighting at www.alta-light.com and use code CITYGIRL for a discount.


Once the court is ready, you’ll want quality pickleball gear to get the most out of your games. Here are our favourites:
Shop all our recommended pickleball gear here
Here’s exactly what we spent compared to hiring out the whole job:
| Item | Company Bid | Our Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete Base | $25,000 – $35,000 | $20,000 |
| Court Painting | $8,000 – $15,000 | $4,000 |
| Lighting (per pole) | $2,500 | $200 |
| Total | $38,000 – $55,000 | $24,400 |
By doing some of the work ourselves, we saved between $13,600 and $30,600.
Minimum 30×60 feet for safe play around a standard 20×44 court.
Yes! You can resurface and paint pickleball lines over other courts if the surface is in good condition.
Our court took about 6 weeks start to finish, including curing time for the concrete and weather delays.
Absolutely! For us, it’s become the heart of our backyard and has been a constant source of family fun for the past 2 years.
For our family, 100% yes. We play pickleball several times a week, sometimes just us, sometimes with friends, and often with the neighbourhood kids joining in.
We also love that our court has become a gathering spot. Whether it’s a Saturday afternoon match or a night game under the portable lights, it’s more than a sport, it’s memories in the making.
If you’ve been thinking about building your own pickleball court at home, I say go for it. Start planning, save where you can, and get ready for endless hours of fun.
Ready to play? Shop our favourite pickleball gear and accessories. And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram for more court updates, DIY tips, and pickleball fun!
A Home Decor & DIY Blog
@citygirlmeetsfarmboy
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