Pickleball is the fastest growing racquet sport. It is a paddleball sport that combines elements from Badminton, Table Tennis and Tennis. Pickleball can be played with two or four players and uses solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a ball similar to a wiffle ball over a net.
Ace Surfaces offers several surfacing systems that can be personalized to reach your desired performance, playability, and appearance. Current, existing basketball or tennis courts can also be converted to multiple Pickleball courts. Ace Surfaces can help you determine which hard court or cushion court options meet your specific needs.
Whether you are looking to construct a new Pickleball court, convert an existing sports court to Pickleball, or just wanting to add Pickleball lines to your current court, Ace Surfaces can help!
Ace Surfaces was awarded the 2018 Distinguished Residential Pickleball Facility by the American Sports Builders Association.
PICKLEBALL COURT CONSTRUCTION BASICS
The time and effort expunged in the planning and construction stages of a Pickleball court will determine the play-ability and longevity of the court in the following 20-30 years. A clear section of land for a Pickleball court needs to measure, at minimum, 30′ wide by 60′ long for a single court. And outdoor court should always have a 1% slope to allow for proper drainage. Pickleball courts, as well as most other sports courts, should be oriented North to South to enable play while the sun is rising in the morning and falling in the afternoon. Base preparation and construction will determine if your court lasts 10 years or 40 years. We recommend using only Virgin Asphalt (thickness of asphalt and sub-base varies by location) or Post Tension Concrete for your substrate. Fencing, Windscreens, Lighting, Net Posts and Nets are all custom options in which your personal taste and budget or the only restrictions.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
CONDITION OF LAND
The selection of a location where a Pickleball court is to be built has a large factor in the prep and base cost of Pickleball court construction. The flatter the piece of land, the less expensive the pre-construction earth work becomes. Areas with hills can require large amounts of earth movement and even retaining walls at times.
DRAINAGE
To keep water away from your Pickleball court, we always consider how water flows over, under and around your Pickleball court. Dependent on location, we may install drains in addition to the normal 1% slope of the Pickleball court surface.
WEATHER
Local climates can prove to be a hindrance on the Pickleball court construction process. All acrylic surfaces are very temperature and weather sensitive. If it is too cold (below 50* F) or too hot, the acrylic surface will not dry properly. Rain or overcast conditions can also be cumbersome as they prohibit the proper drying of the surface materials.
BUILDING PERMITS
Building, electrical and general construction permits, costs and their requirements vary by location. Please consult with Ace Surfaces from more information on your specific location.
CONCRETE VS ASPHALT
One of the most common questions asked in court construction is whether to choose a concrete or an asphalt base for a Pickleball court. Asphalt, in some locations, may be the least expensive option for a court base. However, if improperly built, it will not last as long as a concrete surface. Post-Tension concrete, while more expensive, is typically going to outlast an asphalt surface. Concrete surfaces will be slightly more rough on the body as they are less forgiving/harder than an asphalt surface. Concrete surfaces will also have a slightly higher initial cost for surfacing due to a two-component primer that is requires for proper acrylic adhesion.
STANDARD ACRYLIC SURFACE VS PREMIUM ACRYLIC SURFACE
The industry standard surface comes with a 1 year warranty and 3-5 year life expectancy. Your new substrate has a 1 year warranty and 20-30 year life expectancy. a Premium surface selection, such as Laykold Masters, typically has a slightly higher cost but includes a 5 year warranty and 8-12 year life expectancy. Using a premium surface means less down time, more vibrant, longer lasting colors and less cost down the road.
CUSHION VS HARD COURT
There are two types of cushion surfaces in the Pickleball court world. A liquid cushion surface, which is the industry standard, is usually applied with squeegees and around 2 mm thick. The shock absorption can be anywhere from 2%-5% and will slowly degrade with age. The premium option would be a mat based cushion system. The Laykold Masters mat systems are available in 5mm and 8mm thickness and have 16%-23% shock absorption and will retain their resiliency for 30+ years.
TYPES OF PICKLEBALL COURTS
ACRYLIC HARD COURTS
The norm in the Pickleball world – 4 to 5 layers of textured, colored acrylic paint applied to a concrete or asphalt surface.
ACRYLIC CUSHION COURTS
Ranging from 2mm to 8mm thick. A cushion court supplies extra shock absorption to the body resulting in better joint health and longer play.
OUTDOOR COURTS
Outdoor Pickleball courts are outside and can be hard courts or cushion courts.
INDOOR COURTS
Any acrylic hard or acrylic cushion court surface which is applied under covers or rooftops are classified as an indoor Pickleball court.
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