How To Build A Pickleball Court

Learn How to Easily Build a Low-Cost Pickleball Court

It’s not too difficult to create your own pickleball court.

Really, all you need is a hard surface, a pickleball net, and something to mark the lines.

Of course, you need to know the official pickleball court size so that you can build a pickleball court that is close to or the same size.

Pickleball Court Size & Dimensions

A standard pickleball court is a rectangle that is 20 feet wide (6.10 m) and 44 feet long (13.41 m) including lines.

The recommended minimum total playing area is 30 feet wide (9.14 m) and 60 feet long (18.28). The preferred size is 34 feet by 64 feet long allowing for room to move outside the court’s playing area. The recommended total playing area is the same for an indoor pickleball court or outdoor pickleball court.

The court size for singles and doubles is the same.

Remember that the pickleball court dimensions that you use to create your court should provide you with plenty of room to move or stand outside the court so you have plenty of room to serve the ball.

Of course, for recreational play, you can adjust according to the space that’s available to you but try to use at least the minimum size requirements of 20 feet wide (6.10 m) and 44 feet long (13.41 m) inclusive of the court lines, if possible.

Jump to: Steps for creating a pickleball court

Pickleball Court Lines

A pickleball court has lines that are similar to a tennis or badminton court but there are a couple of differences.

The main difference between a tennis or badminton court and a pickleball court is that a pickleball court has a non-volley zone (the kitchen), a 7 ft area that runs parallel to the net on both sides.

Pickleball Net Setup Guidelines

Here are the USA Pickleball Association guidelines to follow when putting up a pickleball net:

1. The net can be made of any mesh fabric that the ball can’t pass through.
2. Posts should be 22 feet apart from the inside of one post to the inside of the other post. The maximum diameter of a post should be 3 inches.
3. The net length should be at least 21 feet 9 inches from one post to the other. The net height should be at least 30 inches.
4. The net should be suspended over the center of the court and the top should be 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches high in the middle.
5. The net can touch the court but it should not drape onto the court.

Supplies For Creating A pickleball Court

There are several simple and cost-effective options for drawing court lines. It’s really a matter of deciding how temporary you want the lines to be and selecting the option that will work best for the pickleball court surface.

You’ll need the following supplies:

1. Spool of string or carpenter’s chalk to mark the lines before drawing the permanent lines
2. Tape measure
3. Sidewalk chalk (approx. 2 large sticks per court), OR
4. Court tape OR Gaffer Tape (approx. 198 ft per court) OR
5. Line-marking paint applied with a marking applicator OR
6. Another alternative to drawing the lines is to use these court lines OR these court lines (2 sets per court)
7. Pickleball net option#1 OR pickleball net option#2

How To Build a Pickleball Court – Option 1

Put the net up so that you can use the net to create the court lines with the following steps.

Be sure that there is enough room on either side of the net to extend at least 22 feet which includes 7 feet for the Non-Volley Zone (kitchen) plus another 15 feet for the playing area.

Step 1 – Set up the net up

Set up the net, ensuring that you have at least 22 feet on either side.

Step 2 – Measure the start point of the lines

From the outside of each net post, measure 12 inches in, mark with carpenter’s chalk and this is where each sideline will run from.

Step 3 – Measure & mark the baselines

Measure 22 feet from the net to the baseline. Mark with carpenter’s chalk . Do this on each side giving you the baseline for the entire court.

Step 4 – Mark the sidelines

Use carpenter’s chalk to connect the sidelines with the baseline on both sides of the court.

Step 5 – Measure & mark the Non-volley zone (the kitchen)

Measure 7 feet from the net into the court on both sides of the court where the sidelines are located. Use a marking applicator to create the kitchen line by connecting the 7 ft marks. Create the kitchen line with the carpenter’s chalk – this is the non-volley zone.

Step 6 – Measure & mark the center line

Starting at the outside corner of where one sideline and baseline meet, measure 10 feet inwards, mark with carpenter’s chalk. Do this step a second time from where the sideline meets the non-volley zone. Use the carpenter’s chalk to connect the two marks and create the centerline.

Step 7 – Create lines that are more permanent

Create permanent lines where you’ve created lines with carpenter’s chalk, using your material of choice ( sidewalk chalk, paint + marking applicator, tape, or court lines )

How To Build a Pickleball Court – Option 2

The other option is to start with one end of the court, measure and mark all your lines.

Step 1: Tape the end of your carpenter’s chalk to the ground.

Step 2: Measure 20-feet in a straight line. Mark the ground with carpenter’s chalk.

Step 3: At a right angle to the straight line, measure 44 feet, and mark the ground with the carpenter’s chalk. Use a carpenter’s square to ensure you are making a true straight line.

Step 4: Repeat step 2 and step 3 to complete the four corners of the court so you now have a correctly sized rectangle.

Step 5: Use court tape or chalk to create a 2-inch rectangle for each net post, using the lines from the carpenter chalk as a guide.

Step 6: Measure 22 feet from the baseline and set up a net post. And do the same on the other side of the court.

Step 7: From each corner measure 15 feet towards the net and make a mark. Use the carpenter’s chalk to draw a line. Use court tape or chalk to draw the kitchen line.

Step 8: To draw the centerline, measure in 10 feet at the kitchen line and do the same on either side of the net. Then use the carpenter’s chalk to mark the line to the baseline.

Step 9 – Create permanent lines where you’ve created lines with carpenter’s chalk, using your material of choice ( sidewalk chalk , paint + marking applicator, tape, or court lines )

Options For Pickleball Court Locations

A pickleball court can be created in almost any space that’s at least 20′ x 44′ and is a hard surface – the grass will not work. Here are 3 possible locations to build a court:

An official pickleball court size is 20′ x 44′. These are the recommended dimensions. Most pickleball players don’t have access to a playing surface that can be dedicated to pickleball courts. Or the cost to create the playing surface is cost-prohibitive.

Here are a few suggestions on where you could easily put in court by creating the pickleball court lines yourself:

Think about re-purposing a basketball court, tennis court, or badminton court. Many communities are taking this approach and in some cases, a surface such as a tennis court is multi-purpose and has lines for pickleball as well. These could be indoor or outdoor courts and there might be room for multiple pickleball courts. This is what my local pickleball has done. Use an empty school parking lot that’s not used often. You could probably paint permanent or temporary pickleball court lines. There might even be enough room for multiple pickleball courts. A dead-end street or a cul-de-sac in your neighborhood could do the trick. Your driveway might do the trick.

That being said, because of the incredible growth of the sport, there is more and more permanent pickleball court construction happening.

Bottom Line – How to Make a Pickleball Court

Hopefully, you’ve found this guide on how to build a pickleball court helpful and easy to follow.

Building your own pickleball court isn’t too difficult and really, for recreational play, any hard surface that allows for a reasonably sized pickleball court will work.

Playing pickleball is a great hobby for friends and families.

It’s also affordable for most people.

There are a few affordable pickleball nets on the market. Take a look at this guide to get some ideas on which net fits your budget and will work well for your needs

If you need help selecting a paddle, The Best Pickleball Paddles for Every Budget (And Game), simplifies buying paddles and includes a few great options for pickleball paddles.

For additional information on pickleball court size and dimensions, you can refer to the USAPA pickleball guidelines.

FAQ – How To Build A Pickleball Court

What are the dimensions of a standard pickleball court?

The dimensions of a standard pickleball court are 20′ x 44′ and the recommended playing area is 34′ x 64′ although the minimum suggested playing area is 30′ x 60′.

Can pickleball be played on carpet?

Pickleball could be played on carpet but it’s recommended that the pickleball court surface is a hard surface such as concrete, gym floors, asphalt. In theory, the carpet will be on top of one of these surfaces but typically carpet has a bit of softness to it which will make it difficult for a ball to bounce.

How small can you make a pickleball court?

You can make a pickleball court as small as the space you have available to you but it’s best to have a surface that is at least 30′ x 60′ and is a hard surface. Grass will not work well for a pickleball court. The standard pickleball court dimensions are 34′ x 64′.

Articles Related to How To Build A Pickleball Court