Ballpark Estimate: $30,000 to $70,000
If you’re courting the idea of building your own home tennis court, this can be a great asset to your property, provided you can swing the high cost.
Home Tennis Court Benefits
For people who play tennis regularly, having their own home tennis court on site can be quite convenient. If you’re considering this option, it means you can forego the country club membership and help you and your children excel at this sport. It will also probably help you become one of the most popular homes in your neighborhood.
Construction Decisions
Before you get started adding a home tennis court, there are some decisions you’ll need to make that will help guide this project. These include:
- How big a space you have to allocate to the home tennis court and what condition the grounds are in.
- Whether you want just one tennis court or multiple home tennis courts.
- What materials you want to use.
- What type of budget you have.
Allocating Space
The size of your tennis court is an important factor that will influence the scope of your entire tennis court-building project. If you are planning on adding a regulation size court, the dimension of the fence lines needs to be 60 x 120 feet. Within this space, the playing lines will be 78 feet from one baseline to the other, with 36 feet of space between the doubles lines.
You’ll often need to have more land than these outside dimensions because many cities and towns require the home tennis courts to be set back from your property line by a certain amount. Some communities also require that homeowners leave a certain amount of property open without any structures. In some cases, unless you have a very large property, this can limit your ability to build a home tennis court.
Fencing
A standard tennis court fence is typically 10 feet high, but this may violate the fencing height restrictions in your municipality. This means you will need to get special approval before your building process begins. Therefore, always have your contractor get permits and iron out the details of the dimensions and logistics before breaking ground.
Land Condition and Fencing
The condition of your land will also make a difference in the cost of your home tennis court. For instance, if the soil in the area where you want to locate the tennis court has been added in the recent past, it may not be able to adequately support your court in future years. That’s why it’s important to hire a contractor who specializes in building home tennis courts and can guide you on such key considerations. The tennis court placement itself can also be important. You’ll need to strategically decide on a spot where it will enhance your yard and will work well with the position of the sun at different parts of the day.
Viewing Area
When you’re deciding where to place your home tennis court, be sure to allocate room for a viewing area so bystanders can watch the game. It’s important to provide shading for this area, either via an awning, trellis or umbrellas.
Other extras you can might want to include are things like lighting, access to water, an entertainment area including a wet bar and an intercom system that can be integrated in and will connect to your home. When you plan these details in right from the beginning, you can make your home tennis court most user friendly, comfortable and efficient.
Types of Surfaces
There are a variety of surfaces you can select for your home tennis court. There are pros and cons to each material, so you’ll need to weigh your choices carefully.
Clay Tennis Court
A clay tennis court is one possible tennis court surface. The appeal of clay is that it’s easy on the joints and allows players to slide seamlessly across the court. But clay requires ongoing maintenance in order to keep a proper moisture level needed for the right consistency. It also needs to be resurfaced periodically. As a result, most homeowners steer away from this surfacing choice.
Asphalt/Concrete Tennis Court
Asphalt tennis courts and concrete tennis courts are the most popular surfacing options. Both materials have similar properties and provide similar play. Most people decide between the two types based on cost. Asphalt tennis courts usually costs less, but it’s more expensive to maintain, while concrete tennis courts can cost more up front but can require less work later. When weighing both options, your contractor can help you make a decision based on your soil composition and pricing in your area to determine which material might be best for your specific situation.
Grass Tennis Court
A grass tennis court is another option that is also somewhat rare. This is built using a similar process as creating a putting green and provides a cushioned surface that can be easy on the joints. The surface can be more difficult to play on than other surfaces and much less predictable. These challenges hold real appeal for some experienced tennis players who want to change up their game. However, the maintenance of a grass tennis court can be ongoing and time intensive. But the biggest stumbling block to a grass surface tennis court is the high construction costs entailed.
How to Find a Contractor
To find a contractor who can build you a home tennis court, it’s always a good idea to ask neighbors and colleagues for recommendations of people they’ve used. Remember that while many people may claim to install home tennis courts, you’ll want an expert who knows the ins and outs of the logistics and can guide you on making the best decisions for your property set-up, soil quality and landscape design. You can also do a search online for home tennis court contractors in your area, or visit the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) website to use their directory. ASBA certifies qualified contractors in home tennis court building, so it’s a good idea to hire someone who meets these requirements. Also be sure to ask for references to any contractor you are considering and get a proposal in writing. You’ll want to check that the proposal covers both the materials and also the labor involved. To learn more about the game of tennis, you can also visit the website of the United States Tennis Association.
Cost for a Home Tennis Court
When you’re ready to tally up the score on what it will cost to build a home tennis court, your geographic region, the condition of your landscaping and soil, the size of the court, the type of surface and the level of detailing and extras you want will all come into play.
Asphalt home tennis courts can cost between $25,000 and $50,000 to build. You can expect to incur additional costs over time to maintain your court. Resurfacing it can cost another $5,000 to $10,000, depending on what method you use.
Concrete home tennis courts can be more expensive. This can cost between $40,000 and $75,000 and up. In return for the higher investment, this material will be easier than asphalt to keep looking good as long as it’s installed properly. Although the surface may shrink and be prone to cracking, if expansion joins are placed in strategic locations, the cracking will be limited to areas that aren’t noticeable.
Clay home tennis courts can cost between $50,000 and $100,000, depending on what you select in terms of detailing. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to have an irrigation system to keep the clay the proper consistency and this can cost another $10,000 or so to your price.
Grass home tennis courts can cost as much as $100,000 or more to build. Then you can expect to pay for ongoing maintenance, so this can be quite a pricey endeavor.
The price for home tennis courts can range from $25,000 to $100,000, factoring in the maintenance and potential extra amenities can add thousands more to the price.
Soften It Up
Since asphalt and concrete are considered hard-surface tennis courts, you can also add a layer of cushioning on top of the surface in order to provide shock absorption, which can make it easier to play on a regular basis and will be kinder to your joints. The cost for this extra layer can range from a price of $5,000 to $25,000 on top of the asphalt or concrete material cost.