These guides answer the questions St. Louis buyers ask before they hire anyone: what a court costs here, why courts crack here, whether you're allowed to build one, whether the neighbors can stop you, how long it takes and what to put on top. Each one is dated and tied to public sources. Start with the complete guide if you're new to this.
Start here
Pickleball court construction in St. Louis: the complete guide — the whole job in the order we build it: pad size, soils, slab, surface, drainage, fence and lights, permits, noise, cost and calendar.
The ground: why St. Louis courts crack, and how to build ones that don't
- Post-tension vs asphalt vs concrete — how each slab behaves on swelling clay with 30-inch frost, and a decision matrix.
- Stormwater and drainage — MSD's one-acre rule, St. Louis County's grading exemptions, Kirkwood's 1,000-square-foot trigger and drywell spec.
- Construction timeline — the 28-day cure, the 50°F coating window and the dates to work back from.
- Maintenance — cleaning, leaves, freeze-thaw crack triage and when to resurface.
The rules and the neighbors
- Pickleball noise in St. Louis — the county's noise limits, the Kirkwood noise case timeline, and how far a court should be from homes.
- Permits by jurisdiction — setbacks, fence heights, lighting bans and commission reviews, city by city.
- HOA court planning — for boards: survey, siting, budget and reserves, bid package, rules. Free templates included.
Buying a court
- Cost in St. Louis — published 2026 ranges for every kind of project, with sources.
- Dimensions and backyard space — 20 × 44 lines, 30 × 60 and 34 × 64 pads, and setbacks by city.
- Surface options — hard acrylic, cushioned acrylic and modular tile compared.
Tools and downloads
- Instant quote — a ballpark from published ranges.
- Court space planner — will a court fit in your yard?
- Quote comparison tool — line up bids side by side.
- Downloads: quote comparison checklist, HOA resident survey, court-use rules template.
Get a quote
Done reading? Tell us about your project. Get a quote.