Multi-sport backyard courts: pickleball and basketball on one pad

We build multi-sport backyard courts that put a full pickleball court and a half-court basketball layout on one slab. The pickleball court sets the pad size — at least 30 × 60 feet, ideally 34 × 64 — and the basketball key and arc go at one end, with the goal on its own footing below the 30-inch frost line. You get two sports for one excavation, one slab and one surface, and the decisions that matter are line colors, goal placement and the surface system.

Site visit before any price · Free, written, itemized quotes · Your city's court rules checked first · Acrylic or modular tile, built by a crew with more than a decade of courts behind it

How the two layouts share one pad

The usual layout puts the basketball goal at one end of the pickleball court, just beyond the baseline and fence line, facing down the long axis. The key, free-throw line and a partial three-point arc fall inside the pickleball court's footprint. The pickleball net comes down — or rolls aside on a portable system — when someone wants to shoot.

What we work out for each yard:

• Goal position. Behind one baseline, set back far enough that the backboard and pole sit outside the pickleball run-off and players can't run into the pole.
• Which end. The end away from the neighbor's windows, if there's a choice; a dribbled ball is quieter than a paddle, but a backboard isn't.
• Arc size. A full high-school arc needs more depth than many backyard pads provide. Most families choose a key plus a shortened arc that fits.
• Net system. Permanent pickleball posts in sleeves you can remove, or a heavy portable net, so the basketball half of the pad is clear.

Lines: keep them readable

Two sets of lines in one color is how you get arguments about whether a ball was in. We paint pickleball lines in one color and basketball lines in a contrasting color, and we often put the kitchen and key in a different field color so each game reads at a glance. Choose colors with the whole family on the site visit — once it's coated, changing your mind means a recolor.

The basketball goal is a structure

An in-ground goal carries a heavy backboard on a single pole, and wind and dunks put a lot of leverage on its footing. In St. Louis that footing has to go below the frost line — 30 inches, per the county figures cited by Kirkwood and written into St. Charles County's code — or it will lean after a few winters of frost heave. We set the goal anchor in its own footing, separate from the court slab.

Goals with adjustable heights and pole pads are worth considering with younger kids. Tell us on the quote form whether you already have a goal.

Acrylic or modular tile for a multi-sport court?

Both work. Here's the honest comparison:

Tile is fast to install over an existing slab and easy to change. Acrylic on a properly built slab plays like the courts at the park and lasts with recoating. We build both. Families who play mostly pickleball tend to choose acrylic; families who want the court dry an hour after rain, or expect the layout to change as kids grow, tend to choose tile. Either way, the slab under it gets the same care. More in our surface options guide.

What changes the price

A multi-sport court costs about what a pickleball court of the same size costs, plus the basketball lines:

• the goal and its footing,
• extra line painting in a second color,
• a larger pad if you want a bigger arc,
• and perimeter fencing that has to stop basketballs as well as pickleballs.

Published Midwest ranges for a new single pickleball court run $25,000–$45,000 on asphalt and $45,000–$80,000+ on post-tension. Your quote lists the basketball items as their own lines so you can see what they add. See the cost guide and the instant quote.

Fence and space

Basketballs bounce farther and harder than pickleballs. If the court is near a slope, a garden or a street, plan fencing at the basketball end or a ball-stop net. Your city's fence limit still applies — most cap residential fences at 6 feet, though some, like Kirkwood, allow taller open-mesh fences around courts. See lighting and fencing.

Check the fit with the court space planner before you fall in love with a layout.

Our court crew is a family-owned court builder that has built courts across Missouri and Illinois for more than a decade, and hundreds of them: backyard and community pickleball, basketball and multi-sport courts, outdoors and indoors. The crew is an authorized installer for a modular court-tile system and backs the courts it builds with lifetime support.

Not ready to talk yet? Read the complete St. Louis court construction guide — slab, surface, drainage, permits and the season.

Frequently asked questions

Can we add basketball to an existing pickleball court? Usually, if there's room for the goal behind a baseline. The goal needs its own footing, and the new lines go in a contrasting color.

Is a multi-sport court bigger than a pickleball court? Not necessarily. The basketball layout fits inside a 34 × 64 pad; a bigger arc or a full key with room to rebound needs more depth.

Does a court count against our impervious-surface limit? In some cities, yes. Kirkwood's stormwater guidance lists sport courts as impervious. See the stormwater guide.

Can we play tennis on it too? Not on a backyard pad. A tennis court needs about twice the length.

Get a quote

Tell us which sports, your yard's dimensions and your city. We'll lay it out on site and send a written quote. Get a quote.