How to convert a tennis court into pickleball courts

How many pickleball courts fit on a tennis court

The space around each court decides the count. USA Pickleball’s rulebook sets a minimum playing surface of 30 × 60 ft (9.14 × 18.29 m) per court and recommends 34 × 64 ft for new construction. The USTA adds that industry standards call for at least 8 ft between a pickleball baseline and any permanent fixture, such as a fence or net post.

Option 1: share the court with blended lines

Blended lines are pickleball lines painted onto a tennis court so both sports can use it. The USTA and Tennis Canada publish near-identical guidance and treat it as the last resort, after dedicated courts and other hard surfaces: it is meant for sites with two or fewer tennis courts. Their rules for the lines:

• Up to two pickleball courts per 78 ft tennis court, one on either side of the net. Where possible, share a tennis service line or baseline with a pickleball line.
• Textured line paint one shade lighter, in the same colour family as the playing surface.
• Pickleball lines 1½ in (38 mm) wide, stopping 3 in (76 mm) short of the tennis lines.
• Painter’s tape, not paint, for temporary lines, so the acrylic surface is not damaged.
• Portable pickleball nets, so tennis nets are not damaged by being lowered (Tennis Canada).

The governing bodies do not agree on colour. USA Pickleball’s rulebook says all lines should be 2 in wide, the same colour and clearly contrasting with the surface. Pickleball England says pickleball lines should be 50 mm white lines, supports blended lines, and notes that because ITF rules require white tennis lines, pickleball lines in a different colour are less distracting for tennis players. The USTA and Tennis Canada want a lighter shade of the court colour. If tennis matters most on that court, follow the tennis body; if it will mostly host pickleball, the rulebook.

Sanctioned tennis may rule it out. In the USTA Southern Section, courts with both tennis and pickleball lines are not eligible to host sanctioned events. Check with your tennis federation or section before you paint.

Option 2: dedicated pickleball courts

Tennis bodies in Canada are blunt about sharing. Tennis Canada reports that municipalities have reversed or are re-examining shared courts with added pickleball lines because they left both tennis and pickleball players dissatisfied, that tennis nets are not suitable for recreational pickleball, and that a 1:1 conversion is not the best answer for either sport. Tennis BC and Pickleball BC jointly recommend building dedicated pickleball courts, pointing out that 8 pickleball courts have a footprint similar to 2 tennis courts.

A dedicated conversion means permanent posts and nets for each court. The rulebook puts posts 22 ft apart (inside to inside, ±1 in), no more than 3 in in diameter, with the net 36 in high at the sidelines and 34 in at the centre. Canadian clubs that converted one tennis court into four dedicated courts have used portable nets instead.

Fencing changes too. Pickleball Canada recommends a perimeter fence about 3.0–3.7 m (10–12 ft) high around outdoor courts and 1.2–1.5 m (4–5 ft) dividers between adjacent courts where appropriate, so balls stay on their own court.

Surface, lines and planning

If the court is due for resurfacing, add the pickleball lines in the same job. Pickleball England recommends water-based, extra-textured sports line paint. Temporary courts are cheaper still: Pickleball Canada calls tape the best option for do-it-yourself lines, and Pickleball England sells a roll-down line set.

In the UK, resurfacing does not normally need planning consent, but the LTA advises checking with the council if you change the construction, colour or level of the surface, and new or replacement fencing could need planning permission. Converting existing lights or adding new ones has its own rules; see below.

Noise and neighbours

Some places now regulate pickleball noise. In Centennial, Colorado, Ordinance 2023-O-10 requires permanent outdoor courts within 250–600 ft of homes to get a permit and show, with a noise study, no more than 47 dB at the nearest residential property line; courts more than 600 ft away are exempt. When the Yukon Pickleball Association searched for a site, one of its criteria was that the nearest home be at least 100 m (about 330 ft) away (Pickleball Canada Facility Guidebook).

Near homes, Pickleball Canada suggests windscreens or acoustic fencing, landscaping and quieter equipment. A converted tennis court in a residential street is exactly the case to check before you commit.

Lights

Existing tennis floodlights can usually stay where they are. Lighting maker LSI, a USA Pickleball partner, notes that most lit tennis courts have 6 or 8 poles with one or two fittings each, and that its conversions reuse the poles with new LED fittings. Whether the result meets pickleball light levels depends on how many pickleball courts you put on the tennis court, so ask for a lighting calculation for your layout. More in our guide to pickleball court lighting.

Cost

Midwest builder Byrne & Jones quotes $5,000–$15,000 per pickleball court created from a tennis court, far less than a new court. For the full breakdown — new courts, resurfacing, nets, fencing and public projects — see how much it costs to build a pickleball court.

Sharing courts without conflict

Tennis Canada recommends managing shared courts with an online court booking system: it helps with the different match lengths and player rotation of the two sports, reduces conflict and shows how the courts are really used. Playmore runs court bookings, online prepayment and open games for clubs with tennis and pickleball. See how it works for pickleball clubs.