Who do we build community courts for?
We build for groups that put courts on shared ground. That means HOA boards with common-area land, churches adding courts beside a fellowship hall, and swim and tennis clubs turning a worn tennis court into pickleball. Demand in Tulsa is already proven. A Trust for Public Land ranking covered by the Tulsa Flyer in June 2026 places Tulsa 10th in courts per capita among the 100 largest U.S. cities.
Churches are a big part of that picture. When TOPSEED Pickleball announced its Tulsa building in 2023, partner Mark Farrow put it this way in a KTUL report: "Most people are playing at churches, schools, community centers and outdoors." Your board's question isn't whether anyone will use the courts. It's where they go, how loud they are and what they cost.
What does the board get before it votes?
You get four documents built for a vote, not a sales pitch:
- Site plan. The court bank, setback lines, fence heights, gates, drainage arrows and the distance to the nearest homes, all on one sheet.
- Itemized estimate. Slab, surfacing, nets, fence, windscreens, lights and drainage each get their own line, with phases priced separately.
- Lighting plan approach. Where Chapter 67 applies, we show pole heights by distance or a photometric study, and the written quote names who prepares the plan.
- Noise siting memo. Distances to homes, buffers already on the site, and the mitigation options with costs.
Slab pours, fencing and electrical are scoped at the site visit and confirmed, line by line, on your written quote. Our crew handles the acrylic surfacing, line painting and nets.
How far should courts sit from homes?
As far as your site allows, because distance does more than any product. An Acoustical Society of America release (May 2024), quoting retired mechanical engineer Charles Leahy, says each court produces about 900 "pops" an hour and recommends courts sit at least 600–800 ft from homes so the sound dissipates. It lists enclosing courts in a building or behind wall barriers as less desirable options. A siting-study write-up from engineering firm W&S puts a paddle hit at 70–100 dB from 100 ft away.
Most HOA common areas can't reach 600 ft, since they're ringed by homes by design. That's why we draw the noise picture early. Church campuses often do better, because parking lots and buildings already sit between open ground and the neighbors. NAR reported that homeowners elsewhere have won about a dozen legal proceedings over court noise. Our noise planning guide for HOA court construction covers siting, barriers and their costs in detail.
How much room do 2, 4 or 6 courts need?
Plan on 34×64 ft per court, the size USA Pickleball prefers for new construction, with 30×60 ft as the minimum. The table below is our arithmetic from those per-court areas. Final spacing between courts is set on your site plan.
| Courts | Layout | Footprint at 34×64 each | Area | Outer fence line | Footprint at 30×60 each |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Side by side | 68 × 64 ft | 4,352 sq ft | 264 ft | 60 × 60 ft |
| 4 | 2 wide × 2 deep | 68 × 128 ft | 8,704 sq ft | 392 ft | 60 × 120 ft |
| 6 | 3 wide × 2 deep | 102 × 128 ft | 13,056 sq ft | 460 ft | 90 × 120 ft |
The 30×60 four-court block matches the 60×120 ft tennis court HomeGuide uses for scale. That's why a sound tennis court is often the cheapest path to four courts. See our tennis court conversion service if you already own one.
Layout rules we design to: run the courts north–south to cut sun glare, put gates at both ends wide enough for wheelchairs and maintenance equipment, and wire each court separately so one can be lit alone. Between side-by-side courts, a 4-ft padded fence keeps balls out of the next game, as described in Pickleball Central's court construction guide.
Why do we often recommend a post-tension slab?
Because much of the Tulsa area sits on clay that moves. Take the Dennis series, typed by NRCS from a Rogers County site near Claremore: somewhat poorly drained, 28–50% clay in the subsoil, and a perched water table 12–30 in. down from December to April. A multi-court slab is large and heavily used, so a crack in year three costs every household.
A post-tension slab is tensioned after the pour to hold the concrete in compression. GMB puts post-tension courts at about 20–30% more up front than asphalt and 20–30% less over 25 years. It adds that regions with expansive soils have used post-tension for decades. No published post-tension price exists, so we price it at the site visit after reviewing the soil. Confirm your parcel in Web Soil Survey, and read our guide to post-tension vs standard slabs for court construction before the board picks a slab.
Which Tulsa lighting rules apply to HOA and church courts?
All of Chapter 67. The Tulsa Zoning Code exempts lots with fewer than 4 dwelling units, which covers a backyard court at a house. HOA common areas, churches and clubs get no exemption. The exemption for "public recreational activities" covers city parks, not private courts.
| Chapter 67 rule | What it means on your site |
|---|---|
| Lighting plan (§67.040) | Submitted with the site plan, so it's designed before bids |
| Light trespass (§67.030-C) | No more than 0.5 foot-candles at a lot line next to residential zoning; 3.0 fc next to other districts or right-of-way |
| Pole height, Option 1 (Table 67-1) | 16 ft within 50 ft of residential zoning or right-of-way; 20 ft at 50–250 ft; 35 ft beyond 250 ft |
| Option 2 | Skip the height tiers by submitting a photometric study |
| Shielding (§67.030-B) | Light source hidden from abutting lots at 5 ft above grade |
Chapter 67 sets these technical limits. Many boards also pick their own lights-off time and put it on a timer. Our court lighting construction page covers fixtures and pole tiers.
Can an HOA put courts on common area?
Often, yes. In legacy planned unit developments, §30.010 of Tulsa's code counts tennis courts among the customary accessory uses permitted on a residential PUD's common open space. It also allows them on an adjoining lot under a recorded no-separate-conveyance agreement. That helps boards in older south Tulsa neighborhoods. Your covenants and plat still control, and the city still reviews the site plan.
Table 90-1 allows tennis courts in rear setbacks only, and whether a pickleball court counts as a tennis court there isn't stated. We check the plat and PUD conditions before drawing a single court. Fences add their own limits: 8 ft inside required setbacks, and a building permit above 7 ft under the City's site plan guidebook. Our court fencing construction page explains the 10-ft backstop problem.
Not ready for a quote? Start with our noise planning guide for HOA court construction. It's the question most boards need answered first.
What do community courts cost?
Published ranges, as of 2026, give your treasurer a starting point. Your written quote replaces them line by line.
| Item | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| HOA/community multi-sport slab, concrete only, Tulsa | $30,000–$90,000+ | Tulsa concrete contractor's 2026 averages (see our court construction cost guide) |
| One 30×60 court, installed | $20,000–$50,000 | HomeGuide, Jan 2026 |
| One tennis court converted to four | $5,000–$20,000 | HomeGuide, Jan 2026 |
| 8-court complex with fencing, no lights | $110,000–$150,000 | Pickleball Central |
| 8-court complex with fencing, lights and seating | $300,000 and up | Pickleball Central |
Grading, drainage, the lighting plan, electrical service and post-tension are priced from your site.
Frequently asked questions
How many courts should our HOA or church start with?
Start with who will actually play. Two or four courts is the common first phase. Leave room and conduit for more, and the second phase adds courts without cutting concrete.
Do HOA courts in Tulsa need a lighting plan?
Yes, if you light them. The only exemption in Chapter 67 is for lots under 4 dwelling units, so common areas, churches and clubs submit a lighting plan with the site plan and meet the 0.5 fc limit next to homes.
Can we build now and add lights later?
Yes. Lay conduit before the pour, stake future pole spots outside the playing area, and keep the 16-ft cap within 50 ft in mind when siting. Phase two is then poles and a lighting plan, with no concrete cut.
Is a post-tension slab worth it for a community court?
On active clay with heavy use, often yes. GMB's lifecycle figures favor post-tension over 25 years. A soil report settles it for your parcel, and we price both options at the site visit.
Do you present to the board?
Yes. We walk the board through the site plan, estimate and noise memo, and we answer questions from the floor. The vote and the covenants stay yours.
Our club has a cracked tennis court. Convert or rebuild?
If the slab is structurally sound, conversion is cheaper. If the base is failing, compare a resurface against a new slab. We'll show both on the written quote.
Get a quote
Send us the site address, how many courts the board is considering and whether you want lights. We'll reply by email with a site visit time, followed by a written scope and itemized estimate for the board. Get a Quote
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