When a court needs it
Pickleball surfaces wear where the feet are: the kitchen line and the baselines. When those strips go smooth while the rest of the court still has texture, the ball starts skidding there and the surface is due. The other tell is color on your shoes after play. Dark colors chalk first in Orlando sun, which is one reason we steer people toward mid tones on the color guide.
Shaded courts have a different problem. Under the oaks in Winter Park or behind a north facing privacy fence, a court grows mildew in a wet summer. That is a cleaning job, not a resurfacing. If the texture is still there under the green, a pressure wash and a bleach treatment buys another two years.
What a resurfacing includes
- Pressure wash and mildew treatment.
- Hairline crack routing and fill. Low spots found with a hose test and filled.
- One coat of acrylic resurfacer.
- Two textured acrylic color coats, any two tone combination.
- New 2 inch lines, and new net straps if the old ones are sun rotted.
Two to four working days with dry weather. The dry season from October to May is ideal. In summer we start at dawn and quit when the sea breeze front pushes the storms in from the coast, typically early afternoon.
Cost
| Scope | Planning range |
|---|---|
| Wash, minor repairs, resurfacer, two color coats, lines | $2,500 to $4,000 |
| Same with several cracks and low spots to fix | $4,000 to $5,500 |
| Cushioned acrylic system, quieter and softer | $5,500 to $6,500 |
If the court was built on a slab at lawn level and holds water at the edges every afternoon, a recoat will not change that. The fix is drainage, and sometimes a new pad; the construction page explains how we build to avoid it.
Between resurfacings
Blow it off weekly. Wash it yearly. Keep irrigation heads pointed away; reclaimed water feeds algae. Take down any windscreen for hurricane season. Expect four to six years between coats in full sun, longer in part shade. Compare that to a tennis court resurfacing, which is the same work on four times the area.
Straight answers
How long does a pickleball court resurfacing take?
Two to four working days, weather permitting. Each coat needs sun to flash off and a few hours without rain, so summer jobs run on early starts.
Can you change the court colors when you resurface?
Yes. The new color coats cover whatever is there. This is the moment to go lighter if the old court was too hot to play on in the afternoon.
Why is my court green along one edge?
Mildew or algae, almost always on the shaded side or where a sprinkler hits it. Pressure wash with a bleach solution. If it comes back every summer, the sprinkler is the cause.