Site Prep · Salt Lake Pickleball Court
Court Site Prep and Excavation in Salt Lake City, UT
Excavation, grading and a compacted base that keep a court flat season after season. Get a free estimate.
Salt Lake City, Holladay, Sandy, Draper, Herriman, Lehi, Highland, Alpine and 28 more
Free Court Pad Estimate
Share the yard's rough size, which way it slopes and the games you want to play. A call back follows to plan a free visit to the yard.
- Free court estimates
- North-south layouts
- Flat, draining slabs
- Sloped yards welcome
Rough yard size and slope are all we need.
Court Excavation & Site Prep
Court Site Prep in Salt Lake City, UT
Most courts that go wrong went wrong in the dirt. A corner built on loose fill sinks a little each spring until puddles form there; a pad cut into clay with no way for water to escape heaves after a wet winter; a base that was never compacted lets the slab crack across the middle. Site prep is the unglamorous part of a court, and it is the part that decides whether you still love the bounce several summers from now. On a flat yard it's a modest job, and on a hillside it's most of the project.
The work starts with an 811 locate and a layout: the pad staked out with its orientation and the slope it will carry. Topsoil and organic material come out, because they compress over time. Soft or wet clay is dug out and replaced. On a sloped yard the high side is cut and the low side filled, with fill placed and compacted in thin lifts rather than dumped. A gravel base goes down and is compacted across the whole pad, and the surrounding grade is shaped so water runs around the court instead of under it.
What's included
What goes into court site prep
- 01
Layout and locates
The court footprint, runout and slope staked out, with buried utilities flagged through 811.
- 02
Topsoil stripping
Sod, topsoil and roots removed down to firm native soil.
- 03
Cut and fill
Sloped yards leveled by cutting the high side and filling the low side in compacted lifts.
- 04
Soft spot repair
Wet or spongy clay dug out and replaced with compacted material.
- 05
Gravel base
Crushed gravel spread and compacted under the entire pad for even support and drainage.
- 06
Drainage around the court
Surrounding grade shaped so water flows around and away from the slab.
Examples
Court Excavation & Site Prep: examples of the work
Stock photos: examples of the work type.
How it works
Court Excavation & Site Prep, step by step
- 1
Read the yard
Slope, soil, access and where water goes now are all checked before the pad is planned.
- 2
Stake and locate
811 flags utilities, and the pad is staked to its final grade.
- 3
Cut, fill, compact
Soil is moved, soft spots are replaced and fill is compacted in lifts.
- 4
Base and grade
The gravel base is compacted and the surrounding ground shaped to drain.
Questions
Court Excavation & Site Prep questions
How do Salt Lake Valley soils affect court prep?
A lot. Lake-bed clay and silt hold water and swell or settle with it, so soft spots come out and a solid gravel base goes in. Bench lots often have gravelly ground that drains better but comes with slope, and some bench soils settle when soaked, so compaction and drainage both matter.
What does site prep for a court cost?
It depends on how much soil moves, how far it's hauled, how much soft ground has to be replaced and how easy the yard is to reach with equipment. A flat, open yard needs far less than a sloped one. The estimate is free.
Do I need a permit for grading a court site?
Sometimes. Large grading jobs, changes that affect drainage onto neighbors, and retaining walls over about 4 feet can bring city permits, and HOAs may want to see the plan. Utah law requires an 811 locate before any digging.
Can equipment get into my backyard?
Usually. Compact excavators and skid steers fit through many side yards. Gate widths and access are checked at the estimate, and the work is planned around sprinklers, trees and existing plantings.
What happens to the extra dirt?
It depends on the yard. Some soil can be reused to fill the low side or reshape the grade around the court, and the rest is hauled away. Topsoil is usually kept separate so it can go back into planting beds.
Courts, prep and patios
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Backyard Pickleball Courts
Full backyard pickleball courts on a flat, gently sloped slab, with joints kept out of play and room behind the lines.
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Multi-Sport Courts
Multi-sport slabs that carry pickleball lines, a basketball key and room for kids' games on one well-drained pad.
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Service area
Court Excavation & Site Prep in these towns
Where we build court excavation & site prep, from Salt Lake City outward:
Salt Lake County
Tooele County
Free estimates on court excavation & site prep
Send a quick note about the yard and the court you're picturing, and a free estimate visit follows.