The fastest-growing sport in the United States has found a passionate audience in North Texas.
When considering desirable home improvements, most people’s minds would probably not immediately jump to adding a pickleball court. However, that is apparently not the case in North Texas, where homeowners are building their own home courts, according to Keith Kimberlin, owner of the local flooring company Surface2Surface, CBS News Texas reported.
Instead of increased demand for new patios or pool decks, Kimberlin said pickleball courts are the hottest things going up in North Texas homes.
“I’ve probably done 20 over the past two or three years,” he told CBS News.
Homeowners are not just building pickleball courts in their backyards, some are building them on their driveways, according to DFW-based contractor Lone Star Surface Pros.
The typical cost to build a ground-up pickleball court is about $30,000, according to Kimberlin, who built one in his own home before later putting it up for sale.
“I thought, you know, I’m selling my house and I know they’re doing it in these big high-end homes, so why not do it in my house?” he said.
Despite growing demand for the sport, Kimberlin said adding one to a home will not necessarily result in higher home appraisals.
“It’s really a numbers game,” he said, per CBS News. “I think the jury is still out on that.”
North Texas realtor Maria Arita-Howard said she has received a lot of positive feedback when showing homes with built-in pickleball courts.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the popularity of pickleball has been exploding across North Texas, with various courts opening up in several towns. In fact, Dallas is set to host the world’s largest pickleball tournament in November.
The nine-day tournament, hosted by USA Pickleball and the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association, is projected to draw 3,500 amateur and professional players and 25,000 attendees. Players will compete for more than $150,000 in prize money from November 4-12, according to a press release.
