Construction guide · Updated 2026
Volleyball court construction:
sand is a drainage problem
Sand volleyball court construction means excavating a 50 by 80 foot area 2 to 3 feet deep, laying a perforated drain system in a gravel bed under a filter fabric, and filling it with 12 to 18 inches of washed, rounded sand around sleeved net posts. It costs $20,000 to $50,000 for one court. Indoor volleyball court construction is a flooring and ceiling-height project: a sprung wood or synthetic floor, 23 feet minimum clear height, and a net system anchored in floor sleeves.
The sand people play on is the last foot. The two feet under it decide whether the court is a beach or a swamp after rain.
Key figures
- Beach court
- 16 × 8 m (52.5 × 26.25 ft) plus 3 m free zone; site 50 × 80 ft
- Sand depth
- 12–18 in playing sand (FIVB 40 cm) over 6–12 in gravel drainage
- Sand volume
- 150–250 tons per court
- Sand spec
- Washed, rounded, 0.5–1.0 mm, no silt; not masonry or play sand
- Drainage
- 4 in perforated pipe on 10–15 ft centers in gravel, to daylight or a dry well
- Indoor court
- 18 × 9 m court, 3 m free zone, 23 ft (7 m) min clear height, 41 ft (12.5 m) international
- Sand volleyball court cost
- $20,000–50,000 per court outdoors
- Build time
- 2–4 weeks outdoors
Free to cite with attribution and a link. Full set at courtbaseline.com/reference.
Fig. 01
Sand volleyball court construction: what is under the sand?
From the bottom: compacted subgrade graded to a low point, perforated drain pipes in a 6 to 12 inch gravel bed, a geotextile filter fabric to keep sand out of the gravel, then 12 to 18 inches of washed playing sand. The net posts sit in sleeves set in concrete footings below the sand, with the posts padded above it.
Sequence
Beach volleyball court construction, step by step
Seven steps over 2 to 4 weeks. Beach volleyball court construction is earthwork and material handling; the only trade skill is setting the post footings at the right depth and spacing.
| # | Step | What happens | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Layout | Stake 50 × 80 ft, orient north-south, locate the drain outlet or dry well, pull the permit | 1–3 days |
| 2 | Excavate | Dig 24–36 in across the whole area, grade the floor 1% toward the outlet, compact | 2–3 days |
| 3 | Footings | Concrete footings with post sleeves, 30–36 ft apart for a 32 ft net, tops below finished sand | 1 day + cure |
| 4 | Drainage | 4 in perforated pipe in 6–12 in of 3/4 in gravel, pipes 10–15 ft apart, run to daylight or a dry well | 1–2 days |
| 5 | Filter fabric | Non-woven geotextile over the gravel, overlapped and pinned | Half day |
| 6 | Sand | 150–250 tons of washed rounded sand placed and raked level, 12–18 in deep | 2–4 days |
| 7 | Net, lines, edging | Posts and pads, net at 2.43 or 2.24 m, boundary lines staked at the corners, optional timber or rubber edging | 1 day |
What sand do you use for a volleyball court?
Washed, rounded, sub-angular silica sand with grains between about 0.5 and 1.0 mm and no silt or clay, which is what the FIVB specifies for competition and what keeps a court soft, free-draining and dust-free. Masonry sand, concrete sand and play sand are the wrong products: too fine, too sharp or too dusty, and they pack hard.
The sand is a third to a half of the budget. Volleyball sand sells for $40 to $90 a ton delivered depending on distance from the pit, and a court takes 150 to 250 tons, so the sand line is $8,000 to $20,000 on its own. Ask for a sieve analysis before ordering; a sand that is 10 percent fines turns to concrete after the first winter.
Depth is 12 inches for recreational courts, 16 to 18 for competition, and 40 cm (about 16 inches) under FIVB rules. Deeper is softer and slower, and costs more in sand and excavation.
How much does a sand volleyball court cost?
$20,000 to $50,000 for one outdoor court with a free zone, drainage, footings and a competition net system, before lighting. A budget backyard court with shallower sand and no engineered drainage can be done for $10,000 to $18,000 on a well-drained site; two courts side by side share a long edge and cost about 1.7 times one.
| Component | Low | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excavation and haul-off | $4,000 | $10,000 | Up to 400 cubic yards of soil |
| Drainage pipe and gravel | $3,000 | $8,000 | Including outlet or dry well |
| Filter fabric | $500 | $1,500 | |
| Sand, 150–250 tons delivered | $8,000 | $20,000 | Distance from the source drives this |
| Footings and net system | $2,500 | $6,000 | Competition posts, pads, net, boundary lines |
| Edging or curb | $1,000 | $4,000 | Timber, rubber or concrete |
| Permit and layout | $300 | $1,500 | |
| Total | $20,000 | $50,000 | Lighting $8,000–20,000 extra; see court lighting |
What does indoor volleyball court construction involve?
A building with at least 23 feet (7 meters) of clear height over the court and free zone, and 41 feet (12.5 meters) for international competition; a sprung maple or synthetic sports floor; net post sleeves set in the slab 36 feet apart with the floor plate flush; and lighting at 50 to 75 foot-candles with no fixture low enough to be hit. The court itself is lines on the floor.
Most indoor volleyball courts are built inside multi-sport gyms, where the constraint is ceiling height, not floor area: a basketball gym has the width, and a 24 foot ceiling is legal but low. Dedicated volleyball facilities with 6 to 12 courts in warehouse space are the growing format, built the same way as an indoor pickleball facility but with far more height. Floor costs are $8 to $25 per square foot depending on the system; a court-and-free-zone area is about 5,200 square feet. Dimensions for both courts are on volleyball court dimensions.
FAQ
Volleyball court construction, answered
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Dimensions, lighting and other courts
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