Considerations for Building a Plastic Volleyball or Basketball Court

By Kyle Schurman Created: September, 2017 - Modified: July, 2021

Plastic volleyball court or basketball court tiles provide an ideal material for the busy fitness center looking to create a durable, temporary surface for practices and games.

Having these plastic volleyball court tiles on hand allows a sports complex or facility to create a space for teams to use in almost no time. Both public and private facilities will receive a great value from these tiles.

How Much Does It Cost to Build an Indoor Volleyball Court?

When using plastic volleyball court tiles to create a covering for an existing floor, the cost of using these pop-together tiles is reasonable.

The ultimate cost for creating this type of sports court will depend on the size of the space for the court and the material in use.

The Court Floor Tile Flat Top product is one of the least expensive options customers will find for this use case. It’s available at less than $5 per square foot.

A volleyball court will occupy about 1,800 square feet, so a layout using these tiles will cost less than $9,000. If the space must also accommodate basketball, which covers a little more than 4,500 square feet, the cost will be around $23,000.

This firm polypropylene plastic tile is available in colors of black, gray, blue, or red. Because all of the models of this tile use the same hidden interlocking tabs and loops configuration, installers can mix and match colors from this model.

For those looking for a plastic volleyball court product that looks more like a wood court, the Max Tile Raised Floor Tile is available. This model consists of an interlocking plastic base with a vinyl layer over the top that contains the printed wood grain pattern.

Expect to pay about $6.60 per square foot for these tiles, which would yield a cost of about $11,900 for volleyball. For a basketball court coverage size, expect to pay about $29,700 for these tiles.

A similar looking option that closely resembles a traditional maple basketball court in a gymnasium is found in the Basketball Court Tile Gym Floor Pro. It also has a plastic base that contains the hidden interlocking system with a vinyl top layer containing the wood grain printed pattern. This court tile has a thicker wear layer than the Max Tile option.

The Basketball Court tile costs about $7 per square foot, which would yield a cost of about $12,600 for a volleyball court. For a basketball court, expect to pay around $31,500.

If the installer wants to extend the sidelines and baselines for the volleyball court for safety purposes, the cost for the plastic volleyball court will be closer to that of a basketball court.

One additional cost to consider is for a rubber underlayment, if desired. Some manufacturers of plastic sports tiles recommend placing a thin 3 mm Rubber Floor Underlayment product beneath the tiles. This roll costs about $0.50 per square foot, adding anywhere from $900 to $2250 to the total cost based on the dimensions mentioned above.

As DIY install products, the cost of installation is under your control.

What Kind of Plastic Are Volleyball Courts Made From?

Whether selecting a tile where the plastic layer is visible on top of the volleyball court or whether it has a vinyl layer covering it, the type of plastic in use nearly always is polypropylene plastic.

This type of firm plastic is extremely durable, meaning it will stand up to constant use in a busy fitness center. The interlocking edges use the same durable style of plastic, meaning they’re ready for assembly and disassembly hundreds of times.

Many people refer to polypropylene plastic as “no-break” plastic, as it will withstand a significant weight.

The plastic in the Court Floor Tile Flat Top product has a rating for at least 10,000 pounds per square foot of static load. Some tests place the static load for the polypropylene plastic closer to 20,000 pounds per square foot.

What Is the Official Size of an Indoor Court for Volleyball?

An official volleyball court will measure 29.5 feet by 59 feet for the six-on-six volleyball game. This yields a square footage of about 1,800 feet.

For a two-on-two game, as occurs with beach volleyball, the court size is about 26.5 by 52.5 feet. This is a coverage size of about 1,400 square feet

As a general rule, volleyball organizations recommend at least a 10-foot safety space around the official perimeter of the court. Players often leave the playing surface to chase stray shots. Servers will be outside the court dimensions as well.

Some international volleyball rules recommend leaving 20 feet of safety space on all four sides of the official volleyball court or the beach volleyball court.

If the space will also serve as a basketball court, the size of a traditional basketball court will provide a buffer for the volleyball court of about 10 feet on each side and about 15 feet on each end. A basketball court covers about 4,500 square feet.

Whether an installer is looking to create a court that resembles wood or has bright colors, Greatmats has a number of high-quality tiles available. Our customer service team can help with ordering the right quantities, with making the product selection, and with finding the most efficient shipping methods.