Pickleball Court Surfaces: Acrylic, Cushioned, Concrete and Indoor Floors

Short answer: pickleball is played on hard courts, indoors or outdoors, as Pickleball Australia puts it. Outdoors in Australia that usually means an acrylic coating over a concrete or asphalt base, sometimes with a cushioned layer, which is what new club courts such as Alstonville in NSW use. Indoors it is often a multi-sport timber or sports hall floor. Pickleball Australia's Facility Development Guidelines page links to an acrylic system as its preferred playing surface. Acrylic courts need resurfacing roughly every 7 to 10 years.

The surface changes how the ball bounces, how your knees feel after two hours, and how long the court lasts. Here are the options you will meet in Australia.

What surface is pickleball played on?

Pickleball Australia describes the game as played on a hard indoor or outdoor court. The rulebook's main surface rule is about lines: all lines must be 5 cm wide, the same colour, and clearly contrasting with the playing surface. Beyond that, the choice of surface is up to the facility.

Acrylic hard courts

An acrylic court is a coloured acrylic coating applied over a concrete or asphalt slab, the same kind of surface Tennis Victoria's maintenance guide is written for. Australian pickleball examples:

Alstonville Tennis Club, NSW: its eight tournament-standard outdoor pickleball courts, opened in 2024, use an acrylic surface on a cushioned concrete base, according to The Echo.
Kangaroo Valley, NSW: when Shoalhaven City Council converted a tennis court into three pickleball courts in 2026, it also resurfaced two tennis courts in two-tone acrylic.
Pickleball Australia's preferred surface: its Facility Development Guidelines page links to the CoolTop acrylic system from California Sports Surfaces as its preferred playing surface.

Cushioned acrylic

Cushioned acrylic systems add a cushioned layer under the acrylic coating. Some Australian venues advertise them: Pickleball Victoria's listing for Pickle4Real in Mentone mentions a cushioned surface, and Alstonville's courts sit on a cushioned base. They cost more. Airtasker's cost guide for tennis courts puts a cushioned acrylic surface at $25,000 to $50,000, against $8,000 to $20,000 for a standard acrylic recoat over an existing base.

Concrete and asphalt bases

Concrete or asphalt is the base under acrylic courts, and the cost guides I found all assume one. Plain concrete such as a driveway can host a casual game with taped lines and a portable net. If you are building, look after the base: Tennis Victoria's maintenance guide spends much of its advice on drainage, repairing cracks and clearing silt and ponding water.

Indoor floors

Many Australian sessions run indoors in sports centres, school gyms and halls. Pickleball ACT, for example, lists eight multi-sport hardwood courts at Shirley Smith High School and three at Belconnen Community Centre, alongside the 11 hard courts at its Pickledome in Fadden. Indoor floors are protected from weather, which matters for both play and the surface's life. Indoor venues usually set the ball type; larger-hole balls are customarily used indoors, as my balls guide explains.

How often does a pickleball court need resurfacing?

Tennis Victoria's Acrylic Court Maintenance Guide, written for tennis courts, suggests:

Task	How often	Budget per court
Routine inspection and cleaning	Weekly, and six-monthly	$0 to $1,500
Weed control and drainage	Every 12 months	$400
Supporting infrastructure	Every 2 years	$800
Court cleaning	Every 2 to 3 years	$800
Resurfacing	Every 7 to 10 years	$15,000

A pickleball court is about a third of the area of a tennis court, so treat these as an upper guide.

Which surface should I choose?

Backyard or club outdoor court: acrylic over a sound concrete base is the common choice. Add a cushioned system if your budget allows.
Shared with tennis: keep the existing tennis acrylic surface and add pickleball lines. See pickleball on a tennis court.
Indoor hall: use the existing sports floor, mark pickleball lines in a contrasting colour, and use a portable net.

For costs, see the backyard court cost guide.

Pickleball court surfaces in Australia