Tennis remains one of the most popular sports in the world both to play and watch, and people of all ages can enjoy the benefits such an active and enjoyable sporting activity provides.
Having a tennis court on your property can be a huge addition to the value of your property as well as making it more desirable, and a lively talking point among family and friends whenever they come over to visit.
Whether you currently have a tennis court, are buying a property that has one, or are thinking of having one built on your property, choosing the right tennis contractor for you is an important part of the process. As with any professional contractor, you need to know the right questions to ask of any contractor, what skills are required and how they will make the project work.
Skills of a tennis court contractor
if you have the skills and are a builder, you may be able to build a tennis court by yourself, but it is advisable to bring in the skills and advice of an expert to do so, as there is more to building a tennis court than just construction skills and specialist knowledge is required.
The contractor that you eventually choose will need to have several different skills. If they are building a court for you from scratch, they will need the skills to be able to survey the land and prepare it ready for construction.
Building a tennis court is not as simple as laying down the surface, as there are many considerations with regards to the suitability of the soil and the land underneath, the best type of surface to lay down, and how to do so. Understandably they need to be able to make sure that the land is suitable, flat, and ready for laying the court before proceeding.
As well as the general building skills required, they will need to understand the specifics of tennis – the dimensions of the court, laying out the lines to the correct dimensions, and installing the net.
Once the court is built it will also need to be tested for quality, as some tennis courts can occasionally have dead zones if not looked after properly. Tennis courts require both a surface and a subsurface, and if the two are not bonded together then issues such as dead zones can happen.
Such knowledge as this is the reason to engage a specialized tennis court contractor rather than a general builder. A specialized contractor will be aware of the specific issues of tennis court construction much more than would a general contractor or builder.
A good contractor will be aware of the issues involved in building different types of tennis courts – clay, grass, artificial, hard court. They will be able to, once having surveyed your land, recommend the best type of tennis court for your land and help you to consider any issues involved with the construction.
Communication is key when choosing a suitable tennis court contractor, as it is with any large project You want a contractor that will keep you in touch with progress in how the project is continuing and who will be honest, open, and trustworthy if there are any problems, as well as communicate any concerns, changes or suggestions. They should also question you on your level of skill as a tennis player and whether you have any specific requirements. Tennis courts can be slow or fast, and a skilled tennis court contractor can build a court to your speed requirements.
The purchase and construction of a new tennis court is not a small business project, and so extensive communication and discussion with the contractor both prior to commencement and during the project is key to a successful experience.
If you are looking to hire a tennis court contractor, you should discuss with them what experience they have in building tennis courts according to the requirements that you specify. A good and reputable contractor will be able to give you references of previously satisfied clients and customers.
If your contractor is large enough, then they may have show courts that you can visit and try out that they themselves have built, or they can give you locations of courts that they have built. In this way, you can then try before you buy and examine the quality of building work that contractors provide.
Maintaining your tennis court
You may already have a tennis court, or are about to acquire one, and are looking for a tennis court contractor to repair or restore your court to pristine condition.
If that is the case, the criteria for choosing the correct contractor for your needs are no different from the criteria for building a new court. The major difference is that you will be looking for a contractor that has repair and restoring experience, not just court building experience.
You will want to question the contractor about whether they have experience in repairing and restoring tennis courts of your type. As before you should ask for references from satisfied customers, and if your contractor is a local company, they may even be able to furnish you with locations of examples of repaired and restored tennis courts that you can go and look at to check out the quality of their work.
A qualified and experienced contractor will also be able to help you with devising a suitable maintenance schedule for your tennis court and give you valuable tips and hints to help you to keep your court in the best condition possible.
Summary
Although a skilled builder may be able to build or maintain a tennis court, a skilled, professional, specialist tennis court contractor will have the extensive knowledge required to both build, repair, and maintain a tennis court to the highest possible standard. This ensures that you will be able to enjoy playing tennis with family and friends for many years to come and to reap the most reward from your investment.
