Sport court construction in the San Juan Islands.
Building a court on San Juan Island is a logistics problem as much as a construction one. We work in Friday Harbor and across the islands, and we are direct about what island projects involve.
Everything arrives by ferry or barge
There is no way around it: materials, equipment, and crew all cross water to reach the job. Aggregate, concrete supply, fencing, and surfacing materials either come over on the ferry or get barged, and both add cost and both add schedule.
What that means in practice is that island projects are planned differently. Deliveries are consolidated, the material list is settled before anything moves rather than adjusted mid-job, and the schedule accounts for sailings. A change order that would cost a day on the mainland can cost a week here, which is why we spend longer on the estimate for island work.
Island ground
San Juan terrain is frequently rocky, with shallow soil over bedrock in many locations. Bedrock is excellent to build on and expensive to excavate, so where rock sits shallow the better answer is often to build the pad up rather than cut into it.
Marine exposure applies here as it does on Fidalgo - galvanized and coated hardware for fencing, posts, and hoop systems, because standard components corrode faster within reach of salt air.
Permitting in Friday Harbor
San Juan County handles permitting for the islands, with the Town of Friday Harbor covering addresses inside town limits. Shoreline and critical-area designations apply widely across the islands and are worth identifying early, because they affect timeline more than they affect cost.
What we build in Friday Harbor
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New court construction
Pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts built from the ground up.
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Resurfacing and crack repair
Recoating, crack bridging, leveling, and restriping for worn courts.
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Multi-sport conversions
Tennis to pickleball, and blended color-coded lines for shared courts.
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Sand volleyball courts
Excavation, drainage, edging, sand, and net systems.
Not sure which applies? Our four-phase process covers what happens on site from survey through final stripe, and the cost calculator gives a ballpark in about a minute.
Court questions in Friday Harbor
Do you really build courts in the San Juan Islands?
Yes. The San Juans are in our service area and island work is part of what we do. It requires more planning than a mainland project and we schedule it accordingly rather than treating it as a normal job with a longer drive.
Does an island court cost more?
Yes, and we would rather say so upfront than surprise you with it. Ferry and barge transport for materials and equipment, limited on-island concrete supply, and crew travel all add to the total. The court itself is built to the same standard; the logistics around it cost more.
How do you schedule island work?
Around sailings, and with the material list finalized before anything ships. Consolidating deliveries and avoiding mid-project changes is what keeps an island build from stretching. It is also why the estimate takes longer and is more detailed than a mainland one.
Which islands do you serve?
San Juan County generally, including San Juan Island, Orcas, and Lopez. Practical considerations vary by island - what is straightforward on San Juan may be harder on a smaller island with less infrastructure - so ask about your specific location.
Nearby service areas
- Sport courts in Anacortes — Skagit County
- Sport courts in Oak Harbor — Island County
- Sport courts in Bellingham — Whatcom County
We work throughout Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan Counties. See every area we serve.
Tell us about your Friday Harbor court.
Free on-site estimates across Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan Counties. We come out, look at your space, and give you a real number.
Or call (360) 504-8647Licensed and insured in Washington. Lynden-based crew.