Fencing is part of building any decent sports surface, and a basketball or netball court is no exception. Chainwire is the usual choice for good reasons, but it is worth knowing the trade-offs before you commit. Here is the honest rundown of the benefits and the drawbacks, plus the court sizes and heights that shape the job.
Why fence a basketball or netball court?
- Players stop chasing balls. A fence is a backstop between flying balls and the street, a pool, windows or anything fragile nearby. That keeps play flowing and keeps stray balls out of trouble.
- Bystanders stay safe. Spectators and passers-by do not always see a ball coming. A fence takes the hit for them.
- The court can be locked up. A gate you can lock keeps skaters, taggers and after-hours vandals off the surface, and keeps debris and creeping vegetation out. Parents relax when a fenced court sits beside a busy street.
- Airflow through the mesh. Chainwire lets air pass straight through, so a covered court stays comfortable instead of hot and stuffy the way a solid wall would make it.
- Clear sightlines. The open weave of chainwire keeps the game visible from the stands, which solid fencing cannot.
- Low maintenance, easy repairs. Good galvanised chainwire cleans up easily and needs no special care, and if a section is damaged you replace just that panel cheaply. A protective coating can add to its life.
The downsides to weigh
- It is fixed once it is in. Court fencing cannot be picked up and moved, which makes expanding to more courts later harder. The saving grace with chainwire is that you can often remove one wall while leaving the rest, and re-use panels that are still in good shape.
- Little room to customise. Chain link does not flex to a particular look, shape or size the way some systems do. It is practical, not decorative.
- Injury and rust risk if neglected. A player who runs into a fixed fence can get hurt, and the wire ties and top and bottom edges have sharp points. Left to rust, chainwire gets sharper and uglier, so maintenance is not optional on a court that sees hard use.
Court sizes and fence height
Get the court dimensions right first, then fence beyond them so players have room to chase the ball:
- Basketball: the International Basketball Federation standard is 28 by 15 metres. Practice-only courts do not need to match it.
- Netball: the standard court is 30.5 by 15.25 metres.
The standard height for sports-court fencing, basketball and tennis alike, is at least 3 metres. The ring and backboard sit around 3 metres up and the ball goes higher off a rebound, so taller fencing is the smart move. If privacy matters, a thicker or double mesh screens the court; if there is already a boundary fence around the property, that may not be needed. Keep the spectator side clear so the view stays open, which chainwire's open weave handles naturally.
What drives the cost
There are no fixed figures, because a court fence is priced on the job. The main drivers are the size of the court and the run-off allowance around it (more perimeter means more fence), the specification you choose (fence height and the chainwire product both move the number), and the contractor. Get a few comparable quotes on the same measurements and specification, and pick on the combination of quality and value rather than the lowest line alone.
The verdict
For most basketball and netball courts, chainwire wins: it protects players and spectators, locks up, breathes, stays cheap to maintain and keeps the game visible. The drawbacks are real but manageable with the right height, a bit of maintenance and sensible design. If your court is in the Hunter and you want it done properly, the Newcastle crew at Chainwire Fencing Specialist build court fencing to spec.