How do we maintain an HOA sand volleyball court?

By OurHOA · General information · Revised October 24, 2026

How an HOA board keeps a sand volleyball court playable: sand depth and type, raking, drainage, net posts and padding, lines, weeds and animal waste.

Part of the HOA board handbook: vendors, projects and upkeep.

The short answer

A sand court needs four things to stay safe: enough clean sand, a drain that works, padded posts, and someone who rakes it and picks out what does not belong. Most HOA courts fail on the first two: the sand thins to a few inches over gravel, or the drain clogs and the court holds water for days. The official rules give the board a measuring stick. The FIVB beach volleyball rules set the court at 16 by 8 meters, about 52 by 26 feet, with a free zone of at least 3 meters, about 10 feet, on every side. The surface has to be level sand, free of rocks, shells and anything else that can cut. A neighborhood court does not have to meet tournament specs, but those numbers tell you what a player expects when they dive. This guide is general education. Your declaration, your insurer and your local building rules decide what your association has to do, so treat the numbers here as a starting point.

Sand depth and what kind of sand

Measure the depth before you do anything else. Push a probe or a marked rod straight down at a dozen spots: the corners, under the net, the middle of each side and the serving areas. Write the numbers on a sketch. The low spots are usually at the net and the baselines. For competition, the FIVB rules require sand at least 40 centimeters deep, about 16 inches, made of fine, loosely compacted grains. A USA Volleyball court guidelines handout recommends at least 50 centimeters, about 20 inches, though the same handout also says a foot is usually enough for recreational play. Pick a target in that range, put it in writing, and top up whenever your probe readings fall more than a few inches short. The kind of sand matters as much as the depth. Builder's sand, play sand from a big box store and masonry sand are usually too fine or too dirty. They pack hard, hold water and blow around as dust. The New York State Department of Transportation's specification for beach volleyball sand calls for double washed sand free of silt and clay, sub-angular grains of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeter, from a granite source with no limestone, and white in color to resist heat. Ask your supplier for a gradation sheet that shows the percent passing each sieve, and compare it to that spec before the truck shows up. Mixing a different sand into the old can create layers that drain badly.

Drainage under the pit

A court that holds puddles after a normal rain has a drainage problem, not a sand problem. More sand on a clogged drain buys a season at most. Public park details show what should be under there. The City of Dallas Park and Recreation detail for a sand volleyball court calls for a 6-inch perforated PVC drain pipe with a filter sock, at least 12 inches of washed gravel 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in size, filter fabric above and below the gravel, a subgrade compacted to 95 percent standard density, and an outlet sloped at least 2 percent. The USA Volleyball handout describes a similar build with about 30 centimeters, roughly a foot, of #57 gravel over the pipe and fabric on top. The fabric is the part that fails. Once fines from the sand work through torn or missing fabric, the gravel fills in and the pipe stops carrying water. If you do not have as-built drawings, find the outlet first. A crushed or buried outlet is the cheap fix. If the outlet runs clear and the court still floods, dig a test hole at one corner and look at the layers. Torn fabric or gravel full of sand means the court needs to be dug out and rebuilt, which is a reserve project, not a maintenance call. Call 811 before anyone digs.

Posts, padding, net and lines

Posts are the main injury risk on a sand court. The FIVB rules place them 0.70 to 1.00 meter, roughly 2 1/2 to 3 feet, outside each sideline, require them to be rounded and smooth, fixed without guy wires, and padded. Check the padding at every inspection. Torn or missing pads go on the immediate list, and the court should close until they are replaced. The USA Volleyball handout recommends round metal posts at least 4 inches across, set in concrete footings about one meter deep, and advises against square posts. Set the net at the right height. The FIVB rules set it at 2.43 meters for men and 2.24 meters for women, about 7 feet 11 5/8 inches and 7 feet 4 1/8 inches. Youth heights drop to 2.12 meters for 14 and under and 2.00 meters for 12 and under. Most HOA courts use the women's or a compromise height, so post the height on the court sign and let players adjust it with a marked strap. The official net is 8.5 meters long and 1 meter deep. Lines are 5 centimeters, about 2 inches, wide, and the rules call for ribbons of resistant material with soft, flexible anchors. Never stake lines with metal spikes or rebar that can work loose and stick up. The court edge matters too. The USA Volleyball handout says a border should be soft, like rubber expansion joint material, and warns that railroad ties raise the chance of injury. The Dallas detail uses a 12-inch concrete border with a chamfered edge set outside the play area. If your court is edged with landscape timbers inside the free zone, plan to replace them.

Raking, weeds and animal waste

Rake on a schedule, not when someone complains. The USA Volleyball handout's tip is to rake often with a wide garden rake. Weekly in season works for most HOA courts, with an extra pass before any event. Rake from the low spots out, pull sand back from the edges toward the net and baselines, and pick out rocks, glass, bottle caps and sticks as you go. Weeds grow where the sand is thin, wet or full of organic debris. An extension answer on weeds in sand volleyball courts says pulling them by hand is usually fastest, and lists raking, hoeing, a non-selective herbicide used by the label, and pre-emergent products as other options. If the board allows herbicide, have a licensed applicator do it and post the court before and after. Animal waste is the problem players notice last. CDC's toxoplasmosis prevention page tells people to cover outdoor sandboxes and to wear gloves when touching sand that may be contaminated with cat feces. CDC's toxocariasis page says roundworm eggs from dog and cat waste can survive in soil for months or even years. A covered court is not practical for most HOAs, so the fix is a rule and a routine. Ban dogs from the court, post it, and make waste removal part of every rake. Our guide on setting up HOA pet waste stations and a dog area covers giving dogs somewhere else to go.

Heat, lightning and court rules

Sand gets hot enough to burn bare feet on a summer afternoon. White sand helps, which is why the NYSDOT spec asks for it. The USA Volleyball handout suggests a water spigot nearby to cool the sand. Post a plain warning that the sand can be hot. Thunderstorms end play. The National Weather Service's guidance for outdoor sports says there is no safe place outside during a thunderstorm and that play should wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder. If you can hear thunder, the storm is close enough to strike. Our guide on setting a lightning policy for the HOA pool and courts covers writing that rule for every outdoor amenity at once. The court sign should list hours, the no-dogs and no-glass rules, who to call about damage, and that players use the court at their own risk.

A sample year and the inspection log

Keep a one-page log. Each entry gets the date, the depth readings, the condition of pads, posts, net and lines, any drainage problem, and what was done. A sample year: in March, take depth readings, check the drain outlet after a rain, replace the net if it is frayed, and order sand if any reading is short. In April, top up, level the sand, set the lines and open the court. From May through September, rake weekly, check pads and anchors monthly, and walk the court after any big storm. In October, take depth readings again and note what the board should budget for. In November, store the net and lines. A motion the board can adapt: 'I move that the board approve the purchase and delivery of [number] tons of washed sand meeting the attached gradation sheet from [supplier], at a cost not to exceed $[amount], to restore the volleyball court to a minimum depth of [number] inches.' Carry the court in the reserve study as two lines: sand replacement and a full drainage rebuild. Get the useful life and cost from the reserve specialist or a contractor, and update both after each bid.

Mistakes boards make

Buying cheap play sand that packs into a hard crust. Adding sand to a court that floods instead of fixing the drain. Edging the court with railroad ties or timbers. Leaving torn post pads up for a season. Staking lines with metal spikes. Raking only before the annual picnic. And letting dogs use the court as an off-leash area because nobody wrote a rule.

Sources

These guides are general education for HOA boards and residents, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by your community's governing documents - check with a professional for your situation.

More on living with an hoa

Or browse all living with an hoa guides.