How Much Does a Backyard Ice Rink Cost? (Honest Analysis)

Cost is a major consideration for any significant purchase for your family.

This is especially the case with backyard ice rinks, which can run as high as $50,000 or more for large or refrigerated rinks. 

It’s a big investment, so we’re going to use our expertise as a leading backyard ice rink manufacturer to explain everything you need to know about costs, including:

• The key buying factors of backyard rinks (and how price comes into play).

• DIY vs. pre-assembled rink kit costs.

• Hidden costs and common buyer mistakes. 

• The best times to buy for a good deal. 

Before that, let’s make sure a backyard ice rink makes sense for your yard and go over the decisions you’ll make before discussing pricing.

Your 3 Key Decisions Before Assessing Backyard Rink Costs

Before you run the numbers, let’s first ensure you’re a good candidate for a backyard rink with this first qualifying question:

• Question #1: Do you have the right yard for a backyard rink? Is it big enough, flat enough and cold enough in your region?

We generally say your yard must not have more than 10” of slope in any direction. To achieve 3-4” of ice, it typically takes at least three consecutive nights of below freezing temperatures.  

And, backyard rinks tend to do best in regions where there are at least three days each winter when the high temperature never reaches freezing.

If your yard or climate conditions don’t meet the criteria for a backyard rink, we recommend not buying one. 

If you answered  “yes” to the first question, here are the next two you should answer:

• Question #2: Do you want to buy a new rink kit or a used one? 

Think of this question like buying a car. 

Do you want to pay more for the brand new model with all the bells and whistles and no wear and tear, or the used version that runs well enough but may not last or perform as well?

Backyard rinks work the same way.

New = more expensive but better quality.  Used = less expensive, but lower quality.

A new backyard ice rink from YardRink:

Photo courtesy of Kris Tedeschi.

• Question #3: Do you want to go the DIY route or buy a pre-assembled rink kit? We will cover this question in detail coming up shortly.

How Much Is a Backyard Ice Rink?

The cost of a backyard ice rink can vary significantly, ranging from around $300-to-$50,000 or more, depending on a number of factors. 

Where your family fits within that price range depends on the size of your rink and whether you choose a DIY approach or a pre-assembled kit.

The type of rink you choose is CRITICAL in determining not only how much you will pay, but also the assembly/disassembly efforts, performance, maintenance and even safety of your model.

*This is an important topic - read carefully!

DIY vs. Pre-Assembled Ice Rink Cost Assessment 

We will start with the DIY rink route before analyzing the pre-assembled rink kit option:

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Backyard Ice Rink?

Let’s start with the positives about building a DIY rink.

• It saves you money - a good ballpark price range for building a standard DIY backyard ice rink is $500-$1,500 

Here is a price breakdown of what you can expect to pay for a DIY rink: 

Plastic Liner: $50 - $300 (depending on size)

Boards: $200 - $500 (this can be simple wood, PVC pipe, or something more robust)

Brackets: $50 - $200

Nets: $100 - $200

Fasteners: $20 - $60 

Clamps: $30 - $100

Stakes: $50 - $100

Tools & Accessories: You might also need a measuring tape, table/circular saw, hammer/sledgehammer, drill, screwdriver, or other tools. Some rink builders also add strings of lights, entry steps, under-ice lighting, or other accessories.

• Post-build maintenance costs can be quite reasonable, if the DIY rink is designed and built well. You typically have to buy a replacement tarp every year, but the boards should hold up with proper assembly and storage. Ice rinks are generally not too expensive to maintain.  The exception to this is if you have incorrectly designed your rink for the slope of your yard. Some DIY owners experience wall ‘blow-outs’ and need to buy reinforcing lumber, brackets, and stakes.

• You control everything. The rink size, shape, height of the boards, quality of the liner -- you get to create your rink all the way down to the brackets. 

A DIY rink:

Photo courtesy of Make Magazine. 

Many aspiring rink owners choose the DIY route because of these reasons. 

However, many often underestimate how labor-intensive building your own rink can be.

Here are some of the downsides you must consider before deciding whether to build your rink:

• When we say labor-intensive, we’re not just talking about the building part. In brief terms, DIY rink projects typically include:

1. Drawing up a full plan for building the rink, including materials needed, choosing a spot in your yard and precisely measuring for every component. It may look something like the image below:

Photo courtesy of Mama. Pappa. Bubba.

2. Going to a hardware store to buy boards, a bracketing/support system, a liner and any other necessary components.

3. Then comes the actual assembly process. Don’t underestimate the effort here - it’s a huge project that often takes multiple full weekends of work for even the handiest of people. 

• Quality and performance are almost always compromised on a DIY hockey rink. Most families want a backyard rink so their kids can hone their hockey skills, but most DIY rinks have squared corners and bulging walls, which interrupt optimal puck flow. The tarp is also usually located on the inside of the rink, which can affect the playability of the surface by creating tarp slush and uneven spots, potentially causing the puck to bounce unpredictably. With a tarp on the inside of squared corners, it is very difficult to shovel or snow blow the ice surface without damaging the tarp.

Based on our quantitative research among backyard rink customers, we’ve found that assembly/disassembly, maintenance, performance and pricing are the key factors families consider before purchasing. 

DIY rinks may help save money (most of the time), but come up short for a lot of families on the other core considerations when buying a backyard rink. 

We’ve seen numerous families try to go the DIY route, realize the effort that’s required and abandon their plans, pivoting to a pre-assembled kit instead. Others spend lots of time building their DIY rink, only to be disappointed in the result:

Going the DIY route certainly has some advantages, but oftentimes, the cost savings you realize upfront are mitigated by the exhaustive effort and compromised playability of a build-it-yourself rink.

If you decide to build a DIY rink, there are some good guides on how to do it. Here are a couple we found:

• How to make a backyard ice rink DIY - Sugar Maple Farmhouse

• Easy DIY Outdoor Skating Rink - Mama. Papa. Bubba.

Here is a video from Coach Jeremy that walks you through how he built his DIY rink:

How Much Do Pre-Assembled Rink Kits Cost?

The other route - buying a pre-assembled kit – has many appealing advantages but will likely cost more upfront.

Ice rink kits generally perform better, and are much easier to set up, take down and maintain. 

Photo courtesy of Jessa McNamara.

A good price range to work with for a standard pre-assembled kit is $2,000-$10,000, although they can go up to $50,000+ depending on which configuration you choose and the size of the rink.

There are currently three main backyard hockey rink brands that sell pre-assembled kits (YardRink, EZ Ice and NiceRink). 

Regarding the upfront backyard ice rink cost, EZ ICE is typically the most expensive. 

Once you start configuring your rink, though, YardRink tends to be the most cost-effective when comparing comparable offerings and options: 

(EZ Ice price includes shipping.)

All of the brands offer custom sizing, so even though you’re not customizing each component, you still retain control over the size/shape of your preferred rink. NiceRink offers some component customization options as well. 

Even though the brands share the distinction of selling pre-assembled kits, they all differ in what they offer, and this can affect your wallet. 

For example, the majority of YardRink customers don’t have to replace their tarp as frequently because, unlike other brands, the tarp goes outside of the panels. You will likely need to buy a replacement tarp for the other pre-assembled kits every year, which can cost several hundred dollars. 

There can also be misleading product costs. NiceRink offers ‘Rink-in-a-Box’ kits ranging from around $400-$1,000, but they only include the brackets and fasteners. You still have to purchase and cut your own boards and buy your own tarp. 

If you’re looking for more information about these brands and their product features, we ranked them on their key advantages and thoroughly analyzed the pros and cons of each rink. 

Here were the results:

1. Best for Hockey Play - YardRink

2. Best for Aesthetics - EZ Ice

3. Best for DIY Owners - NiceRink

Read 3 Best Backyard Ice Rinks for 2025 (Honest Analysis) to learn more.

The Hidden Costs of Owning a Backyard Ice Rink

In addition to the readily apparent prices, backyard rinks may come with a few concealed costs that we want to prepare you for:

• The cost of lumber - (and the potential transportation costs if you need to rent a vehicle to haul the materials for DIY projects).

• Paying for extra bracing – like more boards and staking to account for the slope in your yard. 

• The frustrating flapping tarp - many people have to pay for and concoct a DIY solution (like pool noodles slit down their length) to stop the tarp from flapping in the wind. 

• Paying for extra configurations and upgrades – like expanding the length and width of your rink. This is much easier on a pre-assembled kit than the DIY route, but comes with extra costs. 

• Accessories - The price for lighting, entry steps, under-ice lighting, ice resurfacers, or other accessories can add up quickly. And, unless your rink has a puck-saver net behind each goal, plan on buying MANY pucks to replace those lost in the snow. 

When Is the Best Time to Buy a Backyard Ice Rink? 

We all want a good deal while shopping, so when is the best time to capitalize on a backyard ice rink discount?

The following times are your best bet at finding a good deal on your rink:

• Summer (YardRink is currently running a Christmas in Summer promotion - 15% off all rink sizes) 

• Pre-season (think September/October) 

• Black Friday/Cyber Monday 

• Around the Holidays

The three brands mentioned in the previous section typically run promotions. DIY’ers won’t be able to capitalize on these promotions.

YardRink offers multi-pay/financing options on their rinks, which can help spread out the cost. EZ ICE also offers financing for its kits; it’s unclear if NiceRink offers financing at this time. 

Are Backyard Ice Rinks Worth It?

No matter which rink style you choose, buying a backyard rink is not a small investment. We hope this article helped educate you on what to expect.

You may have seen the price ranges here and questioned whether the cost/effort of owning a rink is worth the reward. 

We can tell you from our research among backyard rink owners that they are overwhelmingly thrilled with their decision to buy a backyard rink. 

Take YardRink owner Parker Ross’ story as an example of the joy that comes from owning a backyard rink.

“In the summer, we have our pool for backyard fun. But thanks to YardRink, winter now has its own spotlight. It’s become our cold-weather hangout spot – a place where the kids can practice their skills, burn off energy and have fun outside.”

Parker recorded the entire unboxing process – from start to finish. Watch his video below to see the joy that a rink can inspire: 

If you have any questions about backyard ice rink costs or other topics, reach out to us today, and one of our friendly representatives will get you on the fast track to the ice!