Unlike the portable hoops described in our portable hoop assembly guide, Lifetime In-Ground and Bolt-Down Basketball Systems require concrete work to install. This produces a basketball hoop that is extremely stable and reliable, but the assembly process is different, and in some ways more demanding. Fortunately, Lifetime offers all the help you need to make acquiring your own hoop as easy as can be.
Hired Help
Working with concrete is almost always best handled by a contractor. Lifetime has licensed contractors in our assembly areas that you can trust to help with the entire installation process. Customers can decide how much of the hoop installation process they want to do on their own and how much they want to assign to provided Lifetime assembly services.
As with most Lifetime Products that require assembly, an In-Ground Hoop Assembly Video is available on the Lifetime Assembly Channel on YouTube. If you choose to employ Lifetime Assembly services, you will be guided through the following process:
- Within 24 hours of your request for in-ground assembly, a Lifetime licensed contractor will contact you.
- You will be asked to call 811, the national call-before-you-dig number. They will help you avoid installing your in-ground hoop to a location that may contain underground wires, pipes, or other hazards.
- Once the site of your dig is approved, you can contact the Lifetime licensed contractor and he will schedule the dig and concrete installation in your selected location.
- The contractor will visit your area, digging and installing the concrete in the approved location. There will be a minimum of three days’ wait time afterwards for the concrete to cure.
- Once the concrete is cured, the hoop can be installed in the new sleeve. The contractor can return to complete this process or the customer can do it independently.
If you’re interested in installing the concrete yourself, detailed instructions on digging and pouring can be found in the provided instruction manual of your Lifetime Basketball System, and an overview is provided below.
Installing Your Own Concrete
You’ll need tools for digging; in-ground and bolt-down systems are dug differently, but both require a hole of adequate size and depth to be formed alongside the playing surface, which will be filled with concrete. Always call 811, the national call-before-you-dig hotline to be sure you are not digging into buried utility lines.
In-ground systems require a round hole between 21 and 24 inches in depth and 18 to 24 inches in diameter (the size of the required hole depends on the system being installed, the instruction manual will contain the proper dimensions). Certain regular climate conditions (such as frost heaves) can affect the required dimensions. Bricks or patio blocks are placed in the hole and used as a base—these are not provided with the basketball system. Between 420 and 640 pounds of concrete (depending on the size of your system, the instruction manual will tell you the required amount) is mixed and used to fill the hole after the bottom pole or ground sleeve is placed on the bricks. A level is necessary to ensure the base will be flat. Assembly must be paused for 3 days (72 hours) while the concrete sets.
Bolt-down systems require digging a square hole that is belled out at the bottom. The size of this hole is 21 inches square, and will vary in depth depending on the size of the system from a minimum of 30 inches to a maximum of 48 inches in depth. Certain regular climate conditions (such as frost heaves) can affect the required dimensions. Between 1,040 and 1,680 pounds of concrete must be mixed and used to fill the hole, depending on the size of the system (your instruction manual will tell you the required amount for your model). It will be partially filled and then components from the system will be placed in it; after they are installed, the hole will be filled the rest of the way. Like in-ground systems, bolt-down systems require the concrete to cure for a minimum of 3 days (72 hours) before installation is continued.
Assembling the Hoop
Detailed directions on the in-ground/bolt-down and concrete installation process is provided in the instruction manual of each Lifetime Basketball System and on the Lifetime Assembly Channel. Home installers should be prepared to dig, measure, mix concrete, and tighten bolts using their own tools, as well as set aside enough time for the concrete to cure. It is not recommended to install a hoop alone. Carefully reading the entire instruction manual before beginning the assembly and installation process will save time and help prepare for a successful installation.
Relocating Installed Hoops
In-ground and bolt-down hoops are considered permanent or semi-permanent installations—this gives the hoops an extremely high level of stability and reliability, and integrates them well with home basketball playing areas. An optional ground sleeve can be installed that will allow you to move your in-ground basketball hoop without having to break up the concrete that was laid to install it. All bolt-down systems can also be moved to installed anchors in other locations.
If you ever need help or guidance installing a Lifetime Basketball System, you can contact Lifetime Customer Service or visit our [learning center].
