Skateboarding requires an initial investment of a board, shoes, and maybe pads and a helmet. When you first get started you might wonder “How much does a skateboard cost?”.
A good skateboard costs between $80-$115 for a complete board. This includes trucks, bearings, wheels, and griptape. You can purchase these parts individually, but the total cost will be slightly more than just buying a pre-built board.
Of course, different brands are cheaper or more expensive than others. So let’s take a little more in-depth look at the cost of a skateboard.
How Much Does a Skateboard Cost?
So over here at Board and Wheels, we decided to do a little digging. What are the different price ranges for different brands? Is it cheaper to buy their boards from the company site or from Amazon?
Completes or Prebuilts
Let’s look at complete (prebuilt) skateboards first. These are boards that come with everything included and are ready to go.
| Brand | Price Range on Company Site ($) | Price Range on Amazon ($) | Where Should You Buy? |
| Element | $95-$100 | $90-$120 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Alien Workshop | N/A | $85-$115 | Amazon |
| Girl | $100 | N/A | Company Site |
| Enjoi | $80-$105 | $90-$115 | Company Site |
| Santa Cruz | $105 | $85-$120 | Amazon |
| Almost | $80-$110 | $80-$90 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Zero | $100-$110 | $95-$110 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Plan B | $115 | $100-$140 | Amazon |
| Powell Peralta | $100 | $85-$100 | Amazon |
| Overall | $80-$115 | $80-$140 |
The price ranges for these popular skateboard brands are pretty similar across the board. Almost and Enjoi have the cheapest options for a quality complete deck. Plan B and Zero are the most expensive options, but not by a huge difference.
If you pay much less than $80 for a complete skateboard, then you are going to get bad quality. The board will be heavy and more brittle. This will cause the board to break much quicker than a quality board and will make it more difficult to ride. Don’t waste money on a Walmart complete board. It’s not worth the money.
There are of course many other skate brands that aren’t shown here. These include Powell, Creature, Krooked, Polar, Toy Machine, and more. The price ranges for these brands fall in line with the chart above. Powell boards can run a bit more expensive.
Decks
But what if you want to create your own custom board?
Well you should start with a deck. So let’s look at again at our chart, but his time for decks by brand and not complete skateboard.
| Brand | Price on Company Site ($) | Price on Amazon ($) | Where to Buy? |
| Element | $55-$60 | $55-$65 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Alien Workshop | $52-$57 | $60-$65 | Company Site |
| Girl | $60-$65 | $60-$65 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Baker | $66-$69 | $50-$75 | Amazon |
| Enjoi | $50-$70 | $50-$70 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Santa Cruz | $50-$80 | $57-$75 | Company Site |
| Almost | $50-$60 | $55-$65 | Company Site |
| Zero | $60-$100 | $60-$80 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Plan B | $60-$67 | $60-$65 | Doesn’t Matter |
| Overall | $50-$100 | $50-$80 |
Again, Enjoi and Almost are the cheapest options with Santa Cruz joining them. You will also need griptape, trucks, bearings, and wheels to make a complete skateboard. The tools required will be a 13mm wrench or socket wrench and Allen wrench.
What are the total costs then if you factor in these other items?
| Part | Price Range ($) |
| Deck | $50-$80 |
| Bearings | $8-$15 |
| Wheels | $15-$40 |
| Trucks | $25-$55 |
| Griptape | $7-$15 |
| Total | $105-$205 |
You can see that building your own skateboard is more expensive than buying a complete. This is generally true.
However, there is a special joy in truly making your own custom and unique skateboard. You can rest assured that your skateboard will be one of a kind at the skatepark and is your own creation. Plus, the items that you choose can make a custom board very affordable or as expensive as you want. It can fit your budget if you plan correctly.
That being said, my suggestion is to start with a complete board and then if you really get more into skateboarding then build your own custom board.
Where Should I Buy My Skateboard?
I wanted to put this section in here to expand on where to buy your skateboard.
My personal opinion is that if there isn’t a significant difference in price, you should buy your skateboards directly from the company websites or from your local skate shop. Board and Wheels can’t check the prices of your local skateshop, but supporting local businesses is always a cool thing to do.
Amazon doesn’t need your business like the individual companies and small skate shops do. If you do save money by ordering from Amazon, then I can’t fault you. I do the same thing, but try and be conscious when you do order from Amazon.
If you can get the same item at the same price from a local shop or directly from the company, then your dollars will go more towards the folks who deserve them
Why Are Skateboards So Expensive?
Relative to other sports, skateboards aren’t that expensive. Considering everything that you get for a measly $70-$120, a skateboard is a great deal.
Skateboards are expensive because of materials and manufacturing costs. As a general rule, skateboards are made from 7-ply maple, aluminum or steel trucks and bearings, polyurethane wheels, and griptape. These materials and the precise manufacturing required all contribute to a skateboard’s price.
So really, this isn’t so bad all things considered. If you compare the entry price of skateboarding to other sports then it really is quite low. Especially considering that skateboarding is only entry costs. At most you might have to pay a cheap private park fee, but you can just as well street skate for free.
The only cost that might add up is shoes. If you are often performing tricks, then shoes will start adding up in cost.
If you want to know about when the best time to go to the skatepark is then you can check out our guide here.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the price of a skateboard will generally cost you between $80-$120 for a complete or pre-built board. If you want to build your own custom board, expect to pay between $105-$205.
Skateboards can be a little expensive, but some quality brands are cheaper than others. The cheapest of quality brands include Almost, Enjoi, and Santa Cruz skateboards. Although we couldn’t possibly look at every skate brand.
Skating can seem expensive at first, but it’s really not! Considering what you are getting for the price, buying a skateboard isn’t something you should shy away from. I love skateboarding and can tell you it is well worth the price 🙂
Plus you can always convert your old skateboards into cruiser boards.
Anyway, keep on the look out for more articles from Board and Wheels. See you soon.
