Arena Cost

Eventer2017

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Hi. What is the cost to build an arena from scratch (20x40 approx.) & how much does it cost per year to maintain it? Would appreciate your thoughts :)
 
Depends on the surface you want but I'd say circa £25K to build. You can pay a lot more say if you wanted a wax surface. Upkeep should be minimal once you have bought the equipment to level it.
 
I'd allow for anywhere between 25 and 30k. Mine was in between and you can pay a bit more if you go for a higher grade surface - mine is shredded rubber.
 
Yes - I got an all incl price. They did some more work for me too (laying down a base for my stables) so can't remember the exact split but I wouldn't expect to get much change from 30k unless you diy some of it or get someone local who might be cheaper (I preferred the security of someone who did this work day in day out).
 
We have just built a 20m x 40m arena (DIY).
It cost us at least 16k (materials, haulage and machine hire) its not fenced which reduced the cost.
I'm delighted with it but would never do it again - bigger, more stressful, and more expensive job than I anticipated, with hindsight I would get a company in to do it.
 
20k for our diy one. 10k for the groundwork (man and digger for 2 weeks) it was a big cut and fill job due to the slope of our field. 10k for materials including stone, surface, membrane and fibre. Would have cost 30-40k if we had a contractor in.

Fencing this year is costing an additional 1k to finish the bits we didn't get done.
 
We are in the process of building our harstanding/small arena.
It is around 30m x 16m.

We are very lucky and had a good base of hardcore already on the area we have put it so £0 cost for base.
Didn't put down membrane as it wasn't recommended because we had such good draining hardcore.
We have been around £1k for wood for the fence.
And I've just spent 1.5k on wood fibre area surface which is 8 inches deep all round.

So around 2.5k for our mini arena. Everything has been done by hand ... The digging. Spreading. Moving.. But it'll be worth it in the winter!!!
 
Sorry to butt in here but can I ask you Lintel who you got your wood fibre from?

I got it from AW JENKINSON they have been brilliant - more than helpful with a few hiccups that popped up and the surface looks lovely although will need a good roll!
 
Right, thanks for that Lintel. Glad it has worked out well for you. You will definitely be glad you did it.:)
 
Right, thanks for that Lintel. Glad it has worked out well for you. You will definitely be glad you did it.:)

Defintley can't wait till we have properly spread out and rolled it... It did start off as hard standing into but has expanded into a mini arena hopefully I use it more than I did at my last DIY yard!
 
Our 30x40 fibresand and rubber cost £33k last year, not including haulage of stone and sand as we did ourselves. Then have had to add rabbit proofing to fence this year for about £500. (They were trashing it!!) Well worth every single penny. Our site sloped about 1m so a significant part of the cost was stone base levelling.
 
Has anyone built an arena on top of the soil? odd i know but we are on exceptionally well drained sandy soil that had been graded and levelled as all our paddocks are, so i wondered if we could just put a porous membrane down and then the surface on top?
 
Has anyone built an arena on top of the soil? odd i know but we are on exceptionally well drained sandy soil that had been graded and levelled as all our paddocks are, so i wondered if we could just put a porous membrane down and then the surface on top?

Carpet Gallop advertise that you can do that (without the membrane, which is just there to stop sand seeping into the stone base in conventional construction) with their recycled material - I asked for if/when I move and they recommended 4" - 6" depth plus kick boards. https://www.carpetgallop.co.uk/
The company has been formed from Empire Trading recycling who sold me the carpet fibre I have in my school, with the same man heading it up. He was very helpful and his price was less than half what I was quoted elsewhere.
 
And I've just spent 1.5k on wood fibre area surface which is 8 inches deep all round.

Sorry, I know you have already bought it, but having been there, done it I would never ever use wood fibre outdoors again. Wood + rain = rot, and mine rotted within about four years, as did that of a man who had his done at about the same time. You will end up getting rid, and paying more in the end to replace it.
 
Sorry, I know you have already bought it, but having been there, done it I would never ever use wood fibre outdoors again. Wood + rain = rot, and mine rotted within about four years, as did that of a man who had his done at about the same time. You will end up getting rid, and paying more in the end to replace it.

Aaaahh no don't tell me!
No worries I did a good bit of research and due to the location of the house(terrible access- couldn't even get a 7.5t round) wood fibre was the best option being delivered by skip. There's a yard not too far from us has the wood fibre down and it's still going strong 10 years on so fingers crossed :)
 
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