How much does an arena cost?

[dibbin]

Hi all

Went to see a house today with OH (eek), it has stables and plenty of grazing but no arena. I'd like to get one put in in the next couple of years so am just wondering about rough costs. OH and his best friend are willing and able to do the ground work in exchange for food.

Has anyone built one recently that could give me a rough estimate?

Thanks.

 

[Tern]

Hi all

Went to see a house today with OH (eek), it has stables and plenty of grazing but no arena. I'd like to get one put in in the next couple of years so am just wondering about rough costs. OH and his best friend are willing and able to do the ground work in exchange for food.

Has anyone built one recently that could give me a rough estimate?

Thanks.

15k-20k if doing yourself
20k + if hiring someone else

Depending on where you could be moving to, Planning Permission could be a whole new problem!

 

[FfionWinnie]

Remember that the ground works are the most important part to get right as well.

 

[dibbin]

Remember that the ground works are the most important part to get right as well.

Yup I spent years at a yard with an arena that flooded with the slightest rain because they'd skimped on the drainage. OH's friend is an environmental engineer (water/drainage a speciality) so he knows what he's doing.

 

[Jericho]

We just paid £26k for rubber sand 20x40 manège plus £340 planning fee plus 2k of road planing tracks (about 50m), £500 for grader, £200 for netting round manege to keep out rabbits, £3k for quad bike to pull grader, £200 for grass seed to reseed area where all the spoil went.

 

[dibbin]

This is all really helpful, thanks. We're basically trying to decide how much we can afford to offer given that we'll want to build an arena in the next year or so.

 

[Pen]

A lot depends on the site and soil type etc. not to mention what surface you go for. We saved a bit by OH doing the fencing when we did ours about 6 years ago. We used Andrew Hunter who is based in Ayrshire and I think the total cost then was around £15,000. We did have belt and braces drainage and the arena has never flooded even in heavy rain and we are on heavy clay.

 

[CBAnglo]

We just paid £26k for rubber sand 20x40 manège plus £340 planning fee plus 2k of road planing tracks (about 50m), £500 for grader, £200 for netting round manege to keep out rabbits, £3k for quad bike to pull grader, £200 for grass seed to reseed area where all the spoil went.

Please could you post links for netting, quad and grader as I need to look into all of these. thank you and sorry to hijack post.

 

[meesha]

Did mine for under 10k, land was already fairly level but had local drainage guys in to put in drains,membranes x 2, stone etc then had cushionride topping, posts and retaining boards but thick brown electric tape, always dry, rides well, needed top up after 5 years, pictures in my album.

 

[Spottyappy]

Hijacking too, as about to put planning Jon.
My neighbour will do the ground works as he is a civil engineer, but has already said the stone for the base and drainage alone is £4000 plus vat never mind him digging it out, and so on. But, he has done them before and emphasised how vital it is to get the base and ground work right.mthe menage will also go on the wettest area of my field so drainage being correct is vital.
I am probably going to buy the kit from Mcveigh parker as it seems very good value:

http://www.mcveighparker.com/content/riding-arena-kit-40m-x-20m
I haven't decided on a surface yet, does anyone know if you need to state the type of surface on your planning application or not?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I haven't decided on a surface yet, does anyone know if you need to state the type of surface on your planning application or not?

IME yes. CB dealt with our PP as part of our arena build package, and specifically mentioned the colour of the sand and rubber surface in the application. It was approved with no probs.

 

[CBAnglo]

IME yes. CB dealt with our PP as part of our arena build package, and specifically mentioned the colour of the sand and rubber surface in the application. It was approved with no probs.

A few people I know had issues with rubber depending on where the land drains; they ended up having to use wood/fibre.

 

[madmav]

Yard I'm on, the very nicely surfaced arena cost £25,000 about 10 years ago.

 

[catembi]

No post on arenas would be complete without a link to my dedicated website showing what happens when an arena is put in badly... www.cheapmanege.weeblycom.

Take a minute to look at the pictures & please, please don't make the same mistakes!

T x

 

[PeterNatt]

Get it built by a professional organisation with a good reputation. Arenas built by people with little experience normally fail and have to be re-built or abandoned.

 

[Spottyappy]

Catembi, I can't your link to work.
Think I need to get quotes for the surface then, for planning!
Thanks.

 

[catembi]

Sorry - my mistake - missed out a 'dot'... Should have put www.cheapmanege.weebly.com

T x

 

[Geoffcooke]

£26k was that including vat?

 

[Geoffcooke]

Your website doesn't work either

 

[Spottyappy]

Catembi, thanks link now works.
Do you kniwmhowmyou membrane Is sealed? Heat? I've never seen mention of sealing it, and as we are diying it, it's obviously something we need to do.

 

[Highlands]

Really want one too, trying by Daddy it will add 100 k to the house...

 

[Tiddlypom]

Catembi, thanks link now works.
Do you kniwmhowmyou membrane Is sealed? Heat? I've never seen mention of sealing it, and as we are diying it, it's obviously something we need to do.

I posted these pics in an earlier thread started by Catembi, hope this cut and paste works (I'm not very tech savvy).

'In case anyone is interested, here are some photos showing the CB guys heat sealing the top membrane layer in my arena build.

Apparently not all membranes are suitable for heat welding, some have to be glued instead.'

 

[Polos Mum]

Really want one too, trying by Daddy it will add 100 k to the house...

Be careful he doesn't do any research - most estate agents will tell you it devalues the house because they take quite a lot to dig up and remove! I nearly cried at the thought but if you're only selling to horsey people you have a narrow market and they're a waste of space to the non horsey. I had one agent look at mine (when selling) and say 'oh well I suppose you could turn it into a tennis court!'

 

[Spottyappy]

Thanks tiddlypom. I really like the way your retaining boards are done out too.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks tiddlypom. I really like the way your retaining boards are done out too.

Thanks. Do you mean the way the boards are angled outwards? This is the CB 'leaning fence' extra cost option. The first arena I viewed was done this way and I thought it was a brilliant idea. There are 4 kick boards, instead of the 2 in the standard upright fence, and they slope away from the arena surface. This means that, when riding, you are much less likely to scrape your knees along the arena fence .

 

[Cheshire Chestnut]

Be careful he doesn't do any research - most estate agents will tell you it devalues the house because they take quite a lot to dig up and remove! I nearly cried at the thought but if you're only selling to horsey people you have a narrow market and they're a waste of space to the non horsey. I had one agent look at mine (when selling) and say 'oh well I suppose you could turn it into a tennis court!'

There's one near my parent's house at a gorgeous house - must be at least 20x60 and it's just been left by the current (non horsey) owners. Has massive thistles and weeds sprouting out everywhere - they just use it as a 'dog toilet' apparently arrrghhhh no!! Give it to me!!!

 

[Highlands]

Be careful he doesn't do any research - most estate agents will tell you it devalues the house because they take quite a lot to dig up and remove! I nearly cried at the thought but if you're only selling to horsey people you have a narrow market and they're a waste of space to the non horsey. I had one agent look at mine (when selling) and say 'oh well I suppose you could turn it into a tennis court!'

I will make sure he doesn't but my property wont be sold plus fields, stables (14 acres) too much land for normal people ...

 

[Highlands]

There's one near my parent's house at a gorgeous house - must be at least 20x60 and it's just been left by the current (non horsey) owners. Has massive thistles and weeds sprouting out everywhere - they just use it as a 'dog toilet' apparently arrrghhhh no!! Give it to me!!!

Like our neighbours gallops ...

 

[WindyStacks]

Sorry - my mistake - missed out a 'dot'... Should have put www.cheapmanege.weebly.com

OK, just to put a couple of things straight about your "mistakes":-

1) The company will only be registered at Companies House if it has been incorporated (e.g., Limited) - many people operate on a self-employed basis. As self-employed you can be VAT-registered, employ staff and do all the things a Ltd. company can - and you've probably got a whole host of insurances too... FYI Kelly Hoppen is (or at least was until very recently) operating as self-employed - she's hardly a cowboy.

2) A registered address is not a sure fire way of detecting "trouble". I use an official business address which hosts probably hundreds of other businesses too. I work mostly from home and as it's a legal requirement (with many types of businesses) to have your address published - well, would you put your home address out there online deliberately?

 

[snowstormII]

Sorry, I may not have read really thoroughly. What does CB stand for, as in 'CB leaning fence option'?