Self build arena advice stone?

[Poppingspine]

Hi. I am in the process of building a 25x45m arena. My dad is a digger driver so doing all the work ourselves but I have been getting a few quotes for materials and some seem excessive.
I have been told I need around 200 tonne of clean stone. This seems a bit much? The quotes I’m getting for stone alone are 9-12k!! I know guys that paid around 4K for stone and the arena never floods, but this was 3 years ago. Surely it didn’t increase that much in 3 years? Can anyone advise me?? TIA

 

[littleshetland]

My previous yard had a 40x 20 arena, the yard owner reckoned it had 1000 tonnes of clean stone under it. We just built one last year - another 40 x 20 that's got at least 700 tonnes under it. It's fantastic tho and drains really well - never floods. As I remember, the clean stone was the greatest cost involved in building it. We took advice from a very well trusted local arena builder whose advice matched our own research. It does sound to me like you're going to need some more stone. It seems everything gone up in price since Covid/Brexit......wish I could be more positive for you. Depending what part of the country you're in, are there any local quarry's to you?

 

[PurBee]

I get clean drain stone - any size from 1 inch up to 5 inch stone from a local quarry delivered 14 tonnes at a time for around 250 euro. I’d get a larger load delivered if access was better…wider…roomier etc. So 200 tonnes would cost me €3570 delivered.
Actually the guy who delivers it is a local chap with large truck who’s dealt with the quarry for years, so im paying a bit more for his time/fuel than i would direct from the quarry, but as i said, access is tricky and local man has perfect sized truck and the balls to navigate my steep track!

Your quotes for the stone - are they from an actual quarry or ‘middle man’?

Google ‘stone quarry’ in your area and ring round for quotes.
£9-12k - phoar! Someone’s taking the pee quoting that!

 

[PurBee]

As an aside -if youre building a ‘stone base’ for drainage - you could start by using 150 tonnes of whats called here ‘slig’ - which is really ‘shale’ from mountain sides quarry. It’s not as dense as stone - and you can request huge lumps or small shale pieces - normally youll receive a mix of size - but its a material i use as a base, that i them track over with a digger to compress it - and this material knits together and creates a perfect solid base, onto which you can then put your drainage layer of stone, then fabric etc.

Clean stone is very ’moveable’ if you were to be having a thick layer of that over subsoil.
The clean stone could be 10 inches ontop of the slig base - and rain water would run through the stone and out between the 2 layers. Although slig does drain to a certain extent too, just not as rapidly as clean stone.

Slig/Shale is like stone that crushes together when a many tonne digger drives over it, so it creates a really solid base with some gaps, without having to go to the hassle and expense of pouring a 12inch thick concrete base.

Slig/Shale costs around 100 euro for 14 tonnes here.

Ask your dad if he’s heard of it. Used it.
If you could find a local slig/shale quarry, it could reduce the cost of your project. Just thought i’d mention slig in case you hadnt considered it.

Im also in the process of digger on hire and slig loads being delivered…having a break from the sun!
I use slig for paths/horse tracks/gate entrances etc….its a really great cheap material that does the job of providing a ‘solid base’ for many projects. Having a digger on hand means the weight of the machine can really compress the material solid so it never ‘shifts’.

 

[WelshD]

The price of aggregates is going up almost monthly at the moment and haulage costs are increasing dramatically too with drivers in short supplies. Aggregate yards may be reluctant to supply loose loads if it leaves them short on deliveries coming in to them so may charge accordingly - so yes prices will have increased

As for the amount needed there are aggregate calculators online. You could always order say 160t then once that's down see if the rest if needed as loads will be 20 or 30t - obviously there will be a delay if you need more but if you aren't in a hurry with machines on hire etc it may be worth it

 

[kathantoinette]

OP - what area are you in? And how far are you from your local supplier. Haulage is a bit crazy at the moment. My OH builds arenas and I will check on the quantity quoted to you with him tomorrow (I'm away tonight).

 

[RachaelJC]

Costs for aggregates, like everything else construction related, have sky rocketed - it could have easily gone up that much in 12 months! In addition to this, haulage costs have gone up.