Riding arenas come in a variety of designs. There are riding arenas used for commercial use and arenas that are used for private use.
Arenas can also be located inside or outdoors as well as a part between the two meaning part of the arena is outside and the other part is inside.
Riding arenas help horses and the rider train, compete or stay out of extreme weather to bond.
Riding arenas can be made in several different ways such as steel engineered, timber, wood, or sheet metal panels. The roofs are usually designed to have panels, corrugated steel, or wood.
The design of the riding arena will also depend on what location in the United States you are in.
If you are located in an area that is in the middle of the United States that experiences a lot of storms, you are going to want to build a high-quality steel arena to prevent damage during storms.
The most popular riding arenas are made with steel or timber.
When thinking about building a riding arena, it will be important to think about how many horses need to be accommodated in the arena at a given time.
Riding arenas vary in size with the average riding area being 130 ft x 70ft. Again, the cost of the arena is going to depend on how large the arena is going to be.
The Bigger the Arena, The Higher the Cost
The cost is going to vary depending on what part of the country you are in.
The cost to build an arena in the South is much cheaper ranging from $88,000 to $101,600 whereas, in the Northeast, the average cost to build a riding arena ranges from $150,000 to $500,000.
A smaller design riding arena with a square footage of about 8,700 sq ft will run on the lower end of the spectrum and can accommodate about one horse.
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Larger professional arenas that can be used for professional jumping with a size of 20,000 sq ft can run on the higher end of the spectrum.
If you have a private farm with only one horse and would like to build a small arena on your personal property, the very low end of the cost range is $40,000.
The price per square foot is going to vary depending on what type of material you are planning to use for the arena.
If you are using wood to build your arena, the average cost per square foot ranges from $20-$50.
If you live in an area where there are a lot of storms and you need extra sturdiness to the arena, steel is your best option at $5 – $30 per square foot.
Now some exterior arenas are just made from wood or even fabric or plastic surrounding an enclosure.
If this is your option, you can expect to spend anywhere from $5-$15 per square foot. Now, these costs per square foot are only including the material.
The cost of labor will again depend on your location. The hourly rate for a contractor can range from $35 to $85 per hour.
You can also average the labor to be around 10%-20% of the total construction cost. It is recommended to budget on the higher end due to the building market.
