So you are in the market for an arena. A common question is “how much is an arena?”
Well, our answer is always “that depends”… You see there is the infamous $7,500 dollar complete arena out of Texas, clear up to the double world champion double XYZ NFR Priefert Arena.
The real question is, “what are you planning to do in the arena? Are you going to just ride yer pony in circles? are you a Cutter, Barrel Chaser, Bronc stomper, Bull Rider, Team Roper, Calf Roper or Dressage kind of cowboy/cowgirl?”
The reason is those are all different kinds of arenas. Yes, we would all love to have the $100,000 dollar do-all arena but is that what we need? We have built simply riding arenas, to fully custom arenas with custom lead-ups, custom bucking chutes and the like. In 30 years we have seen it all.
The advantage to working with a company that sees all types of customers is we get to build all kind of arenas for all kinds of uses from a simple riding arena to the full-blown fair and rodeo arena. That is what separates us from a lot of arena sellers. Ropers tend to sell arenas that are for ropers, cutters tend to build the arena to suit cutters and so on and so on. Nothing wrong with that, but we can have the other discussions also. Maybe it has a primary use say cutting but your daughter wants to pole bend in it, or you are building it for barrel racing, but your son wants to use it to practice bull riding and he wants the buggers to turn back quickly. We can help. We get to see all of it across the entire country.
So let’s get to it, in our experience the average arena for most people in a good quality runs about $10-15,000 dollars (this does not include dirt work and sand)
So how do we come up with that? Let’s say the average arena is 120 x 240 which equates to about 750ft of fence without a return alley and about 1000 ft. This size of arena will get most folks what they need. It’s large enough to rope in, small enough to practice cutting in, big enough to exercise in and big enough to barrel race in. Now I know I am going to get some folks that tell me its too short for team roping, too narrow for barrel racing and so on and so on…This may be true but if you are looking for an arena and your budget isn’t endless this arena works pretty good. Sure you can make it a little longer or a little wider it just cost a little more money.
How do we get that number??? Well the average 12’ panel of good quality will run you 109-160 dollars which equates to $9-$14/ft for the fence then you have some gates, overheads etc. ultimately you end up spending between $10-$16 per foot for the arena. The 120 x 240 arena with a return alley is about 1000 ft of fence when it is all done … so you can do the math, $10k to 16k for a good arena that will do most things relatively well. Additionally, if you build the arena solid in place and the installed price for this type of arena will run similar pricing. So it is similar math for installed solid steel fencing , Approximately $12- $15 dollars a foot, so with the same 1000 feet of fence, you end up with about the same pricing. Now if you want a bunch of back gates, bucking chutes or other amenities those simply cost additional dollars just like the amenities in your car.
The end result is that an arena that will serve most of your needs will run you about $10,000 to $15,000 dollars. Now the best part is you can cheapen it up and still do what you need to do , there are 3,4,5,6,7 rail arenas, there are 4’,5’,6’ tall arenas. There are all kinds of materials, portable panels, continuous fence panels, cable, sucker rod, solid rail etc… There are arenas with large catch pens with multiple pens for calves and steers and horses all the way to the simply oval riding arena to create a barrier for your horse.
There are arenas with elaborate striping chutes, automatic roping chutes etc. It is really about creating a solution that will suit your needs and how do we build you the best arena for the money to maximize your value. The best part about an arena is that you typically get more than your money back when you sell the property. Arenas built right simply hold their value! Maybe you want the arena portable because you plan on taking it with you ? That can be done also.
So why not call a company that is about solutions not just selling you the panel with their name engraved on it? Or why buy the billy bob signature arena that is the new hot thing. We are about providing you with an arena that serves your needs, if those needs change so can the arena. We only try and draw a line in the sand on a couple of things.
First of all the arena has to be animal and rider safe. That means quality products that wont collapse and create a trap. Secondly we want gates that work and always work, that latch securely and provide safety for you and your animals. Thirdly we want an arena that works for you and creates and environment that you can work on what you want to do. Lastly, we want you to know that the money you just spent is going to create the best arena we can provide for the money that is esthetically pleasing and Bison tough.
So call the folks that are about solutions not just sales! Build it Bison tough!
