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An equestrian arena interior, built by MSB Group.
An indoor riding arena is a clear-span building, usually 20 x 40 m or 20 x 60 m for dressage, and it normally needs planning permission. Trade sources put a basic 20 x 40 m arena at £150,000 or more once surface and groundworks are included.
Size is where most arena projects go wrong, and it is the one decision that cannot be revisited later. Everything else - surface, lighting, ventilation, kickboards - can be changed after handover. The span cannot.
Dressage arenas are 20 by 40 metres for the lower levels and 20 by 60 metres for the higher ones, according to a UK equestrian magazine. Contractors say much the same: dressage areas of 40 by 20 or 60 by 20 metres, and jumping areas often wider. One UK trade guide puts the minimum for jumping at 30 by 60 metres. These come from secondary sources rather than the governing bodies, so check the current rulebook for the discipline you will compete in before fixing the footprint.
Add space for a kickboard, a viewing area if you want one, and any plant or tack room, all of which add to the building beyond the arena itself.
The two common sizes give 800 m² and 1,200 m² of floor before any extras. One timber portal frame contractor quotes about £175 per m² for engineering, manufacture and installation of its frame alone. Applied to those areas, that is about £140,000 for the smaller arena and £210,000 for the larger. This is our arithmetic on one supplier's rate for a timber frame, so it is a guide to scale only. A steel frame is priced differently and the surface, groundworks, lighting and drainage come on top. Our steel frame building cost guide explains how frame prices are built up.
Arenas are normally built as clear-span portal frames, because columns inside the riding area are a hazard. A 20 metre wide arena is well within the range of a standard portal frame, as the Steel Construction Institute gives typical spans of 15 to 50 metres. See our portal frame explainer for how frames work. UK sources we found do not give a standard eaves height, so ask the designer and the people who will ride in it.
Contractors describe sloped kickboards along the walls, on a continuous concrete plinth, to protect riders' knees and legs. Boards may be hardwood, curved timber or plastic.
The base is built up in layers: a geotextile membrane over the ground, crushed stone on top, rolled level, with drainage around the perimeter. One UK supplier's laying instructions give a minimum of 125 mm of compacted sand, with fibre mixed in. Depths and materials depend on the ground and the use, so take the specification from the surface supplier. Keeping the surface slightly damp and harrowing it regularly helps control dust.
20 x 40 m
the smaller common dressage arena; 20 x 60 m for higher levels (UK equestrian press)
£150,000
lowest cost trade sources give for a basic 20 x 40 m indoor arena (not an official figure)
Daylight and ventilation are design choices. One US builder advises against skylights because of leaks and dirt, and prefers translucent panels just under the eaves. The South Downs National Park Authority's guidance warns that indoor schools with excessive rooflights are likely to be refused. Contractors also use clear sheets under the eaves and gables, with open space above the kickboards, for ventilation. An insulated roof panel can reduce condensation and summer heat, and helps with the sound of rain on a steel roof, though we have no measured figure to quote. See our guide to insulated roof panels.
Planning authorities generally expect an application for an indoor arena. The South Downs National Park Authority's equestrian guidance, from July 2023, lists indoor and outdoor arenas among the developments likely to need permission, and says that whether permission is needed also depends on the lawful use of the land, agricultural or equestrian. Commercial livery yards and riding schools need permission. Conditions may restrict use to personal use, control external lighting, and require drainage and land management plans. That is a national park document, so other councils may differ. Talk to your local planning authority first. The agricultural permitted development rights in our planning guide are for agricultural use, so do not assume they cover an arena.
There is no official cost guide. A UK retailer's blog, updated in January 2026, says a basic 20 by 40 metre indoor arena rarely comes in under £150,000, and a horse forum poster in November 2024 reported not much change from £150,000. On the frame rate above, the frame for a 20 by 40 metre arena would be about £140,000, so the two sources point to a similar order of cost, but the surface, groundworks, lighting and drainage come on top and steel and timber frames are priced differently. Ask each contractor to price the frame, groundworks and surface separately so the quotes compare. Our groundworks guide explains that package.
Both are used. Timber portal frames are common in the equestrian market and some contractors specialise in them, as the £175 per m² frame rate above shows. A steel portal frame is the standard solution across agricultural and commercial buildings, it can be fabricated to the span and bay length the arena needs, and it can be clad in the same sheets as any other farm building. The fair comparison is on a like-for-like quote: the same clear span, the same eaves height, the same cladding and the same groundworks. Ask for the frame as a separate line and compare the whole package, not the frame alone, since the base and the surface cost the same whichever frame sits on them.
Three practical points usually come up in planning conditions and in use. External lighting is often controlled, so plan any floodlights with the council in mind. Drainage matters twice, once around the base so the surface does not hold water and once for roof water leaving the building, and the South Downs guidance lists drainage plans among typical conditions. And use is frequently restricted to personal use unless a commercial permission is granted. Decide at the start whether the arena will ever be used for lessons or hire, because that changes both the application and the building.
List the costs in the order they will fall. First, planning and design fees. Second, groundworks: site clearance, levelling, drainage, the concrete plinth for the kickboards and the stone base. Third, the frame and its erection. Fourth, cladding, doors and any roof lights or clear sheets. Fifth, the surface, with the depth and fibre mix from the supplier. Sixth, kickboards, lighting and electrics. Compare that list against the trade figure of £150,000 or more for a basic 20 x 40 metre arena and you will see why the frame is only part of the total: on the supplier rate above, the frame alone is about £140,000 for the same floor area, so a project that includes every line can land above the trade figures. Treat any single number as a starting point for a conversation with a contractor, and ask for a written breakdown against your own site and brief.
The case for an indoor arena is use in all weather and light conditions, a surface that stays consistent, and a building that can sit on the yard with horses close by. The case against is cost and the planning route, which is why many owners start with a conversation about size and use before any drawings. With about 90 UK searches a month for the term, this is a niche decision and most buyers reach it through a contractor or an equestrian supplier, so asking two or three builders for a written breakdown is the quickest way to a realistic number.
A clear-span steel frame is the same kind of building we put up for agricultural and commercial clients. See our agriculture and equine page or our steel framed buildings service, or talk to us through our contact page about your site. For the wider picture of farm and equine sheds, read our farm buildings guide.
Trade sources suggest a basic 20 x 40 metre arena starts at around £150,000 or more, and the total depends on the frame, groundworks and surface. We have no official figure.
Typically 20 x 40 or 20 x 60 metres for dressage, with jumping arenas wider. Check the rules of your discipline.
Almost always. Councils treat indoor arenas as development, and the use of the land and any commercial use affect the answer.
Sand with fibre over a stone base is common. The depth and mix should come from the surface supplier and suit the horses and the use.
Yes. A portal frame gives the clear span a riding area needs, and the frame is sized for the arena and the site.
Related service
Clear-span steel framed buildings for agricultural, equine and commercial use.
