How Much Does It Cost to Build a Go Kart Track at Home?

It cost around $70,000 – $80,000 to build a Go Kart race track at home, depending on property values in your area.

This amount could be less if you already own the land, or more if you factor in the cost of the go karts themselves. If you enjoy the thrill of racing a go-kart or you have kids that are too young or fragile to begin driving on the streets, then the ideal solution is to build a go-kart track in your backyard.

By doing so, you can bring to them the unmatchable thrill of go karting straight to your backyard. In recent times, the unquenchable passion and zeal among go-kart fanatics have driven them towards building a go-kart track in their backyard.

The best aspect is that you can do it all by yourself. All you need is proper planning, ample land space, and some money too for accomplishing the task with flying colors.

The first thing you will need is some space to work with, and it is important that you understand the dynamics of racing before you get started. Take your time to consider all the forethought that goes into building roads and setting speed limits to ensure that cars taking corners don’t go careening off the roadway because turns are too sharp or grades are too steep.

Note that the same amount of planning has to go into creating your track if you want your backyard racing arena to be safe for your family and friends to drive on. Moreover, you might want to consult some kind of track-building expert to ensure that you have enough land available to build an appropriate track for your go-karts.

Believe it or not, there are indeed well versed professionals and companies that specialize in exactly this type of planning and construction, although often on a commercial scale. Aside from helping you maximize your space, they can also help you plan out the track configuration that works best for your backyard.

At that point, you will want to contract a variety of services. The best plan may be to hire a contractor (your planning specialist should be able to recommend a good vendor). You won’t have to bother about getting bids for demolishing your current backyard, grading and stabilizing as needed, laying the concrete for your track, and installing any barriers or other supplies required to complete your go-kart track.

Hiring professionals will give you the best opportunity to create a go-kart track that is safe and sound. Have it in mind that if you mess up, you can still hire a remediation specialist to tear up and repair your concrete, so it is probably best to do it right the first time.

Most people don’t have the space or the money available to invest in a backyard go-kart track, but if you have both and you want to realize your lifelong dream of racing go-karts at any time of day or night, there’s no reason not to put together a team of pros to create a miniature replica of your favorite raceway on your property.

Factors That Influence the Cost of Building a Go Kart Track at Home

According to industry reports, $100 per square yard for an initial estimate is ideal when looking to build your own go kart track. Although the estimate of cost once a detailed design is complete would yield a more accurate estimate if tendered by local contractors. There are so many factors that will influence the estimate and final cost. These factors include;

1. Location

Have it in mind there are various site and location factors that directly impact the cost of construction. The size and shape of the site, its topography, soil, geology, and climate are obvious physical factors that affect the cost of construction. Irregularly shaped sites will definitely require special consideration when designing or during construction.

Steep slopes as well as those with poor soil or unstable geology conditions will typically require more engineering and foundation work, as well as additional utility service connections for the structure. Both direct and indirect construction costs are also affected by location.

Also note that an identical track constructed in different regions (or different countries) will have different costs due to variations in the costs of labor, material, and services in each locality. For example, the cost of materials for a dense urban area may be higher due to traffic and site storage limitations.

2. Track Size and Shape

Notably, with all things being equal, the larger the track’s size, the more it will cost to construct. However, economies of scale can reduce costs for bigger projects, resulting in a lower unit cost. Unit cost is also reduced when there is repetition.

Note that a track’s size is determined by estimating the net square feet required to satisfy predetermined requirements and criteria.

In addition, the ratio of net square feet to the gross square feet needed to enclose them is a design decision that can impact the overall construction cost. Low-rise tracks utilize different types of concept and construction and mechanical systems than high-rise tracks, which in turn impact the overall costs in different ways.

3. Access to Construction Site for Heavy Equipment

Once a Go Kart Track design gets finalized, and construction is ready to begin, the first major phase will be digging or excavation of the top soil. Excavation requires machines like a front-end loader or a track hoe that can dig into the earth and move large amounts of soil.

Also, the smartest excavation strategy involves having a sizeable dump truck near the track site to receive the displaced backyard dirt and then haul it away.

Have it in mind that big equipment like excavators and dump trucks need space to enter the backyard. By far, the most commonly used entry point for vehicles is a side yard. In some regions of the U.S., in some neighborhoods, the choice is an alley. Occasionally, easy access to the property is available via an empty adjacent lot.

4. Utility Lines

Note that some backyards have underground utility lines. They vary by region and neighborhood, and they can include water, gas, electric, sewage, septic, cable, and phone.

Therefore, before your track construction plans are finalized, try to locate underground utilities that could pose problems. Professionals tend to leverage specialty utility-identification companies and they also maintain records from various utility companies showing locations of lines.

Even with data from these experts, now and then, professionals still come into contact with an unmarked line. Unmapped utility lines are a reality, especially in older neighborhoods with spotty historical records from utility companies.

When utility lines are identified ahead of excavation, you might see that one lies in the path of the planned track. At that point, you will need to seek other options.

Most times, a utility line can be moved for a reasonable cost. Or, a better solution may be a minor repositioning of the track’s location within the immediately planned site. A repositioning may have zero or minimal cost impact. Therefore, the track’s entire location within a yard may need to change.

5. Soil

Note that certain types of soil can make track construction more difficult. Soil that has a tendency to shift requires special attention. Expansive soil and collapsible soil are at the top of the watch list. Expansive soil, such as clay, easily traps moisture.

Like a sponge, it gets larger as it takes on water and contracts when it dries out. Most soils are subject to these dynamics to some degree. However, some forms are particularly expansive. Because this soil expands and contracts more dramatically, the track structure will need to accommodate the shifts.

When professionals recognize the soil as collapsible, they tend to take preventative measures. One way is to reinforce the track as they excavate it. This precautionary step may slightly affect excavation costs. However, it can save money by preventing a cave-in—a total collapse of the track.

6. Rock

Rock is never welcome during go kart track construction, but occasionally it is present. In a few regions of the U.S., rock is somewhat common and pool builders know to prepare for it. When excavation equipment encounters rocks in the ground—especially when it comes as a surprise— the track budget gets hit, too.

In some backyards, the problem may be limited to a few individual stones that the excavator machine can carefully remove. It is normal for a track to be around 1,000 feet long, which relates to about an acre, or 45,000 square feet of land.

However, for your backyard go kart track, the factors mentioned above will surely influence cost and time, but expect it to cost around $70,000-$80,000, depending on property values in your area. This amount could be less if you already own the land, or more if you factor in the cost of the go karts themselves.

Steps on How to Actually Build a Go Kart Track at Home

When you build your go-kart track in the backyard, you save a lot of your time and money as there is no need to travel hundreds of miles to reach out to racetracks, paying hefty fees and of course super-expensive hotel stays. If go karting is your passion, then give it the right direction by practicing regularly at your convenience. Here are the steps to build a go-kart track in your backyard.

1. Analyze Your Requirements

The first part is to make a justifiable assessment of your requirements. Note that the size of the track would depend upon the space available in your backyard. However, the track should be 1,000 feet long and for that, you would need land of 45,000 square feet in your backyard. If you want to make a track for your kids then it would require relatively less space.

2. Preparation Of The Land

Note that the next step is to mark out the range where you want the track to lead. To do this, you would need a marking string and plywood posts. You will have to dig within the lines that have been set out by the string to a depth of up to six inches.

At this point, you need to conceal one inch of the ground with the help of sand and then pour the concrete on top of it. Leave the area until it gets hardened.

3. Lining of Route

With the help of high-quality protective material, you will be expected to line the route. To do this, you can lay the steel rails nearby the side of the track and then place old truck tires over the placed rails. The tires are considered to be strong and reliable protectors against accidents and spills on the track.

Furthermore, to ensure optimum safety, you should place extra tires at each turn as these are the areas where there are maximum chances of spills taking place. Lay the cut-down sheets of plywood on the bottom side of the rails. This would help in preventing the karts from getting stuck in the gaps among the tires and the track.

4. Marking of Route

Once you are done with the lining of the route, add a layer of tar to the concrete, and leave this for a day till it gets completely dry. Have it in mind that you have to paint the road markings as it would help the driver to steer around the corners.

It would also let the two drivers to go side-by-side without the fear of accidents. You can even paint the markings on the plywood pieces or the tires.

5. Creation of Viewing Points

Since you are eager for a proper go-karting set-up, then it is imperative to give your backyard a realistic touch by investing in good quality and portable seating arrangements. For instance, when folks are not driving the karts, they would love to watch other people on the track.

To do this, encourage the riders by placing viewing posts around the area of the go-kart track. This would allow the riders to watch the karts racing through standing by the rails.