DIY Marquees · Midland Marquees · UK Tents Premium · UK Tents Elite | 2×2 layout (12m × 24m, ~288m²) at Lymm Rugby Club | all prices inc VAT & delivery | updated 17 Jun 2026
One 6×12m unit each, drawn to spec. Thicker lines = larger-diameter poles. UK Tents Elite is the tallest and heaviest; Premium the lightest.
Diagrams are schematic, built from each supplier's published spec to show the relative amount of frame. Bay spacing is indicative, not an engineering drawing.
| Option | Stock for your dates | Delivery | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Marquees | Confirm Not confirmed — proforma says "subject to availability until payment received" | Free | Proforma, 08 Jun |
| Midland | In stock Confirmed by email | Free · 2–3 working days | Email 09 Jun |
| UK Tents Premium | In stock Four in stock, immediate delivery | Free · 1–3 days, same-day pickup | UK Tents quote + site |
| UK Tents Elite | In stock Four in stock, immediate delivery | Free · 1–3 days, same-day pickup | UK Tents quote + site |
Both UK Tents options and Midland are confirmed in stock. Only DIY is unconfirmed — ask them to guarantee availability for the 6 July delivery before paying.
| Factor | DIY Commercial | Midland Heavy-Duty | UK Tents Premium | UK Tents Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model / tier | Commercial 500gsm | Heavy-Duty 500gsm | Premium PVC 750 | Elite PVC 1400 |
| Price each (inc VAT) | £2,022 | £2,020 | £1,449.99 | £2,049.99 |
| Pole diameter | 38 / 42mm | ≤ 42mm | 38mm | 50mm |
| Pole wall thickness | 1.3mm | 1.3mm | 1.2mm | 1.35mm |
| Meets venue ~1.4mm steer? | Close (1.3) | Close (1.3) | Under (1.2) | Closest (1.35) |
| Connectors | Galv. fittings | Simplex (2 lengths) | 42mm bolted | 54mm bolted |
| Roof bracing | Eaves + roof braces | Eaves + roof braces | Triangle reinforcement | Roof reinforcement |
| Mid / intermediate purlin | Included | Included | — | — |
| Ground bars / frame | Included | Included | Bolted ground frame | Bolted ground frame |
| Gable uprights | Included | 2m end sections | Removable panels | Removable panels |
| Stands without side guys? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Side (eave) height | 2.05m | ~2.0m | 2.0m | 2.6m |
| Ridge / apex height | 3.1m | ~3.1m | 2.9m | 3.7m |
| Clearspan (no inner poles) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PVC weight | 500gsm | 500gsm | ~500gsm | ~550gsm |
| Cover tear strength | 1707N | rip-stop | 750N | 1400N |
| Fire certificate | BS5438 & BS7837 | BS5438 & BS7837 | Fire-resistant — get cert | Fire-resistant — get cert |
| Frame weight / unit | ~350 kg | n/s | 260 kg | 384 kg |
| Boxes / unit (handling) | n/s | n/s | 9 | 12 |
| Assembly | Simplex, easy | Simplex, easiest | ~2h / 4 people | ~2h / 4 people |
| Gutters | Free (multi-buy) | £108 / section | £600 for 4 (in quote) | £600 for 4 (in quote) |
| Anchoring in quote | Free tie-downs (14 stakes + 14 straps/unit) | Tie-downs ~£169 (~13 prs) | 64 × 60cm stakes + 2 storm kits | 64 × 60cm stakes + 2 storm kits |
| Storage bags | +£605 (optional) | not quoted | £939.96 (incl) | £1,259.96 (incl) |
| Warranty / spares | 12 mo + spares | 12 mo + spares | 10-yr parts | 10-yr parts |
| Stock | Confirm | In stock, 2–3 days | 4 in stock, immediate | 4 in stock, immediate |
| Delivery | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Discount | 10% (+ sponsor) | 5–10% | In quoted price | In quoted price |
Everything is included here — marquees, gutters, ground anchoring, storage and delivery — so the all-in total is a true like-for-like. The UK Tents quotes bundle far heavier anchoring than DIY/Midland (explained below). DIY storage is their own discounted carry-bag price; Midland's is estimated as they didn't quote it.
| Line | DIY Commercial | Midland | UK Tents Premium | UK Tents Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6×12m marquee | £8,088.00 | £8,080.00 | £5,799.96 | £8,199.96 |
| Connecting gutters | free | ~£216 | £600.00 | £600.00 |
| Ground anchoring | free tie-downs | ~£169 tie-downs | £1,219.94 64×60cm stakes + 2 storm kits | £1,219.94 64×60cm stakes + 2 storm kits |
| Storage | £604.80 carry bags, discounted | ~£600 est — not quoted | £939.96 | £1,259.96 |
| Delivery | free | free | free | free |
| Discount | −£808.80 (10%) | −£846.50 (10%) | −£1,379.95 | −£1,500.00 |
| All-in total inc VAT | £7,884.00 | £8,218.50 | £7,179.91 | £9,779.86 |
| Possible further savings (no guy ropes needed) ↓ | ||||
| Reduce spec / config (from the all-in total) | Buy 3 now, 4th in 2027: −£1,970 → ~£5,910 (216m²) | 2 × 6×24m: −£1,250 → ~£6,970 (same 288m²) or buy 3: −£2,055 → ~£6,160 | Already cheapest. Buy 3 now: −£1,795 → ~£5,385 (216m²) | Drop to Premium: −£2,600 → £7,180 or buy 3: −£2,445 → ~£7,335 |
| Across any option | Skip storage bags −£600 to £1,260 (use the DIY self-storage tip) · borrow / cheap festoon lighting −£300–475 · land the £2,500 sponsor · drop the UK Tents storm-grade anchoring to basics if not needed · or spread the cost via finance / 0% card (borrowing, not a saving). | |||
Three different things get lumped under "tie-downs", and the UK Tents quotes include far more of it than DIY or Midland — which is most of why their all-in totals look higher.
Ground stakes (pegs). The steel pins that fix each leg to the ground. UK Tents quote 64 × 60cm extra-strong steel stakes — 16 per marquee, enough to stake every leg, which is best practice on grass — at £254.99 per set of 16 (≈£16 each). Lymm's pitch is soft ground, so the 60cm soft-ground stakes are the right type. DIY include a free tie-down kit (14 stakes + 14 ratchet straps per marquee) and Midland quote ~13 pairs; both are lighter than staking every leg.
Tie-downs (DIY / Midland). Ratchet straps that loop over the eaves and pull down to a ground stake — basic anchoring against the wind lifting the marquee. DIY's are free, Midland's about £169.
Storm Protection Kit (UK Tents — 2 in each quote, £99.99 each). A separate, heavier layer for high winds: 2 × 20m tension belts thrown over the structure at eaves height and ratcheted to the ground at 45°, plus steel pegs, 2 large ratchets and a carry bag. It's whole-structure storm bracing, over and above the per-leg stakes. UK Tents quoted 2 kits for the whole 2×2 block (soft-ground version, correct for grass).
You're buying, not hiring, so the real cost is what you pay minus resale. Used commercial PVC 6×12m marquees in good condition sell privately for roughly £900–1,300 each; the lighter Premium cover (750N) sits a bit below that, the Elite a bit above. Figures use the all-in outlay above, inc VAT, and are market estimates not guarantees.
| Scenario | DIY Commercial | Midland | UK Tents Premium | UK Tents Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-in outlay | £7,884 | £8,219 | £7,180 | £9,780 |
| Resale if sold near-new | £3,600–5,200 | £3,600–5,200 | £2,800–4,000 | £4,000–5,600 |
| Net cost — sell after 2026 | £2,700–4,300 | £3,000–4,600 | £3,200–4,400 | £4,200–5,800 |
| Resale after ~5 yrs use | £1,600–2,800 | £1,600–2,800 | £1,200–2,200 | £1,600–2,800 |
| ≈ cost per festival (kept 5 yrs) | £1,020–1,260 | £1,080–1,320 | £1,000–1,200 | £1,400–1,640 |
Condition, completeness and a dry, clean store-down drive resale; mould from damp storage is the big value-killer. As a charity you can't reclaim VAT, so compare against the inc-VAT outlay. Selling privately beats trading in to an ex-hire dealer.
Levers, biggest first. Alex at DIY suggested the storage and lighting ones.
The roof covers already arrive in bags. Build simple wooden pole racking, keep connectors in plastic crates and fold the sides onto a pallet, like hire firms do. That removes the bag line entirely: £940 on UK Tents Premium, £1,260 on Elite, ~£600 on DIY. Drop bags and the like-for-like figures above are what you pay.
Commercial festoon kits run ~£475 for four. Borrow locally for nothing, or buy Screwfix 4lite 20m LED festoons at ~£52–95 each — four or five runs cover the space for roughly £210–475, and you keep them.
Premium instead of Elite: saves £2,280 like-for-like — but it's the lightest frame (38mm / 1.2mm, 750N cover), under the venue's 1.4mm steer, so weigh that for a two-week stand.
Midland, two big units: two 6×24m instead of four 6×12m gives the same 288m² for about £1,250 less. Still fully braced, but longer, heavier poles and less layout flexibility, so a harder volunteer build.
Buy three now, the fourth next year: three 6×12m in a row give 216m² instead of 288 — 72m² (25%) less floor — deferring £1,560–2,130 depending on option. Model it against your headcount and the bar, stage and seating plan first.
It dwarfs every line above. DIY were open to taking the branding in place of a discount; Midland could only stretch to 5–10%. Worth pushing whoever you favour on a sponsor-style deal.
If the squeeze is cashflow not the total, UK Tents advertise finance, and a 0% purchase credit card would let you pay now and clear it from the festival's bar takings before any interest. That's borrowing, not a saving — only where the event reliably covers it — but it bridges the gap until sponsor money lands.
DIY: written re-quote on the Commercial 6×12 with the 10% and free gutters/tie-downs, guaranteed stock for 6 July, and whether they'll do the sponsor deal.
Midland: confirm the £2,020 holds, gutter count for a 2×2, and the discount.
UK Tents: you have written quotes for both — just confirm the fire certificate in writing for your insurer. The Premium's 1.2mm frame is under the Club's 1.4mm steer — a judgement call for a two-week summer stand, not a blocker.
A marquee is a row of A-shaped cross-frames joined by horizontal purlins. On its own that rectangle of poles can rack sideways and lean over — it needs triangulation to stay rigid. You get that one of two ways: diagonal braces built into the steel, or guy ropes staked out and down to the ground doing the same job from outside.
Guy ropes are the problem in a 2×2: the four inner walls have no open ground, so a rope off them would run into the middle of the next marquee, through your bar or seating. All four options here build the bracing into the steel instead (DIY and Midland add eaves + roof braces and a mid purlin; UK Tents adds a bolted ground frame and roof reinforcement), so they stand on their inner sides with nothing crossing between units. You only anchor the outer perimeter.
Specs and prices taken 17 Jun 2026; UK Tents figures from their written quotes plus product pages: