Before you build, get the four numbers right.
Capacity, conditions, land and time. Get these wrong on paper and no amount of good construction will fix them afterwards. Here is how we work them out with you.
1. Capacity — what you can actually store
Capacity is volume divided by the storage norm, about 141 cubic feet per MT under current NCCD guidance, and then adjusted for your bag or pallet, stacking height, aisles and handling.
The commonest disappointment in this industry is a store rated at 5,000 MT that holds 3,800 MT of the owner's own commodity. It is decided on paper, months before anything is built, and it is the first thing we check.
2. Conditions — the design basis
Seed wants 10–12 °C at 45–50% RH. Chilli wants 0–4 °C at 65–70%. Most fruit wants 85–90%. Frozen is another matter entirely. The commodity, the incoming temperature, the daily loading and the cooling time together decide the size of the plant, which is the largest single package in any cold storage.
We write that design basis down, put it in the contract, and size everything against it. A contractor who cannot give you that one page is guessing.
3. Land — single storey or multi-tier
A ground-plus-three store carries its load on steel mezzanine decks and needs roughly a quarter of the footprint of a single-storey store of the same tonnage. Where land is dear, multi-tier is cheaper overall. Where land is cheap and the produce is heavy and bagged, single storey usually wins. Tell us the plot and we will tell you which one your project should be.
4. Time — and the season you cannot move
A 5,000 MT store takes four to six months to build properly, and a bank takes two to three months to sanction. If your produce arrives in March, the drawings should be finished now. We will tell you honestly when a timeline is not achievable.
Get an assessment for your site
Send us four things and we will come back with an indicative capacity, a cost range for your project and the scheme route that fits:
- The district, and the plot size if you have it
- What you want to store, and how it is packed
- Roughly how many tonnes, or what you buy in a season
- Whether a bank or a subsidy is involved
No charge and no obligation. If your project is better served by a cold room supplier than by us, we will say so.
What moves the number, and what does not
Promoters are often quoted one rate by a contractor and a very different rate by the next, and assume somebody is cheating. Usually they are quoting different buildings.
| Changes the cost a great deal | Changes it very little |
|---|---|
| The commodity and the humidity it needs | The colour of the panel |
| Single storey against multi-tier | The brand on the compressor, within reason |
| Number of chambers and doors | Small changes in capacity, 4,800 against 5,000 MT |
| Height, racking and material handling | Office and staff quarters |
| Panel thickness and core density | Which district you build in, mostly |
| Steel and PU chemical prices that month | Whether work starts in January or March |
Two questions worth asking any contractor
What density and skin thickness are the panels, and may I cut a sample at site to check? A 100 mm panel at 40 kg per cubic metre with 0.50 mm steel on both faces is the standard for chilled storage. Supplying 36 kg and 0.45 mm saves a contractor real money and costs you a higher electricity bill every month for twenty years.
What is the design basis, and will you put it in the contract? If the answer is a shrug, the price you are being quoted is not for the building you think you are buying.
Questions we are asked before every project
What decides the cost of a cold storage?
Five things, in this order: the commodity and the conditions it needs, the capacity, whether the store is single storey or multi-tier, the number of chambers, and the height and racking. A seed store and a potato store of the same size are different buildings, because the plant works harder in one than in the other.
Will you quote before a site visit?
We will give you an indicative figure once we know the commodity, the capacity and the site. A firm number comes only from a design basis and a detailed BOQ, which we prepare without charge for a serious project, because that is the document your bank will appraise.
How long does a cold store take to build?
Typically five to nine months from the date drawings are frozen, depending on size, site and season, and assuming payments follow the agreed stages. You get a dated programme at the start and progress against it every week.
How much land will I need?
It depends on whether you build single storey or multi-tier. A ground-plus-three store holds the same tonnage on roughly a quarter of the footprint. Tell us your plot and your capacity and we will tell you which is right for you.
Do you help with the project report and the bank?
We prepare the technical file: design basis, capacity calculation, drawings, detailed BOQ and programme. That is what a DPR consultant and a bank valuer need. We do not sell project reports, and we work alongside whichever consultant you appoint.
How big a building does your tonnage actually need?
Move the tonnage, choose how many floors, and watch the building change shape. These are the same ratios we use at design stage, taken from stores we have built.
Capacity planner
Indicative sizing141 cft / MT, NCCDIndicative only. The real figure comes from your plot, your bag or pallet, your stacking height and your handling method — which is what the site visit and the design basis are for. We do not quote a price from a slider, and neither should anyone else.
Tell us what you want to store.
We will come back with an indicative capacity, a cost range and what subsidy your project may qualify for. No obligation, and no consultant's fee.