Cold-room pricing cannot be determined from floor area alone. Rooms of equal size may hold pre-chilled cartons or cool tonnes of warm product each day; they may operate at 5°C or -25°C and have very different door traffic. The ranges below are provisional planning estimates for Thailand, not quotations. Materials, labour, location, specification, and taxes can materially change the result. A site survey and load calculation are required.
Indicative capital ranges
| Project profile | Broad planning estimate |
|---|---|
| Small 6-12 m² chiller | THB 250,000-550,000 |
| 15-30 m² chiller | THB 450,000-1,100,000 |
| Small-to-medium freezer | THB 550,000-1,600,000 |
| Large or multi-zone facility | Design and BOQ required |
| Blast freezer or special process | Product and pull-down calculation required |
These broad ranges may exclude foundations, building work, incoming electrical upgrades, generators, racking, taxes, or site alterations, depending on scope.
What changes the price
Dimensions determine panel area, but equipment duty follows heat load. Product entry temperature and required pull-down time can dominate. Large or frequently opened doors introduce warm, humid air. Freezers require different insulation, floors, doors, defrost, and frost protection from chillers.
Other variables include compressor arrangement, redundancy, variable-capacity controls, logging, remote alarms, hygienic finishes, pipe length, condenser location, noise restrictions, and working-hour constraints.
Estimating electricity responsibly
Nameplate power multiplied by 24 hours is rarely an accurate bill because equipment cycles or modulates. Equally, a universal saving percentage is not credible. A useful estimate should:
- Define seasonal loads and the receiving schedule.
- Estimate compressor, fan, heater, and pump power in each state.
- Apply expected hours and the site's actual tariff structure.
- Include defrost, door infiltration, and realistic maintenance condition.
- Install sub-metering after commissioning and compare actual data.
Lifecycle cost
Ownership cost includes capital, electricity, planned service, parts, refrigerant, calibration, and the consequence of downtime. Local serviceability and parts availability may matter more than one catalogue efficiency point. Redundancy should reflect stored product value and the operation's tolerable outage time.
Comparing quotations
Give every bidder the same product, loading, ambient, operating, and site information. Ask each to state assumptions, capacity at design conditions, panel thickness, exclusions, controls, equipment layout, acceptance test, warranty, and maintenance scope. Keep an allowance for site and electrical work until the survey converts the estimate into a traceable BOQ.
Plan the project with Intercooling
This article is an initial planning guide. Final temperature, equipment capacity, and budget depend on the product, loading pattern, site, and operating method. Explore our services and cold-room systems, review representative projects, or contact the engineering team to arrange a site survey. For temperature selection, also read chill rooms, freezers, and blast freezing compared.
