Fertigation Head Station Cost Calculator.
Estimate the indicative CAPEX of a commercial fertigation head station from peak flow, dosing channels, filtration class, control level and recirculation — then take the numbers into a reviewed RFQ.
How much does a fertigation head station cost?
Indicatively USD 3,000–9,000 for a manual venturi unit, USD 12,000–35,000 semi-automatic, USD 35,000–90,000 for an automated commercial head unit and USD 90,000–300,000+ for recirculating hydroponic systems. Peak flow, dosing channel count, filtration class and control level drive the spread.
- Peak flow in m³/h sizes pumps, valves and pipe diameters more than area does.
- Each dosing channel adds a pump, tank, sensor and control logic.
- Recirculation adds drain capture, disinfection and re-dosing to the scope.
Estimate only — not a quotation. Outputs are indicative planning ranges based on the values you enter and typical commercial benchmarks. Real pricing, specifications and lead times vary by country, site conditions and supplier, and are confirmed only in written offers collected through a private RFQ.
Project inputs
At the head, at design pressure.
Used only for the cost-per-hectare view.
Including the acid channel.
Planning values only. Excludes field mainlines, drip laterals, civil works, fertilizer stock and installation where contracted separately. Final pricing requires supplier and engineering review.
Turn this estimate into a qualified project
SeedMatchGroup is a supplier-neutral, human-led platform. We do not manufacture or resell equipment — we help buyers specify the project, review relevant suppliers privately and compare the written offers received. Supplier participation and timing are not guaranteed.
Method and assumptions
The model prices the skid on design peak flow, adds a per-channel allowance for dosing pumps, stock tanks and sensors, then adds filtration and control packages. Recirculation adds drain collection, disinfection and re-dosing. The band around the midpoint reflects the real spread between regional assembly and imported branded units.
Limitations: the tool does not model pre-treatment (RO, softening, iron removal), civil works, fertilizer stock, installation labour or import duty. Water analysis can move the total substantially.
Worked example
A 3 ha greenhouse with 60 m³/h peak flow, four dosing channels, automatic disc filtration, closed-loop EC/pH control and 20 sectors lands in the mid five figures in USD — before pre-treatment and field distribution. Adding recirculation typically moves it into the six-figure range.
Frequently asked questions
Indicatively USD 3,000–9,000 manual venturi, USD 12,000–35,000 semi-automatic, USD 35,000–90,000 automated commercial, and USD 90,000–300,000+ recirculating hydroponic. Peak flow, dosing channels, filtration and control level drive the spread.
Pumps, valves, filters and pipe diameters are sized on m³/h at design pressure. Two projects with the same area can differ by a factor of two in flow depending on crop, climate and irrigation window.
Yes. Bicarbonate, iron, manganese and hardness can force acid dosing, oxidation and extra filtration stages ahead of the unit, which is why a recent water analysis is required before any quote is meaningful.
It adds drain collection, disinfection and re-dosing to the head station scope — often a substantial share of the unit cost — but reduces water and fertilizer consumption over the project life.
No. They are indicative planning ranges only. Final pricing requires supplier, agronomist and engineering review of the actual site and water analysis.
Read the full cost breakdown on the fertigation head station cost page, size the recipe with the fertigation system planner, or price the growing system with the hydroponic fit-out cost calculator.
Turning this estimate into a request? The irrigation and fertigation request builder lists what changes a quote — system type, filtration, dosing and drain-water scope — and opens a pre-filled request that our team reviews before any supplier is contacted.
Understanding the values
What each choice in this calculator means, and how the options differ in practice.
- Water analysis first
- Every dosing calculation starts from source-water quality. Without a laboratory test the recipe is a guess.
- Crop stage
- Nutrient demand rises from establishment to harvest. Run the calculation per growth stage, not once per season.
Illustrative project summary
1 ha multi-span tomato house
A new commercial entrant builds a first multi-span block with fertigation, insect screens and a basic climate computer.
1 ha · Multi-span polyhouse · Tomatoes
Indicative full greenhouse project CAPEX
USD 575K – USD 1.56M
Illustration only, not a real project or quotation. This is the structure, equipment and site-works budget for the example greenhouse, not the price of this calculator’s individual system, seeds or inputs, and not a result calculated from your entries. Excludes land, permits, packhouse, financing costs and working capital.
Based on the published commercial greenhouse cost benchmark. Written offers require a private project review; commercial projects start from USD 250K.
What can change the result?
This is a preliminary planning estimate based on the values you entered. The variables below usually move the outcome most, and should be confirmed with an agronomist, engineer and supplier offers before final design.
- Growing area and layout — hectares alone are not a greenhouse specification
- Fertigation strategy, dosing accuracy and drain recirculation
- Water quality and treatment needs (EC, pH, iron, hardness, pathogens)
- Automation, sensors and climate-computer control level
- Project country: duties, freight, installation cost and permitting
Questions this calculator answers
Typical buyer and investor searches this tool is built for, including the markets where we run the most commercial projects.
- fertigation head station sizing and cost per hectare for a commercial project
- fertigation head station sizing and cost for a 2-hectare project — India
- fertigation head station sizing and cost: indicative planning ranges — Kenya
- fertigation head station sizing and cost benchmarks for investors — Saudi Arabia
- fertigation head station sizing and cost under local market conditions — Mexico
- fertigation head station sizing and cost — what to specify in a supplier RFQ
Method and decision path
How to use this result in a commercial project
Use the result to test scope and compare scenarios. It is not a design, agronomic prescription, financing offer or supplier quotation.
1. Enter site evidence
Replace defaults with measured area, climate, water, energy, crop and commercial assumptions.
2. Test scenarios
Change one assumption at a time and record the effect on capacity, cost, demand or return.
3. Validate the duty
Ask the relevant agronomist, engineer or financial adviser to check the inputs and constraints.
4. Prepare a private RFQ
Carry the confirmed scope into a human-reviewed brief so written offers can be compared on the same basis.
Final specifications, performance, prices, supplier participation and timing depend on the site and written supplier responses; none is guaranteed by this calculator.
Plan the project around the numbers
A calculator output is a starting point. Pair it with the planning guides below to align timeline, irrigation, budget and risk before you launch an RFQ.
One private brief, specialist review, private supplier research and a like-for-like comparison.
Spec gaps, MOQ, delivery, Incoterms and evidence labels for seeds, greenhouses, irrigation, fertilizers and produce.
Month-by-month schedule from concept to first harvest across 9 stages.
Design principles for drip, pivot, fertigation and filtration on commercial projects.
How CAPEX, working capital and operating cost drive the project business case.
The ten most expensive planning and procurement pitfalls — and how to avoid them.
Procurement answers behind these numbers
A model output only holds if the scope, contract route and delivery terms match the assumptions. These reference answers cover the commercial decisions that move the figure.
- Turnkey EPC vs separate equipment packages
- What belongs in a greenhouse equipment specification
- Normal payment milestones in equipment contracts
- Which Incoterms to use for greenhouse and irrigation equipment
- How long a commercial greenhouse takes from order to handover
- What is normally the owner's scope on a greenhouse project
Move fertigation head station cost calculator into a structured RFQ
Editorial · not a sales pitchCalculator outputs are indicative. When your numbers stabilise, a supplier-neutral RFQ turns those estimates into a consistent brief for comparing the written offers that participating suppliers provide.
The facts a complete, supplier-neutral request on this topic includes. Use it as a checklist before submitting.
- Irrigated area, block layout and topography/elevation change
- Crop, spacing and peak daily water requirement (mm/day or m³/day)
- Water source (borehole, canal, reservoir, municipal) with yield and analysis
- System type: drip, sprinkler, pivot, micro-sprinkler, fertigation
- Required flow (m³/h), pressure and number of zones/shifts
- Power availability: grid, generator or solar pumping
- Automation and control level required
- Water analysis report and borehole test results
- Field/plot map with dimensions and elevation
Opens the RFQ Builder scoped as an irrigation package so suppliers quote hydraulics, filtration and dosing consistently. You stay in control — nothing is submitted until you review and confirm.
Free to submit · supplier-neutral · reviewed by a specialist before any supplier is contacted.
Running these numbers for a client project?
Agronomists, greenhouse and irrigation consultants use this calculator for feasibility, then hand the project to us for supplier shortlisting, RFQ preparation and quote comparison. You stay client-facing and we work through you.
Your client relationship stays with you — we work through you and never contact your client unless you ask.
Indicative only
- This tool is indicative only.
- It is not financial advice.
- It is not agronomic advice.
- It is not engineering design.
- Final numbers require supplier, agronomist, engineer and local regulatory review.
SeedMatch Group is an independent agricultural project sourcing and RFQ platform. We are not a farm, seed producer, fertilizer manufacturer, irrigation manufacturer, greenhouse builder, EPC contractor, lender or financial advisor. Supplier and project partner outreach is handled only after a commercial project brief is reviewed.
Supplier and manufacturer content is provided for research, transparency and discovery only. Buyers submit one project or RFQ to SeedMatch Group; our team validates and organises it, manages any suitable supplier or manufacturer outreach, and presents the responses through SeedMatch. There is no public directory of company identities, automatic matching, direct messaging or direct buyer-supplier contact.