Greenhouse Project Cost Estimator.
Split a commercial greenhouse budget into capital cost and annual running cost using your own quoted rates. The estimator ships with no prices — you enter US$/m² line items from your quotes or feasibility study, and it structures, normalises and projects them.
How do you estimate the cost of a commercial greenhouse project?
Estimate a greenhouse project in two separate blocks. CAPEX is the one-off build cost per covered m² — structure, cladding, climate control, irrigation and fertigation, growing system, water, power, automation, engineering and installation, plus contingency. OPEX is the annual run cost per m² — energy, water, labour, nutrients, packaging, maintenance and overhead. Compare offers on CAPEX per m² and OPEX per m² per year, not on headline totals.
- CAPEX is quoted once; OPEX repeats every year of the project life.
- A cheaper structure often carries higher energy and labour OPEX.
- Normalise every offer to cost per covered m² before comparing.
- Credible unit rates come from quotes and local tariffs, not global averages.
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.
CAPEX vs OPEX — what belongs where
One-off spend that creates the asset. It is depreciated over the asset life and is usually the number suppliers quote. CAPEX decisions are locked in at purchase and are expensive to reverse: structure height, cladding, screen strategy, heating capacity and automation level all set the OPEX you will live with for a decade.
Recurring annual cost of running the greenhouse. It is rarely in the supplier quote, yet over a ten-year horizon it commonly exceeds the build cost. OPEX is where a low-bid structure quietly becomes the expensive option — through heat loss, manual handling, poor water efficiency and unplanned maintenance.
This tool deliberately contains no default prices. Enter rates from your own supplier quotations, engineering study or local tariffs. If you have no quotes yet, start from the RFQ template and return with real line items.
Project basis
CAPEX line items
Enter each quoted scope as US$ per covered m². Leave a line at 0 if it is excluded from your scope — then check it is genuinely not needed rather than simply missing from the quote.
OPEX line items
Enter each annual running cost as US$ per covered m² per year. Utility tariffs and local labour rates are the credible sources here — not supplier marketing.
No rates entered yet. Add at least one CAPEX or OPEX line item — the estimator uses only the numbers you supply.
Excludes financing charges, tax, working capital, land, revenue and scheduled component replacement. Outputs are arithmetic on your inputs — no benchmark prices are added.
Compare scenarios side by side
Save the current CAPEX and OPEX assumptions as a scenario, change any line item, then save again to compare up to four options — for example a mid-tech film house against a glass house, or the same structure with and without screens. Differences are shown against the first saved scenario. Scenarios live in this browser session only.
No scenarios saved yet.
Save this estimate and share it read-only
Saving keeps your inputs, scenarios and results in this browser so you can return to them later. The share link encodes the same figures inside the URL itself — nothing is stored on our servers — and opens a read-only view your team can read but not edit.
Greenhouse project cost: planning-level figures
A commercial greenhouse project costs roughly USD 25–50/m² for a single-span polytunnel, USD 50–120/m² for a mid-tech multi-span polyhouse, USD 150–350/m² for a Venlo glass house and USD 300–600/m² for a semi-closed controlled-agriculture facility — about USD 250K to USD 6M per hectare installed. Add 15–30% for site preparation, foundations and utility connections, and 8–15% if the project is financed over 5–7 years. Climate design conditions move the budget a further +5% to +35%. These are planning-level bands, not quotations; committed prices come from supplier offers against one written specification.
| Structure type | Installed CAPEX / m² | Per hectare | Indicative OPEX | Typically included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net house / shade structure | USD 8 – 20 | USD 80K – 200K | USD 3 – 8 /m²/yr | Shading and pest exclusion only; no climate control |
| Single-span polytunnel | USD 25 – 50 | USD 250K – 500K | USD 5 – 12 /m²/yr | Natural ventilation, timer or basic drip, no heating |
| Multi-span polyhouse (mid-tech) | USD 50 – 120 | USD 500K – 1.2M | USD 12 – 30 /m²/yr | Roof vents, insect screens, fertigation, basic climate controller |
| Venlo glass (high-tech) | USD 150 – 350 | USD 1.5M – 3.5M | USD 30 – 70 /m²/yr | Diffuse glass, grow-pipe heating, energy screens, CO₂, climate computer |
| Semi-closed controlled agriculture | USD 300 – 600 | USD 3.0M – 6.0M | USD 60 – 140 /m²/yr | Active cooling, dehumidification, supplemental LED, high-density hydroponics |
| Climate zone | CAPEX uplift | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Temperate maritime (NL, UK, NZ) | Baseline | Moderate loads, mature supply chain |
| Cold continental (CEE, Canada, Central Asia) | +15 – 30% | Snow-load steel, 200–350 W/m² heating, double screens |
| Hot arid (MENA, Gulf, North Africa) | +10 – 25% | Cooling capacity, water treatment, shading |
| Hot humid / tropical (SE Asia, West Africa) | +15 – 35% | Dehumidification, corrosion protection, monsoon loads |
| High altitude / high radiation (Andes, East Africa highlands) | +5 – 15% | UV-stabilised glazing, night heating, wind bracing |
1 hectare = 10,000 m² = 2.47 acres. Bands exclude land, permits, packhouse and working capital. SeedMatchGroup does not manufacture or sell greenhouses and does not quote prices.
Send these numbers to the RFQ Builder
The numbers below were calculated with SeedMatchGroup's Greenhouse Project Cost Estimator — CAPEX vs OPEX. Indicative — the specialist will confirm scope before contacting suppliers.
15 inputs · assumptions · results
Turn this estimate into a project brief
Send these figures to the greenhouse RFQ form. Your inputs and results are attached to the brief, a sourcing specialist reviews it, and only then are suitable suppliers or project partners approached.
Send estimate to the RFQ formBuying more than once? Save these project details to your buyer profile so your site, crop, budget and timeline are pre-filled on every future request.
Indicative only. Not financial advice, not agronomic advice, not engineering design. Final numbers require supplier, agronomist, engineer and local regulatory review.
Turn this estimate into a qualified project
SeedMatchGroup is a supplier-neutral platform. We do not manufacture or resell equipment — we help buyers specify the project correctly, open one private RFQ to qualified global manufacturers, integrators and EPCs, and introduce relevant financing tracks.
Frequently asked questions
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
- Greenhouse type and technology level (tunnel, naturally ventilated, high-tech)
- Structure specification, wind and snow loads, and site civil works
- Energy and utility tariffs, plus tariff escalation over time
- Financing terms, contingency and currency movement
Questions this calculator answers
Typical buyer and investor searches this tool is built for, including the markets where we run the most commercial projects.
- commercial greenhouse construction cost per hectare for a commercial project
- commercial greenhouse construction cost for a 2-hectare project — India
- commercial greenhouse construction cost: indicative planning ranges — Kenya
- commercial greenhouse construction cost benchmarks for investors — Saudi Arabia
- commercial greenhouse construction cost under local market conditions — Mexico
- commercial greenhouse construction cost — what to specify in a supplier RFQ
Tell us five things and we route your brief
These fields decide which specialist and which suppliers see your request. Nothing is submitted here — your answers are carried into the private RFQ.
SeedMatchGroup works on commercial projects from USD 250K. Smaller budgets are still reviewed, but sourcing depth is limited.
A sourcing specialist shortlists reviewed providers for your scope and returns comparable offers. Supplier details stay with us — all communication runs through SeedMatchGroup.
Estimate only: these figures are indicative planning numbers, not a quotation. Final pricing, specifications and lead times come from supplier offers after your brief is reviewed.
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.
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 greenhouse project cost estimator. into a structured RFQ
Editorial · not a sales pitchCalculator outputs are indicative. When your numbers stabilise, a supplier-neutral RFQ turns those estimates into comparable offers from verified providers.
The facts a complete, supplier-neutral request on this topic includes. Use it as a checklist before submitting.
- Covered area (m² or ha), bay/gutter layout preference and target gutter height
- Site location, altitude and design loads (wind, snow, seismic) if known
- Crop and production system (soil, substrate, hydroponic, nursery)
- Covering choice: polyethylene film, polycarbonate or glass — and expected lifetime
- Climate scope: ventilation, screens, heating, cooling/pad-fan, CO₂, controls
- Irrigation/fertigation scope and water source quality
- Target commissioning date, phasing and budget band (USD $250K+)
- Incoterms, destination port/site and who handles civil works and erection
- Site plan or coordinates with plot dimensions
- Soil/water analysis where available
- Any existing concept drawing, BOQ or previous supplier offer
Opens the RFQ Builder pre-scoped as a greenhouse project so suppliers quote structure, covering, climate and irrigation on the same basis. 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 listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. SeedMatch Group does not provide automatic buyer-supplier introductions. Every agriculture project request is reviewed manually by David / SeedMatch Group, and supplier introductions are made only after internal approval.