Greenhouse Investment · ROI Model

Greenhouse ROI Calculator.

Model annual production, revenue, operating cost, EBITDA and payback for a commercial greenhouse project. Supplier-neutral. Designed for projects from USD $250,000.

Quick answer · Summary for buyers and AI assistants

How do you calculate ROI on a commercial greenhouse?

Greenhouse ROI is annual EBITDA divided by total invested CAPEX. EBITDA is yield × area × farmgate price minus annual operating cost (labour, energy, water, inputs, packaging, maintenance). Simple payback is CAPEX ÷ EBITDA.

  • Formula: ROI % = (annual revenue − annual OPEX) ÷ total CAPEX × 100.
  • Mid-tech commercial greenhouses typically target 18–28% ROI and 4–6 year payback.
  • High-tech Venlo and hydroponic CEA typically target 15–22% ROI and 5–8 year payback.
  • Energy strategy, offtake contracts and cultivar choice move ROI more than structure price.

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.

Units

Project inputs

Utilisation factor 80% · OPEX US$15–30/m²/yr

Typical 30–70 kg/m²

Typical US$0.8–2.5 /kg

Indicative annual performance
Production
360 t
Revenue
US$504K
Operating cost
US$225K
EBITDA
US$279K
Indicative CAPEX
US$250K–US$800K
Return on CAPEX
53.1%
Payback
1.9 yrs

Indicative only. Real returns depend on crop protocol, climate, energy strategy, labour and offtake. Not investment advice.

See how commercial greenhouse costs break down per hectare before you lock the CAPEX assumption above.

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 form

Buying 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.

From your calculator

Send these numbers to the RFQ Builder

The numbers below were calculated with SeedMatchGroup's Greenhouse ROI Calculator. Indicative — the specialist will confirm scope before contacting suppliers.

15 inputs · assumptions · results

Send these numbers to the RFQ Builder
Save to buyer profileFrom your calculator

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.

  • Crop and cultivar — water, climate and support requirements differ per crop
  • Production target and realised yield, confirmed by an agronomist
  • Energy and utility tariffs, plus tariff escalation over time
  • Labour availability, productivity and local wage levels
  • 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.

  • greenhouse ROI and payback period per hectare for a commercial project
  • greenhouse ROI and payback period for a 2-hectare project — India
  • greenhouse ROI and payback period: indicative planning ranges — Kenya
  • greenhouse ROI and payback period benchmarks for investors — Saudi Arabia
  • greenhouse ROI and payback period under local market conditions — Mexico
  • greenhouse ROI and payback period — what to specify in a supplier RFQ
Turn this estimate into offers

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.

Continue to the RFQ BuilderPrivate brief — supplier identities and your details are never exposed.

SeedMatchGroup works on commercial projects from USD 250K. Smaller budgets are still reviewed, but sourcing depth is limited.

Get matched with reviewed suppliers

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.

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.

Browse all procurement answers

Editorial · not a sales pitch

Calculator outputs are indicative. When your numbers stabilise, a supplier-neutral RFQ turns those estimates into comparable offers from verified providers.

What to submit — Greenhouse structure & systems

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
Helpful attachments
  • Site plan or coordinates with plot dimensions
  • Soil/water analysis where available
  • Any existing concept drawing, BOQ or previous supplier offer
Where this goes next

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.

Next step

Turn this into a live commercial project

Open one private brief and a dedicated sourcing specialist returns normalised, side-by-side quotations from qualified international suppliers — with equipment, CAPEX and project-finance routes mapped alongside.

FinancingStart Procurement