Overview
Cold rooms are a build, not a fit-out, and the panels are the structure
A cold room is a room built inside another room. Insulated PIR or polyurethane sandwich panels, a sealed door, a floor with a thermal break, a refrigeration plant sized to the volume and the duty, and a drainage plan for the condensate. The customer is usually a restaurant, a butcher, a florist, or a small food processor, and they often think they're buying a fridge with bigger dimensions. The reality is they're buying a structure with refrigeration attached. A quote that just lists 'walk-in cold room, fitted' at a flat price hides the panel spec, the door type, the floor build-up, and the refrigeration plant choice that determines whether the room holds temperature.
QuoteGenio gives cold room installers a structure that prices the build properly. Site survey and floor plan as the first line, insulated panels by square metre with the thickness and U-value named, door by type (hinged, sliding, glass, strip curtain), floor build-up, refrigeration plant by capacity, controls, drainage, and labour by day. Send via WhatsApp from the customer's kitchen or storeroom, take a deposit on the panel and plant order, raise progress invoices through panel install, plant install, and commissioning, and the final invoice when the room holds at temperature for 48 hours unattended.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of walk-in cold room and freezer installation business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every cold room installer knows
Cold room jobs combine joinery, refrigeration, and electrical. Generic quoting tools struggle to itemise them, and clients can't tell what they're paying for.
Quotes take days to compile
Pricing panels, doors, condensing units, evaporators, controls, and labour into a coherent quote eats a day. Fast quoters win the order.
Specs hidden in plain text
Quotes that don't list panel thickness, door type, and condensing unit kW make you look the same as a cheaper, lower-spec competitor.
Slow replies lose the project
Restaurants under fit-out pressure want a price within 48 hours. If you take a week, the kitchen consultant has already specified someone else.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A faster, cleaner quoting workflow built around how cold room installers actually scope, on-site with the kitchen consultant, not in the office at midnight.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for cold rooms
Line items for panels, doors, ramps, condensing units, evaporators, controls, drainage, and commissioning. Structured the way modular cold rooms are actually built.
Works from your phone
Send the quote from the kitchen during the consultant meeting. No office trip, no late-night admin, no missed window.
Quote in under 2 minutes
Templates for common chiller and freezer sizes mean you adjust panel dimensions and condensing unit kW, then send.
Track payments easily
See which restaurants, hotels, and main contractors owe what. Chase with one tap. No spreadsheet, no chasing forgotten balances.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how cold room installers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Cold Room Installers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Cold Room Installers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Cold Room Installers job pricing
A rough guide to what cold room installers charge for common builds. Pricing varies with volume in cubic metres, chiller vs freezer temperature, panel thickness, door type, and access for assembly. Use these as a reference when building your own rate card, not as fixed prices.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Site survey and design | R1,570 - R4,132 |
| Modular panels (per cubic metre, 80mm chiller) | R2,727 - R4,628 |
| Modular panels (per cubic metre, 100mm freezer) | R3,636 - R5,950 |
| Hinged door (chiller, 800mm) | R7,933 - R14,048 |
| Heated freezer door (1000mm) | R15,701 - R27,270 |
| Cold room install (8 m³ chiller, full package) | R90,899 - R157,007 |
| Walk-in freezer install (15 m³, low-temp) | R214,851 - R363,594 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Survey and design fees cover your time to measure the space, calculate refrigeration load (product, lights, door openings, ambient), and lay out panels. R1,570 to R4,132 is typical, credited against the install if accepted. Charging filters tyre-kickers and reflects the design work, not just the build labour.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use per-cubic-metre pricing for panels, fixed prices for doors, ramps, and condensing units (sized by kW), and hourly (R1,570 to R2,314 per hour) for commissioning, fault-finding, and remedial work. For a full install, fixed-price the agreed scope and add a provisional sum line for floor levelling or unexpected drainage routes.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean, itemised cold room quote looks like. Every component is visible: design, panels per cubic metre, door, refrigeration kW, controls, and labour. Transparent quotes win restaurant fit-outs because the kitchen consultant can compare your spec line for line against the competitor's vague lump sum.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Walk-in chiller install, 8 cubic metres, restaurant fit-out
Site survey and load calculation
Modular panels, 80mm (per cubic metre)
Hinged chiller door, 800mm
Condensing unit and evaporator (2.5kW chiller)
Controls, drainage, ramp, and electrical
Labour (assemble, install refrigeration, commission)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site survey and load calculation | 1 | R3,223 | R3,223 |
| Modular panels, 80mm (per cubic metre) | 8 | R3,636 | R29,088 |
| Hinged chiller door, 800mm | 1 | R10,247 | R10,247 |
| Condensing unit and evaporator (2.5kW chiller) | 1 | R39,665 | R39,665 |
| Controls, drainage, ramp, and electrical | 1 | R14,048 | R14,048 |
| Labour (assemble, install refrigeration, commission) | 16 | R1,818 / hr | R29,088 |
| Subtotal | R125,357 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R12,536 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R137,893 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Floor ramp, drainage from the evaporator condensate tray, the electrical isolator and DB connection, the door lock and gasket, the temperature alarm, and the commissioning report with pull-down test data. Add these to your template once and they stop disappearing from your margin.
Peer snapshot
How Cold Room Installers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Cold Room Installers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
14
Quotes sent per month
46%
Average quote acceptance
2 min
Median time to send quote
R137,893
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Cold Room Installer jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of cold room installers. The same scoping mistakes come up on every restaurant fit-out. Fix these and you'll protect your margin and stop losing the spec war to cheaper, lower-quality competitors.
Mistake: Quoting cold rooms by floor area
Better: Cold rooms scale by volume, not floor area. A 2.4m and a 3.2m ceiling height are different jobs. Quote panels per cubic metre and the refrigeration by kW load.
Mistake: Bundling the condensing unit into 'refrigeration'
Better: List the condensing unit and evaporator separately with the kW rating shown. Clients and consultants compare on kW capacity, and hiding it costs you the spec battle.
Mistake: Not specifying door type
Better: A hinged chiller door is very different to a heated freezer door or a sliding door. Spell out the type, size, and whether it's heated. Protects you when the client compares to a cheaper lower-spec quote.
Mistake: Forgetting the floor ramp
Better: Insulated floors mean a step at the door. Quote the aluminium or stainless ramp as a line item. Forgetting it is a callback at your cost when the chef trips with a tray.
Mistake: Free design work
Better: Load calculations, panel layouts, and refrigeration sizing are engineering. Charge a design fee and credit it back if the install is accepted. Free design devalues your work and trains kitchen consultants to shop your design.
Mistake: No provisional sum for floor preparation
Better: Existing floors are rarely level. Add a provisional sum line for screed or self-levelling compound rather than absorbing it. Cold room panels need a flat base.
Mistake: No commissioning line
Better: Pull-down test, temperature logging, and a commissioning certificate are real work. Quote them as a separate line so the client understands the cold room was tested, not just built.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote cold room installation jobs
Measure the space in three dimensions before you price. Cold rooms scale by cubic metres, not floor area, so a 2.4 metre and a 3.2 metre ceiling are different jobs even on the same footprint. Check floor flatness (existing kitchen floors are rarely level enough for modular panels), calculate the heat load including product mass, pull-down rate, lights, ambient temperature and door opening frequency, and plan the panel layout including any corner cuts and the door swing. Identify the condensing unit location for noise and airflow, the condensate drain route, the electrical supply, and whether access allows panels to be carried in flat or needs to be stripped to components.
Itemise panels per cubic metre with the thickness shown (80mm chiller, 100mm or 120mm freezer), the door separately with type and size spelled out, the condensing unit and evaporator listed by kW capacity, controls, drainage, ramp, and commissioning. Write 'hinged chiller door 800mm' or 'heated freezer door 1000mm' rather than a vague 'door' line, because clients compare spec against cheaper competitors using thinner panels or unheated doors. Include the aluminium or stainless floor ramp, the temperature alarm with SMS or app alerts at $ 180 to $ 450, and a provisional sum line for floor screed or self-levelling compound so unknown floor prep does not eat your margin.
Set a 30 day validity on every cold room quote. Modular panels are made to order and non-returnable, and panel and refrigeration unit prices move with import rates. Ask for a 40 to 50 percent deposit on quote acceptance to cover panel manufacture and the condensing unit purchase, and state the deposit terms clearly on the quote so the client agrees in writing when they accept. Charge the survey and design fee ($ 95 to $ 250) as its own line, credited against the install if accepted within 14 days, because load calculation, panel layout and refrigeration sizing are engineering that kitchen consultants routinely try to shop for free.
Send the quote on the day of the survey. Restaurant fit-outs move on tight timelines and the kitchen consultant will specify whoever returns a priced proposal within 48 hours, not whoever thought about it longest. Build the quote on your phone during the survey, share the link via WhatsApp with the consultant or owner before you leave, and keep templates for 8 cubic metre chillers, 15 cubic metre freezers, and chiller plus freezer combos so you adjust volume and kW and send. Any scope change during install (extra panel, upgraded door, drainage route variation) goes on a written variation order with the consultant's sign-off before you fit.
FAQ
Common questions from cold room installers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add a line item for panels with a per-cubic-metre rate and the room volume as the quantity. QuoteGenio totals it automatically.
Yes. Build the quote on your phone during the survey and share the link via WhatsApp with the kitchen consultant or owner. They get a branded document immediately.
Add each room as its own group with separate line items for panels, door, condensing unit, evaporator, and controls. You can section the quote so the client sees the chiller and freezer split clearly.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Restaurant owners, hotel groups, and main contractors can accept on their phone. No signup required.
Yes. Convert any accepted quote to an invoice with one click. Line items carry over, so there's no double entry between the order and the bill.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Calculate the heat load: room volume, panel insulation, ambient temperature, product load (mass and pull-down rate), lights, and door opening frequency. Most chillers run at 0.25 to 0.4 kW per cubic metre, freezers at 0.4 to 0.6 kW. List the chosen condensing unit kW on the quote so the consultant can verify the sizing was done.
Yes. 80mm is standard for chillers, 100mm or 120mm for freezers. Thicker panels cost more but save running costs. Showing the thickness on the quote proves you specified for the application and protects you if a cheaper competitor undercuts with thinner panels.
Add a provisional sum line for floor levelling, screed, or self-levelling compound. Existing kitchen floors are rarely flat enough for cold room panels and absorbing the cost is brutal on your margin. Make it a paid extra and the client understands the cost is genuine.
Yes, on every commercial cold room. A temperature alarm with audible and SMS or app alerts is small money relative to the stock loss it prevents. List it as a line item, around R2,975 to R7,437 depending on connectivity, and most clients say yes immediately because they understand the risk.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Guides
Guides for Cold Room Installers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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