Commercial Coolroom Construction

Christchurch & South Island

Commercial Coolrooms & Walk-in Chillers

When a coolroom goes down, so does your product, your compliance and your day. We design, supply and install commercial coolrooms and walk-in chillers built to hold temperature year after year, from a single back-of-house chiller through to a multi-room facility. We handle the build end to end and work alongside your refrigeration contractor, so you get one accountable team and a room that’s right the first time.

What we build

From a single back-of-house chiller to a multi-room facility, we build the lot:

Walk-in chillers sized to your throughput
Modular coolrooms that go up quickly with minimal disruption to the floor
Custom rooms engineered around your space, doors, racking and traffic flow
A complete fit-out covering insulated panel walls, ceilings and floors, doors, coving and seals
Trade coordination of the refrigeration and electrical works for one clean handover

Specifications

Most of our chillers sit in the 0°C to 5°C range. We match the build to the temperature you’re holding and the way the room is used:

Temperature 0°C to 5°C for typical chiller operation
Panel PIR or EPS, typically 75mm to 150mm to suit temperature and span
Facings food-grade and wipe-down, resisting moisture and meeting hygiene requirements
Compliance hygienic coving and fully sealed joints to support HACCP, MPI and RMP
Doors hinged or sliding, with strip curtains and the right hardware
Floors insulated or sealed to cope with foot and trolley traffic

Industries we serve

We build coolrooms and chillers for food processing, horticulture packhouses, dairy, meat and seafood, and cold-chain logistics right across Canterbury and the wider South Island. Whatever your product and target temperature, we spec the room to hold it through your busiest season.

Recent project

1,200 m² packhouse coolstore, Mid-Canterbury. A multi-room chiller and dispatch build delivered in season, holding 0°C to 2°C through peak pack with food-grade panel throughout. (Swap for a real case study + image.)

Coolroom & chiller FAQs

What temperature should our coolroom or chiller run at?

Most commercial chillers run between 0°C and 5°C, but the right setpoint depends on your product, your process and how often the door opens. We spec the room (panel thickness, door type and floor) around your target temperature and how fast it needs to recover after loading. For frozen storage (around minus 18°C and below), see our Freezer Rooms & Blast Freezers page.
How much does a commercial coolroom cost?

There’s no single figure. Cost is driven by size, panel and insulation spec, door type, floor works and the refrigeration plant. We give you an itemised quote that separates the panel enclosure, doors, floor and install from the refrigeration and electrical, so you can compare like with like and see exactly where the money goes.
Do we need building consent in Christchurch?

Often, yes. Whether a coolroom needs consent depends on its scope. Structural work, changes to the building envelope, fire and life-safety, and existing services all come into it. We flag the consent pathway early and work in with Christchurch City Council requirements so it doesn’t hold up your build.
What panel thickness and insulation should we use?

We use rigid-core insulated panel (PIR or EPS) sized to the room’s temperature and duty, so colder, harder-working rooms get thicker panel. Just as importantly, we design out thermal bridges and condensation paths, which are the main cause of long-term coolroom problems. We’ll recommend the spec at quote stage.
How long does a coolroom installation take?

A standard modular chiller can be installed in a few days, while larger custom builds run to a few weeks. The realistic timeline covers design, any consent, panel fabrication, floor works and install. We give you a firm programme at quote stage and work to your operating schedule to keep disruption down.
Can you build into our existing building or around existing plant?

Yes. We regularly build coolrooms inside existing warehouses and processing facilities, and retrofit or extend around existing refrigeration plant. We check floor loading, drainage, vapour control and access first, then coordinate with your refrigeration and electrical contractors for a clean handover.
What food-safety and compliance requirements does the room need to meet?

If the room supports a food business it needs to fit your Risk Management Programme (RMP), National Programme or food control plan, and support HACCP and MPI requirements. We build with food-grade facings, hygienic coving and sealed joints so the room holds temperature, cleans down easily and stands up to audit.