For Australian potato growers, rising storage costs, the need to increase handling efficiencies and the benefit of being able to maintain seed quality are some of the key reasons to build a potato cool store shed.
Investing in on-farm potato storage and sorting facilities can be a smart investment to keep ahead of the game and protect your livelihood.
However, it is important to understand the cost to build a potato cool store shed, particularly when budgeting and calculating the return on investment potential.
So, in this article, we cover:
- The cost to build a potato cool store shed
- Price guides for popular sizes
- Factors that influence the cost
- How to create a cost-effective design
We also discuss other project costs to keep in mind and what you can do to maximise the return on your investment.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Potato Cool Store Shed?
The average cost to build a new potato cool store shed in 2025 is approximately. $450,000 including GST and installation.
Please note that this does not include the cool room panelling and technology.
We recommend reaching out to companies such as Tolsma Australia and Transcool for pricing information.
This average cost also covers a wide range of project sizes and configurations.
These range from roof-only designs to more involved designs with sliding doors, girder truss opening and cantilevered canopies.
Below we have listed some examples to show how the cost to build a potato cool store shed can vary between projects.
Potato Cool Store Shed Sizes & Prices
Here’s a list of recent potato cool store projects and an approximate price guide for each.
Disclaimer: Please note that these price guides are approximate only and do not include the cost of the cool store fit-out. These guides are intended as a budgeting tool only.
For accurate pricing for your potato cool store shed, reach out to our team on 1800 687 888 for a project consultation, or submit your project details via the REQUEST A QUOTE form, and we will be in touch!
- 30m (L) x 24m (W) x 8.25m (H) roof-only shed engineered to suit cool room panel installation costs approx. $120,000 – $150,000 including GST and shed installation.
- 67.5m (L) x 24m (W) x 8.25m (H) open gable shed with sliding doors costs approx. $300,000 – $374,000 including GST and shed installation.
- 100m (L) x 24m (W) x 9m (H) roof-only shed engineered to suit cool room panel installation costs approx. $400,000 – $490,000 including GST and shed installation.
- 128m (L) x 27m (W) x 8.25m (H) open gable shed with sliding doors, girder truss openings, 6m canopy and engineered to suit cool room panel installation costs approx. $700,000 – $850,000 including GST and shed installation.
- 50m (L) x 36m (W) x 8.6m (H) open gable shed with girder truss opening and engineered to suit cool room panel installation costs approx. $380,000 – $460,000 including GST and shed installation.
- 56m (L) x 40m (W) x 8.5m (H) fully enclosed shed with skillion, canopy, roller doors and engineered to suit cool room panel installation costs approx. $570,000 – $700,000 including GST and shed installation.
We trust these examples have been helpful for your project budgeting and show how costs can vary between projects. There are five main factors that influence project costs, and we discuss these next.
Factors That Influence The Cost To Build A Potato Cool Store Shed
The five main cost influencers for any shed project are size, configuration, complexity, design features and materials.
Here’s how each of these comes into play for a potato cool store shed.
1
Size
The size of your potato cool store shed will influence the cost of your project simply because the bigger the shed, the more materials and labour required, and vice versa.
It is also worth keeping in mind that the size of the shed can also change the classification of the building, which could lead to more permit costs. For example, installing water tanks to meet fire design requirements.
And while we mentioned earlier that bigger sheds cost more than smaller ones, it also pays to understand how the configuration impacts the price. For example, a shed may have a larger square metre coverage but cost less than a shed with a smaller square metre coverage because it uses a cost-effective configuration. We’ll explain how this works next.
2
Configuration
The configuration of your shed will impact the cost because some configurations are more cost-effective than others.
For example, it is usually more cost-effective to build a longer, narrower shed than a wider, shorter shed. This is because there is more labour and material involved in manufacturing a shed truss than there is in adding another bay on.
However, increasing the shed width and accessing the shed from the gable end is the most cost-effective way to achieve a wide opening. This also allows you to use the full length of the shed.
So, first and foremost, it is important to choose a configuration that works with your cool store set up – dysfunctional design and a lack of space could cost you more in the long run.
For advice on cost-effective and functional configurations, speak with one of our building consultants.
3
Project Complexity
The complexity of your potato cool store project may also impact the overall project cost.
The main way is that if you are building near existing buildings with limited access, this can increase the installation costs, or it could trigger some additional permit conditions, such as fire design.
Curious how this could impact your cool store project? Our building consultants and project managers are able to provide specific advice on council permits and fire design requirements.
4
Design Features
The design features you choose to customise your shed will add to the project costs.
For example, a girder truss to create a double-bay opening, a gable infill to provide weather protection or sliding doors for flexible access will all increase the overall project costs.
However, it is worth recognising that these features all increase the functionality of the shed and will pay for themselves over time.
Other design features can help create a cost-effective design. A cantilevered canopy is a classic example of this. For example, a canopy can be used to increase the coverage of a shed without having to upsize the span.
Finally, the internal fit-out of a potato cool store can also impact the price of a cool store shed. For example, will the shed need to be engineered to suit suspended cool room panel?
5
Materials
Material are an essential component for any shed project and they account for a significant amount of project costs.
The main material costs to be aware of for your cool store shed project are structural steel, cladding and hot dip galvanised coating.
Firstly, an Action shed frame is made up of heavy-duty UB columns and an open web truss construction. This makes the frame about six times heavier than a purlin shed alternative (learn more here), and as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Additionally, the steel market and global steel prices are volatile, which directly impacts the cost of structural steel. You can learn about 2025 steel prices and how they could affect your project here: What Will Steel Prices Do In 2025?
These market conditions also impact the pricing of your shed cladding options. Generally, zincalume cladding is the most effective, however, Colorbond cladding may be required for council permit approval, or it could be a smart finishing touch.
Here’s a handy comparison of your cladding options – Colorbond Versus Zinc Versus Galvanised Cladding (Pros, Cons & Prices)
Finally, the other material cost to keep in mind is the cost of corrosion protection.
Every Action shed frame is fully hot-dip galvanised after manufacturing to provide the best possible corrosion protection. While hot dip galvanising has the highest initial cost, it is the most effective way to protect your shed from rust and has the lowest long-term cost.
We don’t recommend cost-cutting when it comes to corrosion protection, and you can learn why Action sheds are fully hot-dip galvanised in the video below.
What Other Project Costs Do You Need To Know?
The shed frame and installation is just one component of a potato cool store facility.
It is important to also factor in costs for:
- Site preparation (You might find this article helpful – Farm Shed Pad Guide: Ideas, Sizes & Prices)
- Council permits (You might find this article helpful – How Much Do Farm Shed Permits Cost?)
- Concrete slabs
- Cool room panelling
- Refrigeration and sorting equipment, technology and training
So, now that we have an understanding of the main factors that affect the cost of building a potato cool store shed, let’s look at how to save money on your project by creating a cost-effective design and working with the right companies.
How To Save Money On Your Project & Create A Cost-Effective Design
While the design of your cool store shed may be dictated by the layout of the internal fit-out or existing site conditions, there are several steps you can take to reduce project costs, without sacrificing quality or functionality.
First up – starting with a standard span size.
1
Start With A Standard Span
It sounds simple, but starting with a standard span size, where practical, is a proven way to create a cost-effective shed design.
This is because the standard span range, developed over twenty years, saves time and therefore money in the manufacturing stage.
You can learn all about the range here – What Are The Standard Spans For Farm Sheds?
2
Use Standard Bay Spacings
In a similar vein to choosing a standard span size, incorporating standard bay spacings in your shed design can help streamline and speed up the drawing, engineering and manufacturing stages of your project. As the saying goes, “time is money”, so time savings can create cost savings.
Popular, functional and cost-effective bay spacings include 8 metres, 8.5 metres and 9 metres.
However, in some cases, custom bay spacings may be required to work with the cool room panelling.
3
Choose A Cost-Effective Configuration
As we mentioned earlier, some configurations are more cost-effective than others.
When it comes to potato cool store sheds, a roof-only configuration with cool room panels suspended can be a cost-effective option, as less cladding is required.
An open gable end also works well, providing a cost-effective wide opening (compared to upsizing bays or installing a girder truss) and helping facilitate efficient loading and unloading.
4
Utilise Height
Height is a cost-effective way to gain additional storage space – it is also a detail that can’t easily be altered once your shed has been built, so it is important to get it right!
Common heights for potato cool store sheds range between 8 and 9 metres, depending on the cool room set-up.
5
Collaborate With The Right Companies
The key to delivering a successful turnkey potato cool store project, within budget is collaborating with the right companies.
For example, our building consultants and projects team work alongside companies such as Tolsma and Transcool to ensure the dimensions and the layout of the shed works with the equipment and technology it houses.
With potato cool store projects a significant investment, it is important to get this level of detail right to ensure a functional set-up and avoid further costs in the future.
Watch the video below for a real-life example of how this collaboration works.
Potato Cool Store Success Story – Pat Hope, Euston Park
For all the reasons mentioned earlier – reducing storage costs, increasing labour efficiency and gaining control over seed quality – Pat Hope of Euston Park invested in a purpose-built cool store.
And it’s safe to say it is proving a wise move.
Watch the video below and discover a deep dive into the project here – Euston Park Potato Cool Store Saving Time & Money
So, that’s a wrap on the main ways to reduce project costs without sacrificing quality or functionality.
If you are also looking for ways to maximise the return on your investment, consider:
- Factoring in all project costs up-front
- Thinking long-term such as upsizing the shed to accommodate future expansion
- Creating a multi-purpose design for good value for money (such as including a general storage area)
- Planning logistics such as load-on load-out efficiencies
- Embracing technology such as the Tolsma optical sorter
For accurate pricing and project-specific advice on sizes, designs and recommended layouts, reach out to the team on 1800 687 888 – we would love to hear from you!
