Quick answer
Choose the delivery model before the contractor: design-build or EPC if you want one party to own design and interface risk, a refrigeration contractor plus separate building contract if you have an owner's engineer, or an equipment package only if you can coordinate the rest. Then give every bidder the same written brief — products, temperatures, pallet positions, peak intake, site, power, refrigerant and charge strategy — check references for the same refrigerant and temperature range, and compare bids line by line on scope, exclusions, service and lifecycle cost rather than headline price.
Key takeaways
- Should I hire a design-build contractor or buy refrigeration equipment separately? Design-build or EPC puts design and interface risk with one party and suits buyers without in-house refrigeration engineering.
- What refrigerant limits apply to a new US cold storage warehouse in 2026? Under 40 CFR 84.54(c)(9), as amended by EPA's final rule of 26 May 2026, new cold storage warehouse systems may not use regulated HFCs or blends with a GWP of 700 or more from 27 July 2026.
- At what ammonia charge do OSHA PSM and EPA RMP apply? Anhydrous ammonia is listed with a threshold quantity of 10,000 lb in both 29 CFR 1910.119 Appendix A and 40 CFR 68.130.
- What evidence should I ask a refrigeration contractor for? Comparable projects with the same refrigerant and temperatures and a client you may call, who designs and who installs, PSM or IIAR 9 experience where relevant, written service response times and spares, the…
Reviewed: 2026-10-22 · ColdMatch Group
Edition note — 22 October 2026. By the ColdMatch Group editorial team. Regulatory references were checked against the official texts listed under Sources on this date. This is general buyer guidance, not legal, engineering or safety advice. ColdMatch is a buyer-first procurement service — not a contractor, manufacturer, warehouse operator, freight platform or lender.
Most North American cold storage projects are bought through one of three routes: a design-build or EPC contract, a specialist refrigeration contractor working alongside a general contractor, or an equipment package coordinated by the owner's engineer. Each route can deliver a good facility. Problems usually start when bidders are asked to price different things — one quotes a turnkey freezer building, another only the refrigeration plant — and the buyer compares the totals.
The short version
- Decide the delivery model and who owns each interface
- Write one brief that every bidder prices
- Put the refrigerant and ammonia rules in the brief, not in the negotiation
- Ask for evidence that matches your project, not a brochure
- Normalise the bids before you compare prices
- Agree service, commissioning and acceptance tests in the contract
1. Choose the delivery model first
| Delivery model | Who carries design and interface risk | Works well when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design-build / EPC | One contractor for design, envelope, refrigeration, electrical and commissioning | You have no in-house refrigeration engineer, or the schedule is tight | Less visibility of equipment choices; agree a clear performance specification and change-order rules |
| Refrigeration contractor + general contractor | Split between two contracts; your engineer manages the interface | You already have a building partner or an owner's engineer | Gaps at slab heating, penetrations, power supply and controls integration |
| Equipment package (owner-coordinated) | You or your engineer | Retrofits, plant replacements, or teams with strong engineering capacity | You own installation quality, start-up and every interface |
A practical test: list every interface — slab and under-floor heating, insulated envelope, doors and docks, refrigeration plant, electrical service, controls and monitoring, fire protection, racking and automation — and write next to each one who you want to be responsible. If most lines say "one party", you are buying design-build or EPC.
2. Write one brief that every bidder prices
Contractors can only quote what they are told. A brief that is good enough for comparable bids covers:
- Products and temperatures: each product, entry and holding temperature, humidity where relevant, and any blast-freezing or pull-down time
- Capacity and throughput: pallet positions, rack type and height, peak daily intake and dispatch, door openings per hour
- Site: location, design ambient conditions, building status (new, existing, conversion), seismic and snow loads where relevant
- Power: available electrical service, backup power expectations and any demand limits from the utility
- Refrigerant and charge strategy: ammonia, CO2, low-charge ammonia, cascade or HFC/HFO options you will accept, and whether you want to stay below the 10,000 lb ammonia threshold
- Redundancy and controls: N+1 requirements, monitoring, alarm routing, data you need for food-safety or GMP-relevant records
- Commercial terms: schedule, phasing, payment milestones, warranty, spares and the service response you expect
Use the technical specification builder, cold room size calculator, refrigeration load calculator and door infiltration load calculator to turn these inputs into a written basis. For ammonia projects, start from the ammonia refrigeration RFQ template.
3. Put the 2026 rules in the brief
Refrigerant and process-safety rules change what can be installed and what it costs to operate. State them in the RFQ so every bidder prices the same compliance basis. The summary below reflects the official texts as checked on 22 October 2026; confirm applicability for your system with qualified professionals.
United States: refrigerant limits for new cold storage warehouse systems
EPA's final rule published on 26 May 2026 (effective 27 July 2026) amended 40 CFR 84.54(c)(9). New cold storage warehouse systems may not use regulated HFCs, or blends containing them, with a GWP of 700 or more. From 1 January 2032 the limit tightens to GWP 150 for systems with a charge of 200 lb or more (excluding the high-temperature side of a cascade) and GWP 300 for smaller systems or the high-temperature side of a cascade. EPA noted that most cold storage warehouses already use refrigerants that meet the stricter limits, including ammonia and CO2.
What this means for a buyer: an HFC/HFO blend that is allowed in 2026 may face a tighter rule for systems installed from 2032, and service costs over a 20-year life depend on the refrigerant. Ask each bidder to state the refrigerant, its GWP, the expected charge and the basis for any efficiency figures.
United States: ammonia process safety
Anhydrous ammonia is listed with a threshold quantity of 10,000 lb in OSHA's Process Safety Management standard (29 CFR 1910.119, Appendix A) and in EPA's Risk Management Program list (40 CFR 68.130). Above that quantity in a process, PSM and RMP programmes apply. For existing systems, IIAR 9 required an initial safety evaluation of each ammonia refrigeration system against its minimum safety requirements by 1 January 2026 — relevant if you are buying a retrofit or an expansion. Low-charge ammonia packages and CO2 systems are often specified to reduce charge; whether they suit your site is an engineering question.
Canada: federal HFC rules and provincial requirements
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Ozone-depleting Substances and Halocarbon Alternatives Regulations phase down HFC consumption and restrict the manufacture and import of certain products containing HFCs. Pressure equipment, mechanical refrigeration and electrical approvals are handled provincially, so ask each bidder which provincial registrations and inspections their scope includes. See the refrigerant phase-out guide and the refrigeration safety standards guide for background.
4. Ask for evidence that matches your project
A long client list says little. Ask each contractor for evidence that matches your temperatures, refrigerant and size:
- Two or three comparable projects (same refrigerant, similar temperatures and capacity), with a contact you may call
- Who designs, who installs and which work is subcontracted
- PSM/RMP programme experience for ammonia projects above threshold, or IIAR 9 evaluation experience for retrofits
- Service coverage: where technicians are based, response time they will commit to in writing and spare-parts holding
- Controls and monitoring: platform, data access and who owns the programming
- Commissioning plan, acceptance tests and the handover documents you will receive
- Insurance and bonding they can provide, and warranty terms by component
Treat any certificate, listing or reference as a claim until you have seen the document or spoken to the client. ColdMatch does not certify or vet suppliers; supplier content on this site is informational.
5. Normalise bids before comparing prices
| Line to normalise | Why it moves the price | What to ask every bidder |
|---|---|---|
| Design basis | Different heat loads produce different plant sizes | Confirm the load, ambient and pull-down basis used |
| Envelope and floor | Panel thickness, slab heating and doors are often split | Is the envelope in scope? Thickness, U-value, floor heating method |
| Electrical | Service upgrades can be large and are often excluded | Main service, MCC, cabling and utility work in or out |
| Controls and monitoring | Basic controls versus full data and alarm routing | Platform, points list, remote access, data ownership |
| Redundancy | N+1 compressors, evaporators and backup power change cost | Which components have redundancy and what is excluded |
| Commissioning | Start-up only versus full performance testing | Test procedure, duration and acceptance criteria |
| Service and warranty | First-year service can be included or priced separately | Warranty by component, service response and spares |
Then compare lifecycle cost, not only capital cost: energy at your tariff, maintenance, refrigerant service and expected downtime. The proposal comparison matrix, refrigeration TCO calculator and energy lifecycle calculator help you do this with your own inputs. A deeper walkthrough is in comparing refrigeration proposals on lifecycle cost.
Red flags in contractor bids
- A price with no stated design basis or heat load
- "By others" against electrical, controls or floor heating without a list
- Energy or savings claims with no measurement basis
- No named commissioning procedure or acceptance test
- Service response described as "prompt" rather than in hours, in writing
- A refrigerant choice with no GWP, charge or compliance statement
6. New build, conversion or retrofit
New build lets you design the building around the refrigeration and racking. Converting an existing warehouse depends on slab, roof, clear height and power — see retrofitting an existing warehouse for cold storage. Plant retrofits need an inventory of the existing system, its safety evaluation status, a downtime plan and a decision on refrigerant; CO2 and ammonia retrofits in Europe and North America covers the options.
7. Sourcing and import risks
Some buyers compare domestic contractors with imported equipment packages. That can widen the field, but it moves risk to you:
- Approvals: electrical equipment generally needs a listing or certification mark accepted by the local inspection authority, and pressure-retaining components need documentation accepted by the state or provincial authority. Confirm what your jurisdiction requires before ordering
- Service: an imported plant still needs local technicians, spare parts and controls support for its whole life
- Duties and trade measures: these change; confirm landed cost with a licensed customs broker
- Schedule: shipping, customs and site acceptance add time; ask for a dated programme
- Documentation: manuals, wiring diagrams and safety documents in English (and French where required in Canada)
8. What a project costs — planning numbers only
Budgets should come from bids. For early screening, ColdMatch uses one shared planning baseline: for North America, a turnkey facility excluding land and the building structure is about USD 520–850 per m³ chilled and USD 680–1,150 per m³ frozen, or USD 2,800–5,000 per pallet position. These are not quotes, and site works, utility interconnection, automation and labour can move the delivered figure well outside these bands. Method and exclusions are on the cost benchmarks page.
Where ColdMatch fits — and what it does not do
ColdMatch is free for buyers. For industrial cold-chain projects from USD 250,000, the team reviews your brief, asks questions where it is incomplete, contacts suitable refrigeration contractors, EPC firms or equipment suppliers on your behalf and presents their responses organised on the same basis. You receive a structured comparison, not a contact list; buyers and suppliers do not message each other through the platform. If a deal closes, the supplier — never the buyer — pays ColdMatch a success fee.
ColdMatch does not design or build facilities, manufacture equipment, certify suppliers, operate warehouses, book freight or storage, lend money or give legal, engineering or financial advice. Final technical, legal and commercial decisions stay with you and your advisers. If you only need a small replacement or a standard catalogue item, buying direct from a trusted contractor is often simpler.
Contractor RFQ checklist
- Delivery model and responsibility for each interface
- Products, temperatures, humidity and pull-down or freezing times
- Pallet positions, racking, peak intake, dispatch and door activity
- Site location, design ambient, building status and structural limits
- Electrical service available, backup power and utility demand limits
- Accepted refrigerants, expected charge and ammonia threshold strategy
- Redundancy, controls, monitoring, alarm routing and data ownership
- Envelope, floor heating, doors and docks — in or out of scope
- Commissioning procedure, acceptance tests and handover documents
- Warranty by component, service response in hours and spares
- Schedule, phasing, payment milestones tied to acceptance
- Exclusions listed and priced
Download the contractor RFQ checklist (CSV). Also available as CSV in: Español · Português · Français · Deutsch · Italiano · العربية · עברית · 中文 · हिन्दी · Türkçe · Bahasa Indonesia.
Next step
If your project is an industrial cold-chain investment from USD 250,000, send your project brief to ColdMatch. It is free for buyers and there is no obligation to award. For market context, see cold chain in the United States and cold chain in Canada.
Sources
- 40 CFR 84.54 — Restrictions on the use of hydrofluorocarbons — eCFR
- Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons: reconsideration of certain regulatory requirements (final rule, 26 May 2026; effective 27 July 2026) — Federal Register
- Technology Transitions HFC Restrictions by Sector — US EPA
- 29 CFR 1910.119 Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (Appendix A) — eCFR
- 40 CFR 68.130 List of substances (Risk Management Program) — eCFR
- IIAR 9 Addendum A (2024) — Minimum safety requirements for existing closed-circuit ammonia refrigeration systems — IIAR
- Ozone-depleting Substances and Halocarbon Alternatives Regulations — Environment and Climate Change Canada
- ColdMatch cold storage cost benchmarks 2026 — method, scope and exclusions
Run the numbers
Calculators for this project type
Indicative planning figures only — final sizing belongs to the supplier's or consultant's detailed design.
Cold storage capacity calculator
Pallet positions, chamber volume and indicative build cost for a refrigerated warehouse.
Energy & backup powerEnergy & backup power cost calculator
Annual energy spend from load and running hours, plus the cost of generator hours during outages.
Frequently asked questions
Plan the numbers before you send an RFQ
The reference pages buyers use most before requesting quotes.