The cold room market in Kenya ranges from highly experienced specialists with decades of track record to informal operators who have assembled a few modular rooms with no engineering background. Choosing the wrong contractor is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make. Here’s a practical framework for selecting well.
1. Verify Experience and Track Record
Ask specifically for references from businesses similar to yours in scale and application. A contractor who has installed dozens of restaurant chillers may not be the right choice for a pharmaceutical cold room or an export-grade flower facility. Request site visits to completed installations if possible — a confident, quality contractor will welcome this.
Ask how long the business has been operating. Cold room installation is a technical discipline that improves with experience. Newer operators may offer lower prices but carry higher execution risk.
2. Ask for a Heat Load Calculation
Any competent contractor should, as a matter of course, produce a heat load calculation before specifying equipment or providing a firm quote. This calculation accounts for room dimensions, target temperature, ambient conditions, door usage, and product load. If a contractor quotes you a price based solely on room size without asking these questions, that is a red flag.