REFERENCE
What a cleanroom costs in Malaysia
We are not going to publish a headline figure we cannot stand behind. Here is what actually moves the number.
What moves the cost, roughly in order
- Classification. Each step tighter multiplies the volume of air you have to move and filter. Learn about classification.
- Ceiling height and clear void, which set the plant space and the duct runs.
- Air change rate, which follows from the class, the heat load and the occupancy.
- Panel type, and the fire rating the authority requires for your occupancy.
- New build against retrofit, and how much of the work has to happen around live production.
- Documentation depth, which follows from your regulator rather than from your room.
Why classification moves the number most
Cost tracks the volume of air you have to condition, filter and move, and that volume is set by the class.
As a rough order of magnitude, an ISO 8 room commonly sits in the region of 10 to 25 air changes per hour. An ISO 7 room is typically two to three times that. ISO 5 zones stop being counted in air changes at all and are designed to unidirectional airflow across the protected area.
So one step tighter is not one step more expensive. It changes the air handling plant, the duct sizes, the ceiling void you need to run them in, the filter count, and the electricity bill for the life of the room.
That is why the same floor area at two different classes is two different buildings, and why a rate per square foot quoted before the class is fixed will move.
Where the money goes
- Room envelope: panels, doors, windows, flooring
- Air handling and filtration
- Electrical, controls and monitoring
- Installation labour
- Testing, qualification and documentation
The number people forget
The air change rate you design to sets your energy bill for the life of the room. Specifying one class tighter than your product needs is the most expensive mistake available in this process, and it stays invisible until the first full year of operation. Learn about classification.
Why there is no price per square foot on this page
A rate per square foot only means something once the class, the height and the air change rate are fixed. Quoted before that, it is a number that will move, and every party quoting it knows that. We would rather give you a range after a site assessment and be able to defend it.
What to send us for a fast quotation
- Floor plan with ceiling height
- What is made in the room, and what is exposed during the process
- Target classification, or the regulatory route if you are not sure yet
- New build or retrofit, and any shutdown constraints
The more of this you send, the faster we can put a number on it.
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