Buyer guide
Cleanroom cost per m²: published ranges by ISO class
The main tables on the US pages checked run from USD 1,076 per m² for ISO 8 to USD 19,375 per m² for ISO 5, depending on source and scope. These are published industry ranges, mostly from the US and Europe. They are not ZY prices or quotations. Some leave out site preparation, freight, installation and certification. Others do not say what they cover.
By ZY Cleanroom · Updated · Sources at the end of the page
Published ranges by ISO class
Note: these are published industry ranges, mostly from the US and Europe. They are not ZY prices or quotations. Each publisher sets its own scope, and some leave items out, as set out below. Publishers are named as data sources only. All pages were checked on 31 October 2026.
Conversion: 1 m² = 10.764 sq ft, so USD per sq ft × 10.764 = USD per m². Example: 100 × 10.764 = 1,076. Each cell shows the published figure per sq ft, then the same figure per m². US figures are in USD.
| Source, region, year | ISO 8 (USD per sq ft / per m²) | ISO 7 | ISO 6 | ISO 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labs USA, US, prefabricated cleanroom page dated Dec 2025 and Oct 2026, main table | 100–250 / 1,076–2,691 | 250–450 / 2,691–4,844 | 450–700 / 4,844–7,535 | 700–1,000 / 7,535–10,764 |
| Terrapin Construction Group, US, page of Apr 2026 | 250–450 / 2,691–4,844 | 400–650 / 4,306–6,997 | 600–950 / 6,458–10,226 | 1,000–1,800 / 10,764–19,375 |
| Terrapin Construction Group, US, page updated 8 Jun 2026, hard costs | 400–650 / 4,306–6,997 | 550–850 / 5,920–9,149 | 750–1,050 / 8,073–11,302 | 900–1,200+ / 9,688–12,917+ |
| DesignTek Consulting, US, Jan 2024 | 150–300 / 1,615–3,229 (ISO 8 or lower) | 300–750 / 3,229–8,073 (given for ISO 7 or 6) | Included in the ISO 7 range | 700–1,500+ / 7,535–16,146+ (ISO 5 or lower) |
| GCS, US (Texas), 2026, turnkey modular | about 250 / about 2,691 | Not given | Not given | up to 1,800 / up to 19,375 |
Where the sources disagree
ISO 8: the low end is USD 100 per sq ft at Labs USA and USD 400 at Terrapin in June. That is USD 1,076 against USD 4,306 per m².
ISO 7: Labs USA stops at USD 450 per sq ft (USD 4,844 per m²). Terrapin's June range starts at USD 550 (USD 5,920 per m²). They do not overlap.
Terrapin's two pages conflict. For ISO 8 its April page gives USD 250–450 and its June page USD 400–650. For ISO 5 the order flips: USD 1,000–1,800 in April and USD 900–1,200+ in June. Neither page reconciles the two, so both are shown.
Labs USA also conflicts with itself. A second table on its page, by old US federal class, gives USD 75–150 per sq ft for ISO 8 (USD 807–1,615 per m²) and USD 400–600 for ISO 5 (USD 4,306–6,458 per m²). The table above uses its main ISO table.
Scope may explain part of the gap between publishers. Labs USA prices prefabricated rooms. Terrapin's June figure is ground-up or fit-out hard cost. That is our reading, not either page's statement, and it does not explain Terrapin's own two pages.
ISO 6 is thin: two US firms, and DesignTek merges it with ISO 7. ISO 4 and cleaner is left out. The two US pages that give it differ 2.5 times at the low end.
European figures
We found no European source that splits cost by ISO class. These two give one range each, in euros per m². The sq ft column divides by 10.764. Euros are not converted to dollars. The Schilling page calls its range a very rough indication. The 2012 figure is old, and the report does not say whether it covers the cleanroom alone or the whole expansion.
| Source, region, year | Class | EUR per m² | EUR per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schilling Engineering, Germany, undated page | Not given | 1,000–5,000 | 93–465 |
| reinraum.de report on a Gerresheimer plant expansion, Germany, 2012 | Expansion with rooms of class 7 and 8 and a class 8 high-bay store | 2,800–3,500 | 260–325 |
What is usually in or out
Labs USA says a typical quote covers the walls, ceiling, flooring, filtration and basic electrical components. It lists site preparation, freight, installation labour, certification and specialised furniture as separate.
Terrapin (April 2026) says pharma validation adds 8% to 18% on top of construction cost and design fees run 9% to 14% of construction. Terrapin (June 2026) puts soft costs at 20% to 35% for a typical ISO 7 facility.
GCS advises a 10% to 20% contingency for controls, validation and site needs. It puts HVAC at 25% to 50% of cost. Terrapin (April 2026) gives 35% to 55% for HVAC and filtration.
Why region and scope move the number
Terrapin's April 2026 regional table shows the effect inside one country. For ISO 7 pharma it gives USD 540–760 per sq ft (USD 5,813–8,181 per m²) in the Sunbelt and Texas. For the West Coast it gives USD 720–1,020 (USD 7,750–10,979 per m²).
GCS says cost varies with size, HVAC design, site conditions and region. A figure from another country carries that country's labour, materials, energy and permit costs. Do not apply it to your site without a local quotation.
What a bidder needs to give a real figure
Give each bidder a room list. For each room state the ISO class, whether it applies at rest or in operation, the floor area and the ceiling height.
Add a plan of the building shell, temperature, humidity and pressure targets, process heat loads, and the standard you must meet, such as ISO 14644-1 or an EU GMP grade.
State who supplies HVAC, power and utilities, who does validation, the site country and your target date. A quotation can then name its scope. A range cannot.
To have a room list reviewed, send it to ZY Cleanroom, a cleanroom design-and-build contractor in Tianjin, China.
Questions
Common questions
Why do two contractors give different ISO 7 ranges?
Neither page says. Scope may be part of it: Labs USA's prefabricated range is USD 2,691–4,844 per m², and Terrapin's June 2026 hard-cost range is USD 5,920–9,149 per m².
Do these ranges include validation?
Not clearly. Labs USA lists certification as separate. GCS suggests a 10% to 20% contingency that covers validation. Ask each bidder to state it.
How does cleanroom classification affect cost?
Cleaner classes usually need more filtered air, more fan power and more testing, so the cost rises with the class. In the prefabricated table above, the range goes from USD 1,076–2,691 per m² for ISO 8 to USD 7,535–10,764 per m² for ISO 5. That is one publisher's estimate, so set the class from your process and do not specify above it.
How much does a modular cleanroom cost?
The prefabricated range above runs from USD 1,076 per m² for ISO 8 to USD 10,764 per m² for ISO 5. The publisher lists site preparation, freight, installation labour and certification as separate items, so a full project costs more. These are US figures, not ZY prices or quotations.
Related guides
- How to choose a cleanroom contractor: questions and evidence
- How to Import a Cleanroom from China
- How to audit a cleanroom panel factory, on site or by video
- What a cleanroom costs to run: energy, filters and testing
- Turnkey cleanroom contractor
- Room list builder
Sources
- Labs USA, Cleanroom Cost Per Square Foot by Class (page shows two dates, 20 December 2025 and 7 October 2026; checked 31 October 2026)
- Terrapin Construction Group, Cleanroom Cost Per Square Foot (2026) (post date 28 April, year 2026 taken from the title; checked 31 October 2026)
- Terrapin Construction Group, Cleanroom and GMP Facility Construction Cost (2026) (updated 8 June 2026; checked 31 October 2026)
- DesignTek Consulting, Mastering Cleanroom Construction (published 16 January 2024, updated 29 January 2024; checked 31 October 2026)
- GCS, Modular Cleanroom Cost per Square Foot (2026 guide, no publication date; checked 31 October 2026)
- Schilling Engineering, What does a cleanroom cost? (no date stated; checked 31 October 2026)
- reinraum online, news on Gerresheimer Medical Plastic Systems, Pfreimd (22 November 2012; checked 31 October 2026)
Project enquiry
Send what you have
A room list, a floor plan or only the floor area is enough to start. After you submit, send drawings by email or WhatsApp.
We reply by email within one working day. We can sign an NDA before you send drawings.
WhatsApp +44 7962 561184 is our UK number for export enquiries. The factory is in Tianjin, China.
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