Frequently Asked Questions
Cost, typhoon resistance, subsidies, timeline — your most common questions, answered in one place.
01How is the cost of building a greenhouse estimated?
Cost depends on structural type, span and height, covering material, environmental-control equipment, and site conditions — the same area can differ several-fold by specification.
02How do you charge? How are the design fee and construction fee structured?
Initial consultation is free. Send us the site location, on-site photos, and intended crop, and we will help judge feasibility and give budget-range guidance. On-site surveys, site-condition assessments, and planning reports carry an assessment fee; if you build with us, the fee is fully credited toward the contract price or design fee. Travel for outlying islands and remote areas is billed separately. The planning-and-design fee is quoted by project scale, complexity, and drawing depth (feasibility assessment, planning, design and construction drawings); it is a design service, priced separately from construction. The construction fee is quoted from the approved drawings, material specifications, and item quantities, with the contract following once terms are confirmed. We insist on “design first, price second,” so the construction fee is built on defined requirements rather than pieced together afterward.
03What should you prepare first before building a greenhouse?
Prepare the parcel number and land documents, the intended crop, the production method, the required area, site photos, current utilities, and a budget range. That is enough for a first-round read on land regulations, facility type, and feasibility.
04Does a farm-facility permitted-use consent always exempt you from a building permit?
Not necessarily. Permitted-use consent does not replace the Building Act process; whether you are exempt, or must apply for a building, miscellaneous, or other permit, is confirmed by the local agriculture and building authorities according to the facility’s type, scale, foundation, and local rules.
05Must a greenhouse use the Agriculture and Food Agency standard drawings?
Not necessarily, but certain subsidies may require conformity to the published drawings, or a project-specific structural design with certification. Even without a subsidy the standard drawings remain a useful reference for type selection; whenever the actual dimensions or materials differ, they should be re-checked.
06How much electrical capacity should a commercial greenhouse apply for?
There is no one-size answer. It is calculated from the running load of all equipment, inrush current, simultaneous-use rate, and future expansion, then the supply arrangement is confirmed with Hwa-Nan and Taipower. Do not buy all the equipment before applying for power.
07Can you just drill a well and use groundwater directly?
Usually it cannot be treated as a legal water source outright. Groundwater development and use involve water rights and local-authority procedures, and may be restricted by groundwater-control zones, land subsidence, or other limits; confirm this before designing the irrigation system.
08How do you reduce typhoon losses?
Beyond a stronger frame, you must also address foundation uplift resistance, bracing, joints, covering fixings, door and window locking, drainage, protection from flying-debris impact, power-outage backup, and pre-typhoon operation. A local opening or covering failing first can raise internal pressure and trigger whole-structure failure.
09Taiwan has so many typhoons — how are greenhouses made typhoon-resistant?
Typhoon resistance is not just thicker material; it begins with structural logic. Hwa-Nan assesses wind-pressure conditions by site location, wind direction, terrain, and use, then applies span control, truss layout, foundation reinforcement, tie-member design, and covering method so the greenhouse has a clear safety strategy in both daily use and typhoons.
10Are there government subsidies for greenhouses, and how do I apply?
Yes. The Ministry of Agriculture’s protected-agriculture program offers subsidies. Hwa-Nan is on the Ministry’s greenhouse/net-house contractor reference list and can assist with specifications, drawings, and application documents. (Applicable in Taiwan.)
11How long does it take from consultation to completion?
Site visit and interview → planning, design, and quotation → application → construction → handover. Simple net houses can be finished within weeks; steel-frame greenhouses are generally measured in months.
12Can an old greenhouse be retrofitted and upgraded?
When the structure is still sound, a retrofit can often greatly improve performance without a full rebuild. We provide on-site structural assessment.
13What areas do you serve?
Based in Qishan, Kaohsiung, with construction across all of Taiwan; overseas we provide design, specification, and construction-supervision consulting.
14How is Hwa-Nan different from other greenhouse contractors?
Hwa-Nan supports the agricultural field with architectural and engineering expertise. The first generation brings 30-plus years of greenhouse construction experience; the second integrates architectural design, structural thinking, and project management. A greenhouse serves the plants first: the grower knows the crop best, and we help assess wind, sunlight, drainage, ventilation, workflow, and structural safety — then deliver it through drawings, construction specs, and project management.
15Do you offer English-language service and accept international collaboration?
Yes. We provide English communication and documentation. For international projects we offer one of three models: (1) design + specification, with materials procured locally; (2) design + specification + supervision + materials, with materials exported from Taiwan; (3) material supply. Email: alan03265@gmail.com.