Indoor vs outdoor walk-in cooler

How often buyers go outdoors

Real aggregate numbers from more than 23,000 quotes since 2012.

Across roughly 15,400 quotes where we could read the size, about 1 in 7 boxes is going outdoors. Restaurants go outside more often: about 1 in 4 restaurant walk-ins is outdoors, often because the kitchen has no spare floor.

Other trades fall in between. About 1 in 5 meat and game processing boxes is outdoors, and about 1 in 6 brewery, bar and taproom boxes.

What an outdoor box needs

Six things to settle before your order goes in.

• Rain roof. Outdoor boxes get a rain roof (rain cap) over the ceiling panels, unless you already protect the box another way, such as an existing canopy or overhang.
• Outdoor refrigeration. Either a remote outdoor condensing unit with an evaporator inside the box, or a self-contained outdoor system. Specs, BTU ratings and cabinet dimensions for every system are in our refrigeration equipment gallery.
• A level concrete pad. Cam locks pull panels tight only when they sit level. Plan the pad with your contractor so it is flat, level and a little larger than the box.
• Drainage. Slope the ground away from the pad so water never ponds at the base of the walls or in front of the door. The evaporator also makes condensate that needs a place to drain.
• Wind uplift compliance. See the note below. This is site work on your side.
• Electrical run. A licensed electrician runs power to the box and the condensing unit. Refrigeration and electrical are separate licensed trades, as our installation guide explains.

Sun matters too. Refrigeration is sized from the heat load, not floor area, and a box in full sun in a hot climate carries more load than the same box in an air-conditioned building. Tell us where the box sits and how hot it gets, and we size the system for it.

Outdoor freezers: floor included

Every walk-in freezer we quote includes an insulated floor, indoors or out. Concrete is not an insulator. A box held at 0°F to -10°F freezes the moisture in and under the slab, the ice expands about nine percent, and that frost heave lifts and cracks the concrete and throws the panels out of level.

An outdoor pad sits on ground that is wet after every rain, so the floor matters even more there. The floor raises the entry by about 4 inches, which is why outside ramps (34, 48 or 60 inches wide by 30 inches deep) appear as options. Freezer door frames carry a 115 V heater wire and every freezer has a 115 V pressure relief vent, so plan power for both.

If you need cold and frozen storage, a combination cooler and freezer shares a wall and one rain roof. About 1 in 4 restaurant quotes is a combination. For coolers, the floor question is covered in floor or no floor.

What to check indoors

Indoor boxes skip the weather, but they have their own limits.

Ceiling height

Standard height is 7'6", and we also build 8'0", 8'6", 9'0", 10'0" and 12'0". Leave room above the box for the ceiling and for any refrigeration mounted on top. Low ceilings are normal work; panels are made to your dimensions.

Room heat

A box next to fryers and ranges works harder than one in a cool storeroom. Tell us the room temperature so the system is sized for the real load.

Where the heat goes

Every condensing unit rejects heat. A remote indoor unit or a self-contained system puts that heat into your building; a remote outdoor unit sends it outside. In a hot kitchen, an indoor box with an outdoor condensing unit is often the better pairing.

The route in

Panels ship flat, but they still have to reach the room. Measure your narrowest doorway, the tightest hallway turn and the lowest ceiling obstruction. Our size guide covers footprint and shelving.

Permits and local rules

Permits are set locally, so check with your building department before you order. An outdoor box is a structure on your property, so it is more likely to raise questions about wind, setbacks and electrical service than a box inside an existing room. Local codes, permits and any wind load engineering are the buyer's responsibility, so start that conversation early.

Every walk-in gets a dimensioned approval drawing (plan and elevation, with door and evaporator callouts) to sign before anything is built. That drawing gives your contractor and inspector something concrete to review. You can see real examples in our drawings gallery.

Indoor or outdoor: the checklist

1. Measure the indoor space first. If the footprint you need fits with clearance for air and refrigeration, indoor is usually simpler.
2. Check the route. If panels cannot reach the room, outdoors may be the only answer.
3. Count staff trips. Many trips a shift favor a box close to the line.
4. Look at the site. Outdoors needs a level pad, drainage, a power run and room for the condensing unit.
5. Ask about wind uplift. Find out if a wall or strap system is required where you are, and whether an engineer is needed.
6. Compare totals. Outdoor adds a rain roof and outdoor refrigeration; indoor may add a remote line set run. The cost guide explains each driver.

Send us your dimensions, indoor or outdoor, your city and a photo of the spot, and we will come back with a real number, usually the same day. Request your free quote. Free shipping on every walk-in we quote; see how delivery works.