Poly tunnel greenhouse
The lowest-capital protected structure per square metre: steel hoops, a film cover and a crop that pays for it in one or two seasons.
A tunnel is a single-span film house: hoops at 1 m to 1.2 m centres, a 6 m, 8 m or 10 m span, and a film cover fixed with profiles rather than glass. It goes up fast, needs little site work and can be extended one bay at a time as the market allows.
It gives up precise control — a tunnel follows the weather more than it resists it — so it suits protected field production, season extension, seedlings and crops sold on volume rather than on a twelve-month supply contract.
Configurations
Season extension
Roll-up side curtains and a light cover for a few extra weeks at each end of the season.
Protected field production
Higher hoops, stronger frame, insect screen on the sides.
Nursery
Shaded, ventilated tunnels for young plants and cuttings.
Structure and covering specification
| Span | 6 m / 8 m / 10 m single span |
| Bay | 1.0 m – 1.2 m hoop spacing |
| Cover | 150 μm film, UV stabilised, anti-drip option |
| Frame | Hot-dip galvanised steel tube |
| Ventilation | Side vents, roll-up curtains, ridge vents on request |
| Snow | Single-span tunnels are not designed for heavy snow unless specified |
Values are the standard range. Final dimensions, loads and covering are fixed per project against the site's climate data.
Questions buyers ask about this family
How long does the film last?
A UV-stabilised 150 μm film is normally replaced every three to four seasons; heat, dust and strong sun shorten that. Budget the replacement as a running cost, not a repair.
Can a tunnel be upgraded to a multi-span house later?
Not structurally. If you expect to add climate control, glazing or a gutter system within a few years, start with a multi-span frame and keep the tunnel for a separate block.
Other families and next reads
Put this family against your site
Send the country, the area and the crop. We reply with a configuration, a preliminary layout and the questions that change the price.