Greenhouse space charges are based on square footage of the room (not bench space) assigned to a project and calculated per square foot per day for the time the project occupies the greenhouse. Watering labor is charged in 5-minute increments.
Both the space and water labor fees are invoiced monthly by the SIB Business Office.
Specific charges are listed below and take effect July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027*
*Rates are calculated annually with guidance from the Office of Government Costing and the SIB Business Office. When budgeting for space, keep in mind that rates could increase when a new fiscal year begins on July 1st.
Space: The internal rate is $0.05/sq ft/day. This includes lights, pest control, cleaning, and general/seasonal facilities maintenance. The space rate applies to the outdoor courtyard area.
Watering: Watering service is charged in 5min increments *per watering event. This is an elective service that can be added or removed during the course of the project.
*A watering event is AM and/or PM watering. This depends on plant needs. If your project requires AM & PM watering, each watering event is charged separately. For example, if it takes 10 minutes to AM water and 10 minutes to PM water then the watering time for that day is 20 minutes.
Note: If your project requires water to be measured or is considered an experimental treatment, then it is the responsibility of the lab group to perform watering duties.
Example: Renting a 200 sq ft room for 30 days with daily AM watering that takes 10 minutes.
$.05 x 200sq ft = $10 x 30 days = $300
10min x 30days = 300min/60min = 5hrs x $21.27 = $106.35
$300 + $106.35 = $406.35 estimate for 30 days of space and watering