Conservatory Prices 2020 & Cost Guide

How Much Does a Conservatory Cost?

The cost of a buying a conservatory for your home is clearly going to be dictated by 2 main factors, namely the style and the size. So when you ask “how much does a conservatory cost?” you will find that the bigger and more fancy the room you want, the more you are likely to pay to have it installed.

Up-front conservatory costs are not the only thing to consider, don’t forget you may need to do interior finshings such as lighting, heating, décor & furnishing or blinds & curtains – all these things add to the final price. Which is why an “instant online quote” can give you only part of the total cost of getting that new home extension finished and ready to enjoy.

What are the different types of conservatories?

There are some things to consider for this answer, the type of material the conservatory is built from and the style of the conservatory itself.

1. Materials – The most common materials used in the construction of conservatories would be uPVC, Hardwood, Engineered Wood or Aluminium. Out of these materials, uPVC is most likely to offer the lowest installation price and ongoing maintenance costs.
2. Labour costs – instant online quotes do not take into account difficult or abnormal site condititons. Labour cost on this aspect alone can vary greatly. Get a survey & written quote.
3. Style – Popular styles include Lean-to and Victorian Conservatories.

You can see what the most popular conservatory styles are on this page.

One really good thing to remember is that, according to many reputable sources, building a conservatory on your property can actually add value to the house – it’s estimated that this figure could be as much as 10% added to the resale value. With the average house price in the UK at just over £217,000 this year, a new conservatory could put more than £20,000 on the value of your house.

Average Costs of Conservatories.

Orangery or Bespoke conservatories, as you might expect, are at the upper end of the prices range as they would tend to be larger and more complex designs that are built to order.

Having said that, even adding features like dwarf walls or any type of masonry to a small conservatory will drive up the end cost.

Some extra’s or features that can impact pricing.

• The number of opening window lights
• Conservatory door design
• Specialised glass: toughened / laminated / patterned / low-e
• Sealed double glazed (or triple glazed) thermal gap (5-21mm)
• Window Energy Ratings
• Coloured uPVC or Wooodgrain
• Window & door furniture
• Roof: glass or poly-carbonate
• Brickwork, block-work or masonry
• Size – do you need planning permission?
• Access – is it difficult for builders to get materials in and out?
• Quality of materials, guarantees & warranties

You also have to take into account the ground you are building on.

If the ground is good, you may need a less substantial base or foundation. But if the ground is bad, then the cost of the foundations can increase. Therefore the final prices is also dependent upon what you do with the foundations of the conservatory.

One option that can be used in many types of ground, and useful where there are a lot of utility pipes / cables or drains on site, is to install a pre-fabricated steel base. These are raised galvanised steel frames that sit on plinths and avoid the need to dig traditional trench footings. A standard small steel conservatory base price will be around £1,500.

In order to give yourself the best chances of finding a really good deal, don’t be reluctant to shop around by getting written quotes from a number of different companies – try to select installers that have recognised trade accreditation from GGF / FENSA / CERTASS or DGCOS and then negotiate for a price that is the best that is on offer with the installers of your choice.

What is a Lean To Conservatory?

More often than not, lean to conservatories are rectangular in shape (sometimes square) with the longest side against the house and a single plane, angled, sloping roof. Known for their versatility, a lean-to can be fitted almost anywhere, in small or larger spaces.

Because they are not that complicated in design there are many low-cost or budget lean-to conservatories on the market.

What are my options?

Some of the more popular options for Lean to conservatories are to have full glass sides or to include low height brick or block-work knows as “Dwarf Walls”.

You can also have “half-glazed” where the bottom half of the glazing is replaced with infill panels (typically uPVC).

Roofing can be fully double glazed or make use of a lower cost option such as polycarbonate panels. Whilst Poly-carbonate panels are not as good as a double glazed roof, you can get them in tinted colours such as Opal or Bronze that do go some way to help reduce sun glare.

Using French doors & sliding patio doors is commonplace, but if you have the room to do so (and the budget) a full width set of Bifold doors can look amazing.

What is a Lean-to Veranda Conservatory?

This is not really a conservatory style of its’ own, but more of a development of a specialised feature where the external roof line is extended (on the door side of the room) to create a protected area – much like an awning over a window.

How much do lean to conservatories cost?

There are 2 aspects to this – Labour & Materials. So some prices may show supply only, others will give a general idea of what the price range may be for supply & fit.

In any event, small lean-to conservatory prices fitted, sized in the region of 3000mm x 1500mm, will start from around £5,000 for a basic room. According to a review of prices for fitted Lean To conservatories, the average cost is between £6,500 & £6,800

UPVC LEAN TO CONSERVATORY PRICES

Full Glass Lean-to Conservatory Material Used General Price Guide 11′ 6″ x 6′ 6″ (3.5m x 2.0m) uPVC with polycarb roof£5,500 to £7,500 11′ 6″ x 8′ 1″ (3.5m x 2.5m)uPVC£6,500 to £8,500 13′ 1″ x 6′ 6″ (4.0m x 2.0m)uPVC£6,000 to £8,000 13′ 1″ x 8′ 1″ (4.0m x 2.5m)uPVC£7,000 to £9,000

To substitute Poly-carbonate roof sections with double glazed units you should add from £500 to £1,000 to the cost (depending on the size of your conservatory).

Lean-to Conservatory + Dwarf Walls Material Used General Price Guide 11′ 6″ x 6′ 6″ (3.5m x 2.0m) uPVC with polycarb roof £6,500 to £8,500 11′ 6″ x 8′ 1″ (3.5m x 2.5m)uPVC£8,000 to £10,000 13′ 1″ x 6′ 6″ (4.0m x 2.0m)uPVC£7,000 to £9,000 13′ 1″ x 8′ 1″ (4.0m x 2.5m)uPVC£8,500 to £10,500

What is a Victorian Conservatory?

Also sometimes referred to as one of the “Period Conservatory Styles”, a Victorian Conservatory is characterised by the effective use of faceted sides (like a bay window). Smaller examples will have 3 facets, larger can be found with 5 facets.

Featuring ornate paneled roofing with a traditional “sun-room” feel about them, Victorian conservatories are considered an elegant style.

What are my options?

Options for Victorian conservatories are for full glass sides and many make good use of low level “Dwarf Walling”.

You can also have the sides “half-glazed” using uPVC panels to infill in place of glazed sections.

Roofing of the room is typically double glazing or polycarbonate panels, but there is a current trend towards sold roofing. This option allows for fully tiled / slated roofing or even the use of composite panels.

Using French doors is very popular in a Victorian conservatory, as they open outwards and therefore do not interfere with internal space.

How much do Victorian conservatories cost?

UPVC VICTORIAN CONSERVATORY PRICES

Full Glass Victorian Conservatory Material Used General Price Guide 11′ 6″ x 11′ 6″ (3.5m x 3.5m) uPVC with polycarb roof£9,500 to £11,500 11′ 6″ x 13′ 1″ (3.5m x 4.0m)uPVC with polycarb roof£10,000 to £12,000 13′ 1″ x 13′ 1″ (4.0m x 4.0m)uPVC with polycarb roof£12,000 to £14,000

To substitute Poly-carbonate roof sections with double glazed units you should add from £750 to £1,500 to the cost (depending on the size of your conservatory).

Victorian Conservatory + Dwarf Wall Material Used General Price Guide 11′ 6″ x 11′ 6″ (3.5m x 3.5m) uPVC with polycarb roof£11,000 to £13,500 11′ 6″ x 13′ 1″ (3.5m x 4.0m)uPVC with polycarb roof£12,500 to £14,500 13′ 1″ x 13′ 1″ (4.0m x 4.0m)uPVC with polycarb roof£13,000 to £16,000

What is an Edwardian or Georgian Conservatory?

Also one of the “Period Conservatory Styles”, Georgian or Edwardian Conservatories are square or rectangular in shape and work best as a medium or large conservatories.

The Edwardian & Georgian Conservatory Styles are very similar, and from a distance it is very difficult to spot the differences as they both share so many of the same features.

Edwardian & Georgian style rooms have high roof-lines, known as vaulted or hipped roofing, which can be quite ornamental with detailed ridges and guttering. The flat sides and rectangular shape make them quite easy to furnish, as unlike a Victorian design they have no facets or “curved” floor-plan.

What are my options?

Both of these conservatories can be installed with fully glazed sides, but look much better with Dwarf Walls – they add to the character and make the room appear more as part of the original home rather that something just “stuck on as an afterthought”.

As with other designs, you could opt for having the sides “half-glazed” in place of brick-work at low level, but I’n not quite sure this option works well with this style of room.

Similarly to a Victorian style, Edwardian & Georgian conservatories look good with French doors and this double door feature is the most popular choice.

How much do Georgian & Edwardian conservatories cost?

UPVC GEORGIAN & EDWARDIAN CONSERVATORY PRICES

Full Glass Edwardian Conservatory Material Used General Price Guide 11′ 6″ x 11′ 6″ (3.5m x 3.5m) uPVC with polycarb roof£7,500 to £9,500 11′ 6″ x 13′ 1″ (3.5m x 4.0m)uPVC with polycarb roof£9,000 to £11,000 13′ 1″ x 13′ 1″ (4.0m x 4.0m)uPVC with polycarb roof£11,500 to £14,000

To substitute Poly-carbonate roof sections with double glazed units you should add from £1.000 to £2,000 to the cost (depending on the size of your conservatory).

Georgian Conservatory + Dwarf Wall Material Used General Price Guide 11′ 6″ x 11′ 6″ (3.5m x 3.5m) uPVC with glass roof£9,500 to £11,500 11′ 6″ x 13′ 1″ (3.5m x 4.0m) uPVC with glass roof£12,500 to £14,500 13′ 1″ x 13′ 1″ (4.0m x 4.0m) uPVC with glass roof£15,000 to £17,000

What are Bespoke conservatories?

The most frequent use of a bespoke conservatory would be for rooms such as the P-shape, T-shape or L-shape conservatory.

• P-shape very often combine a Victorian style with a Lean-to section
• T-shape work well with Edwardian or Georgian Styles
• L-shape is commonly where a lean-to conservatory “wraps around” a corner of the property.

Other bespoke options could be to use something like a “gull wing lean-to conservatory”

What are my options?

As bespoke conservatories are built to order on the basis of your requirements, then it means that you can have whatever options that the design parameters, or your budget, can cope with.

How much do Bespoke conservatories cost?

BESPOKE CONSERVATORY PRICES

Type of Bespoke Conservatory Material Used General Price Guide P-shaped conservatory various£10,000 to £20,000 L-shaped Conservatoryvarious£9,000 to £15,000 T-shaped EdwardianGlazed & Dwarf Wall£15,500 to £25,000

What about Planning Permission for a Conservatory?

The requirements for, and the cost of, planning permission for a conservatory need to be considered at the very early stages of your project. The reason for this is to make sure that you either do, or do not need prior planning permission to build your conservatory.

If you build a conservatory without planning permission and you should have had it, then you may be able to apply retrospectively (afterwards) but this process is fraught with problems and difficulties. But you could easily end up being ordered to remove the construction completely – and that is going to cost a lot of time, trouble, stress and heavy expenses.

There are some definite cases, irrespective of the size of the proposed project, where you will need permission to build before you start work.

• If you live in a listed property.
• If you live in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
• If there is some kind of restrictive covenant on your title deeds.

There is a lot of guidance here on the UK Planning portal

Frequently Asked Questions from Our Visitors – Click the Icon Image Below to go to the Section Required

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