Conservatory Cost

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How Much Does a Conservatory Cost?

Looking to find out how much a conservatory costs in the UK?

In 2026, the average conservatory cost for a standard uPVC conservatory is around £15,000 (not including fixtures and fittings). However, should you choose a more premium material, such as timber, then expect initial costs to be much higher.

Other factors that impact the cost of a conservatory extension include any groundworks and laying the foundation, as well as the size and location, overall design and any additional finishing touches.

What is your main reason for having a conservatory extension?

Creating additional living space

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Increase the amount of natural light

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Enhance the appearance of your property

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To increase the value of your property

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Conservatory Prices

Here are the starting prices for different conservatory extension designs, fully fitted (the structure plus the base, groundwork and installation):

Fully Fitted Conservatory Prices

The prices below are for a fully fitted conservatory at the most common 3m x 3m with a dwarf wall:

Larger floor areas and more complex designs will generally cost more, so the tables below show the typical structure-only price for each style and size.

Conservatory Extension Costs per m²

Let's take a closer look at the cost per m² for those different types of conservatories. These are structural costs only (the frame, roof and glazing). They exclude the base, the groundwork, any dwarf walls and the installation, which together start at £2,500 for a standard small build:

Conservatory prices per m² tend to be higher for smaller designs, as fixed costs are similar regardless of size.

Supply Cost of Conservatory Extension

The prices below are supply-only starting prices for the structure of a 3m x 3m conservatory with a dwarf wall (including the frame, roof and glazing), before the base and installation are added:

Labour Cost to Build a Conservatory

Labour costs for a conservatory vary by experience, qualifications, time on site, and location (with labour rates in London and the South East higher than the national average). Hiring a company to carry out the building work will usually also include a project manager who coordinates the workforce and how the job is planned out and the timeline involved.

Take a look at the below to help determine the labour costs and approximately how long the construction process will take. These are the day rates a homeowner is charged for labour only, including VAT. They are national figures. London and the South East run above them.

Conservatory installation is usually priced as one job rather than by the day, and typically starts at around £2,500 with the base included. The day rates above cover the individual trades a build might also call on, such as a bricklayer for a dwarf wall or an electrician for lighting and sockets.

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Factors That Impact the Cost of a Conservatory

Here are the main factors that impact conservatory extension building costs:

• Groundwork and Foundations — Having a site survey is recommended as the base for your framework is crucial for the longevity of your conservatory. The ground will need excavation to determine foundation depth, after which you can choose a flat or raised base, whereby the material may vary depending on the local ground condition.
• Building the Frame — Most conservatory frames are uPVC, wood, or aluminium. uPVC is cost-effective, low-maintenance, and comes in various designs. Hardwood frames are pricier but offer a cosy, rustic feel, while aluminium allows thinner frames and larger windows, making it the most expensive option.
• Types of Conservatory Glass — Glass is the stronger and more energy efficient option, whereas polycarbonate costs less to install. It also provides built-in UV protection, and is flexible and lightweight. Also consider uPVC windows costs as double glazing can help reduce heat loss and provide improved insulation, creating a more energy efficient option.
• Dwarf Wall — A dwarf wall links the conservatory to your existing property and compared to fully glazed walls, can moderate temperature, reducing the need for heating or ventilation. There's also less cleaning involved, as there isn't any glass installed at a lower level, although this can also restrict your view of the outdoors.
• Roofing Style — The type of roof will impact the price, with the cost varying between styles. Lean-to conservatories normally have a flat roof, whereas most other designs are gable fronted or hip styled, although other variations are also available. Tiled conservatory roofs cost more than polycarbonate or glass roofs of a similar size. If you're upgrading an existing roof, then conservatory roof replacement costs are also likely to increase should any additional structural work be required.
• Conservatory Flooring — Vinyl flooring costs around £300 and is easy to clean. The cost of laying carpet is cheaper (£400) but potentially less durable, while solid oak flooring offers a luxurious feel at a higher cost (£1,300).
• Conservatory Insulation — Premium options include insulated metal or tiled roofs with glazed panels, while budget choices involve secondary glazing, reflective laminates, or heavy curtains (though these may cause condensation).
• Control Temperature — These include sun-absorbing/reflective glass, improved ventilation, ceiling fans or blinds, installing underfloor heating, or for a temporary solution you can simply use portable heaters and standalone fans.

What's Involved in Building a New Conservatory?

Building a conservatory extension is a complex task that often involves preparing groundwork and foundations, as well as drainage pipes and structural considerations that are far beyond the capabilities of most DIY projects.

That's why we'd recommend hiring tradesmen who are already professionals in this type of building work. It's also best practice to request three quotes from separate companies used to building conservatories, which you can do via MyJobQuote without any obligation to go ahead.

Below we take a look at the basic steps required to build a conservatory extension, although in reality, the process is much more complicated:

Before the Job

• Preparing the Foundation — Lay a solid foundation using either foundation blocks or concrete. Cover it with a weed-suppressing membrane to maintain a neat finish and prevent plant damage.

During the Job

• Installing the Base — Place base sections into position, bolt them together, and attach them to the house. Insert floor insulation sheets and install the fixed floor on top.
• Attaching the Walls and Frames — Bolt the walls into position, fix them to the base, then fix the frames together and attach them to your house wall. Attach a skirt to the base, adding extra support if the ground slopes.
• Assembling the Roof — Assemble the roof and fix it in place.
• Installing Glass and Features — Install the glass panels, decorative cresting/finials, gutters, and downpipes. Add any internal trims to complete the conservatory.

After the Job

• Final Checks — Ensure all parts are secure, aligned, and fully watertight. Confirm that all finishes and trims are correctly fitted.

Types of Conservatories

Traditionally a conservatory extension is a glass-walled room with a glass roof (rather than tiled) to allow for plenty of natural light. Typically attached to a house for growing plants or to create a relaxing living space, the cost of a conservatory can vary depending on the individual shape and style chosen. The prices in this section are for the conservatory structure (the frame, roof and glazing). The base, groundwork and installation add from £2,500 on top.

Lean-To Conservatory Cost

Best for: Bungalows and modern properties.

Typical cost: From £6,500

A lean-to conservatory is usually square or rectangular, and the longest side runs along an existing wall of your house. The roof attaches to the existing property wall, angling down to meet the front of the conservatory.

Pros

• ✔ Most affordable type.
• ✔ Suits most properties.
• ✔ Quicker to build.

Cons

• ✖ Less distinctive design.
• ✖ Reduced height at front.
• ✖ Not suited to period properties.

The below prices are for the structure of a lean-to conservatory extension between 7m² and 10m², before the base and installation:

Dwarf walls improve your conservatory insulation and add privacy, offering the construction a "sturdier" feel, but it does come at a higher cost.

Edwardian Conservatory Cost

Best for: Most property types.

Typical cost: From £8,250

An Edwardian conservatory has flat walls and is a very simple and symmetrical design, often square or rectangular. It makes full use of the available floor space and can be built to any size, as it has a pitched roof rather than one limited by the projection from the house.

Pros

• ✔ Maximises floor space.
• ✔ Flexible sizing options.
• ✔ Suits most properties.

Cons

• ✖ Less distinctive design.

Here are some conservatory prices for an Edwardian conservatory design, based around 12m² to 16m² in size:

A small 12m² Edwardian conservatory extension costs between £8,250 and £10,000 for the structure, depending on it being fully glazed or built using polycarbonate.

Victorian Conservatory Cost

Best for: Traditional and period properties.

Typical cost: From £9,450

A Victorian conservatory has a steeply pitched roof, often with highly decorative finials at the peak of the roof and crestings along the ridge.

Pros

• ✔ Suits traditional style homes.
• ✔ Impressive decorative detailing.

Cons

• ✖ Not suited to modern homes.
• ✖ More complex roof structure.

Gable Conservatory Cost

Best for: Period and traditional properties.

Typical cost: From £11,000

A gable conservatory has a vertical roof at the front, with the ridge running front to back and the sloping sides left and right. Its Georgian influence perfectly suits a period property.

Pros

• ✔ Elegant and bold design.
• ✔ More natural light at front.

Cons

• ✖ Not suited to modern homes.

P-Shape Conservatory Cost

Best for: Larger properties needing two spaces.

Typical cost: From £13,500

A P-shape conservatory is a combination of a lean-to plus either an Edwardian or Victorian-style design at one end, forming the loop of the 'P'. It effectively creates two separate rooms, and you can make each room as big or as small as you like.

Pros

• ✔ Creates two separate rooms.
• ✔ Flexible room sizes.
• ✔ Lots of space.

Cons

• ✖ One of the pricier options.
• ✖ Requires more garden space.

Let's take a look at P-shaped conservatory extensions costs in the table below, these prices are based on a 15m² to 20m² build:

T-Shape Conservatory Cost

Best for: Larger properties.

Typical cost: From £13,000

The T-Shape conservatory works best on a larger property and has three sections, the central one of which projects out in front of the others. The T-shape conservatory can be built based on a Victorian, Gable or Edwardian style conservatory, with the central projection adding further space.

Pros

• ✔ Three spacious sections.
• ✔ Flexible style options.
• ✔ Lots of additional space.

Cons

• ✖ Requires a larger property.
• ✖ One of the pricier options.

Lantern Conservatory Cost

Best for: Larger homes and premium builds.

Typical cost: From £20,000

A roof lantern conservatory has a two-tiered 'wedding cake' roof, creating extra height, and the extra windows allow you to add more ventilation. This is more often used as a roof lantern for an orangery or a pool house, but can suit larger house conservatories.

Pros

• ✔ Extra height
• ✔ Natural ventilation

Cons

• ✖ Complex roof structure.

Kitchen Conservatory Cost

When you remodel a kitchen into a kitchen conservatory, you can create an area of natural light. This can make the kitchen more inviting for social gatherings with additional space and can improve the overall practicality.

For an average-sized kitchen-friendly conservatory, expect to spend between £12,000 and £20,000 on the build itself. The overall price will also depend on factors such as plumbing and electrics, as well as adding ventilation, heating, lighting, flooring, units, and purchasing your appliances.

In general, a kitchen conservatory is cheaper to build than a single-storey extension while still offering many of the advantages of a standard conservatory. However, it's worth recognising that a traditional bricks-and-mortar extension provides better insulation and often requires less maintenance, potentially making it a greater long-term investment.

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Bespoke Conservatory Extensions Cost

Conservatory prices when designing a fully bespoke extension vary depending on the individual requirements, with customers often choosing to instead adapt an existing design.

A fully-bespoke conservatory costs between £25,000 and £40,000 for typical-sized builds, with large ones often exceeding this range.

P-, T- and L-shape conservatories are the most common to have personalised, often involving adapting the size and shape accordingly. However, other bespoke options can include changing the conservatory roof (such as having a solid roof rather than including a skylight), or the decision between double or triple glazing.

Other options may be making cutbacks purely to help save money, or spending extra to improve upon the original design to allow more natural light or create the ideal living space.

Planning Permission for a Conservatory Extension

A conservatory usually counts as permitted development, which means you may not need planning permission to build one. That only holds if it meets all of the conditions below:

• Depth — Built onto the back of the house, a single-storey conservatory can reach 3 metres out from your original rear wall, or 4 metres for a detached home. Larger projections of 6 or 8 metres need the council to sign them off first.
• The 50% Rule — All your extensions and outbuildings added together can't cover more than half the land around the original house. "Original" means as the house was first built, or as it stood on 1 July 1948, so anything a previous owner added still counts.
• Height — The conservatory can be up to 4 metres tall. If it sits within 2 metres of a boundary, the eaves (where the roof meets the wall) can be no higher than 3 metres.
• Position — It shouldn't stick out past the front of the house, or past any side wall that faces a road.
• Materials — The finish should look similar to the rest of your house.

In a conservation area, National Park, AONB, the Broads or a World Heritage Site, the larger 6 and 8 metre depths no longer apply. And in the grounds of a listed building, or where an Article 4 direction is in place, permitted development rights may be removed altogether.

If you're not sure whether your plans qualify, it's worth checking with your local planning authority before any work begins.

If you discover you need to apply for permission, the application fee in England is £548, set nationally and reviewed each April. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own fees.

Building Regulations for a Conservatory Extension

A conservatory is normally exempt from the building regulations, but only if it meets all five of these conditions:

• It's built at ground level and has a floor area under 30m².
• It's single storey.
• It's separated from the house by external-quality walls, doors or windows.
• It has its own heating, with temperature and on/off controls separate from the rest of the house.
• Its glazing and any fixed electrics are fitted to building regulations standards.

Bear in mind that knocking through into the house needs building regulations approval of its own, even when the conservatory is exempt.

In the event you are removing external doors or walls as part of the build, or alter any drainage or electrical systems, those elements may still require Building Regulations approval.

To be clear, these exemptions apply in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each run their own building regulations, so it's worth confirming the rules where you live.

How to Keep Conservatory Costs Down

While conservatory prices can prove expensive, it is still possible to save money on the final cost by reviewing the following ideas:

• Choose a Lean-to House Extension — Lean-to conservatories are often the most cost-effective choice, with straightforward designs and materials helping to bring down the overall cost.
• Look for Second-Hand Options — Consider a second-hand conservatory that someone has taken apart with the view to sell on. This can potentially save you a lot of time during the construction process.
• Purchase a Prefabricated Kit — While the initial outlay may be expensive, a prefabricated kit (especially if already part-built) can save you significant money on labour fees.
• Define the Purpose — Having an end use in mind will help you budget accordingly and without the need to make any further adjustments at a later date.
• Minimal Structural Changes — More extensive building work such as a P-shaped design tends to require additional structural amends, whereas lean-to conservatories tend to require far less.
• Receive Multiple Quotes — This isn't just about getting the best price. It can also be used as negotiation as your conservatory installer may also be able to suggest ways to reduce the cost.
• Choose Double Glazing — It may be more expensive initially, but when it comes to an energy efficient extension and creating a comfortable living space, it will save you money in the long run.
• Prepare in Advance — Clear the site area, removing plants or old paving slabs and make the area easily accessible so your conservatory installer can get started upon arrival.

Checklist: Hiring a Conservatory Installer in the UK

Consider the following key points before going ahead and hiring a conservatory installer:

• Do they have the relevant industry-related qualifications? Check whether they have the relevant industry-related qualifications or training, as well as the right hands-on experience to install a conservatory extension.
• Can they provide references from previous customers? Get references from previous customers and ask to see previous work, or if you've received a recommendation from someone you know, ask if you can take a look at the work they've had carried out to help you make an informed decision.
• Are they members of the Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme? Membership provides extra protection, as companies are vetted on a continual basis to ensure professional standards.
• Have you requested multiple quotes? With the help of MyJobQuote find at least three companies who can provide a quote so you can compare pricing and ensure you're paying a fair rate for the work.
• Have you received a written quote? This should be provided free of charge and clearly outline materials, labour, and any additional building costs. It's also the best way to ensure you understand everything that is covered in the price.
• What are their warranty and guarantee policies? Confirm how long the warranty lasts, what it covers, and how claims are handled. You should also check with your own insurance company if you need any advice for once the extension is completed.
• Do they offer a deposit guarantee and insurance? This protects your money in case something goes wrong during the project and although liability insurance isn't a legal requirement, it covers in the event of injury or accidental damage.

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