Conservatory styles are named for their roof shape and their plan, and the choice is mostly a trade between cost and how the building sits against the house. A lean to is the simplest and cheapest per square metre; every facet, every corner post and every change of roof direction adds money and adds character.
The lean to conservatory: UK buyers should start here
A lean to has a single roof plane falling away from the house, a rectangular plan and no facets. It is the cheapest shape per square metre, the easiest to fit under a low eaves or on a bungalow, and it suits a modern house. The criticism is that it can look plain, which is what a bespoke version addresses with better proportions, a deeper fascia or brick side walls rather than with more shape.
Victorian conservatories, Edwardian ones and the Georgian conservatory
A Victorian conservatory has a faceted bay front, usually three or five facets, and a steeply pitched roof with a ridge running back to the house. An Edwardian has a square or rectangular plan with a hipped roof, which gives more usable floor for the same footprint because there are no angled corners to lose furniture in. Georgian styling is the restrained version, with regular glazing bars and a shallower roof. The names describe shape rather than period accuracy, and on a genuine period house the local planning view matters as much as the catalogue.
Gable end conservatory, P shaped and T shaped plans
A gable front conservatory ends in a vertical glazed gable rather than a hip, which makes the room feel taller and gives a strong front elevation. P and T shaped plans combine a lean to run with a projecting section, which suits a house where one part of the room wants to be a dining space and another a sitting area. They cost more because there are more corners, more roof junctions and more valleys, and a valley is a detail that has to be right.
Small conservatories, size, proportion and bungalows
Larger conservatories cost more in total and usually less per square metre, up to the point where the roof needs a different structural answer. Small ones carry the fixed costs of groundworks and mobilisation over very little floor, which is why the cheapest advertised conservatory is rarely the cheapest per usable metre. A bungalow constrains the height available at the eaves, which is why lean to and low pitch designs dominate there, and why a conservatory that would suit a two storey house often will not fit.
Modern, contemporary and where the glass goes
Contemporary designs push towards larger panes, slimmer aluminium frames, flat or very low pitch roofs and fewer glazing bars, and they look best on houses that are themselves plain. More glass means more solar gain, so a large contemporary conservatory facing south or west needs solar control glazing and real ventilation designed in. Overheating is a recognised design problem rather than an inevitable feature of a glass room, and it is far cheaper to specify than to retrofit.
Freestanding, modular and what the cheapest option costs
A freestanding conservatory in the garden is planned as an outbuilding rather than an extension, with its own limits on height and position. Modular and prefabricated systems reduce site time and give a predictable price, at the cost of flexibility on size. The genuinely cheapest options save money on glass specification, frame quality and base construction, which are the three things that decide whether the room is usable in winter, so a cheap conservatory frequently becomes an expensive one at the point somebody has to re roof it.
Questions people ask about conservatory styles
Which conservatory style is cheapest?
A lean to, because it has the simplest roof, no facets and the fewest corner posts. Every facet and every change of roof direction adds cost.
What is the difference between Victorian and Edwardian conservatories?
Victorian has a faceted bay front; Edwardian is square or rectangular with a hipped roof. Edwardian gives more usable floor for the same footprint, which matters when placing furniture.
What suits a bungalow?
Usually a lean to or a low pitch design, because the eaves height limits what will fit under it. That constraint is worth checking before falling for a steep roofed style.
Are P and T shaped conservatories worth the extra?
Where the plan genuinely needs two zones, yes. They cost more because of the extra corners, roof junctions and valleys, and a valley is a detail that leaks if it is not right.
Is the cheapest conservatory a false economy?
Frequently. The savings usually come from glass specification, frame quality and base construction, which are the three things that decide whether the room is usable in January and how soon it needs a new roof.