Lean to conservatory cost, and why the geometry makes it the cheapest shape

How lean to conservatory cost works

1. Measure the height you have to work with first. A lean to needs to start high enough on the house wall to fall to a workable pitch across its projection. Bungalows, houses with low eaves and anything with a first floor window immediately above the intended roof line are where this design runs out of room, and the answers, a shallower pitch with a different glazing system or a dropped internal head height, both cost money.
2. Understand why the roof is cheaper. One plane, one ridge condition against the wall, rectangular glass units and no hips means less aluminium, less cutting and fewer sealed joints. Fewer joints is also why a well built lean to is one of the least leak prone shapes, which is a durability argument rather than only a price one.
3. Do not let the shape hide the specification. A lean to in polycarbonate and a lean to in solar control glass are the same drawing and two different rooms. Because the shape is already the cheap option, this is where the temptation to save again on the roof glazing does the most damage to how usable the room is.
4. Check the flashing detail against the house. The whole roof hangs off one line on the existing wall, so the weathering at that junction is the single most important detail in the build. Ask how it is being formed, whether the existing render or brickwork is being cut, and who is responsible if the wall behind turns out to be in poor condition.

Insurance and paperwork

Common questions

Is a lean to conservatory always the cheapest option?

It is normally the cheapest of the glazed roof shapes for a given floor area, but a lean to that has to be built to an awkward height, or that needs a low pitch glazing system because the house will not give it headroom, can cost more than a straightforward Victorian roof on a taller house.

Does a lean to look cheap?

It looks plain, which is a different thing. On a modern house a lean to with slim frames and a good roof reads as contemporary, and on a period property a pitched shape usually sits better. The judgement is about the house rather than the budget.

Can a lean to have a solid roof?

Yes, and it is one of the easier shapes to build a solid roof over, because the structure is simple. The base and the frames have to have been designed for the extra weight, so it is a decision to take at the start rather than a retrofit to consider later.

What keeps the price of lean to conservatory builds down?

The roof. One plane, one ridge condition against the wall, rectangular glass units and no hips means less aluminium, less cutting and fewer sealed joints than a hipped or gabled roof over the same floor. The saving is geometry rather than quality, and it runs out where the house will not give the roof enough height.

Registered contractors by region

• Registered roofers in the East Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the East of England postcode area
• Registered roofers in the London postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Scotland postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Wales postcode area
• Registered roofers in the West Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Yorkshire and The Humber postcode area