Modern conservatory cost: what the job involves and who is registered to do it

How modern conservatory cost works

1. Understand what slim frames actually cost. A slim sightline in aluminium means a thermally broken profile carrying more glass weight over a longer span. That is more expensive material, heavier units, more careful installation and often mechanical lifting on site. The look is real and so is the engineering behind it.
2. Decide between a glazed roof and a flat roof with rooflights. Contemporary designs often replace the pitched glazed roof with an insulated flat roof and one or two large rooflights. That changes the building fundamentally: it usually takes the room outside the conservatory exemption and into ordinary building work, with the thermal and structural requirements that follow. It also makes the room far more usable in summer.
3. Price the glass properly. Large panes with solar control coatings, low iron glass for clarity, or triple glazing in a big elevation are the lines that move a modern conservatory quote most. Ask for the make up in writing rather than a phrase like high performance glazing, because the difference between two coatings on a south facing roof is the difference between a room you use and one you do not.
4. Expect building control rather than an exemption. Once the roof stops being mostly glazed, or the separating doors come out to give the open plan look these designs are usually bought for, the exemption no longer applies. The room then has to meet the Approved Documents in full, which is a cost and a timescale rather than a problem, but it needs to be in the quote.

Insurance and paperwork

Common questions

Is a modern conservatory the same as an orangery?

No. An orangery is defined by its solid perimeter and a roof lantern, and a modern conservatory is usually defined by minimal frames and maximum glass. They cost similar money for different reasons and they suit different houses.

Does a modern design need more maintenance?

Less, generally. Powder coated aluminium and structural silicone joints need cleaning rather than repainting, and there are fewer glazing bars to hold dirt. The trade off is that repairs to large units are expensive when they are needed.

Will a flat roofed glazed room get too hot?

Not if the glass is specified for it. A large rooflight with the wrong coating will overheat badly, and the same aperture with solar control glass and some means of ventilating high up behaves completely differently. This is the decision to spend on.

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