Orangery cost, and the masonry, roof and lantern that make it

How orangery cost works

1. Price the masonry as its own job. Piers mean footings under them, a bricklayer on site, cavity work, a damp proof course and a cavity tray where the new wall meets the old one. That is a different sequence from a conservatory, where the frames arrive and go up in a day, and it is the main reason the two prices differ.
2. Understand the perimeter roof and the lantern. The flat band around the outside is a warm roof build up with insulation, a membrane and a fall, and the lantern in the middle is a structural aperture in it. The lantern is expensive, and the flat roof around it is the part that decides whether the room stays dry in fifteen years.
3. Check which side of the exemption it lands. An orangery with substantial solid walls and a roof that is mostly insulated is not a mostly glazed building, so the conservatory exemption usually does not apply. Treat it as ordinary building work with a full building control application, and be suspicious of any quote that assumes otherwise.
4. Match the brickwork honestly. Matching an existing brick and mortar colour is a real skill and sometimes it is not possible. A good builder will say so early and propose either a deliberate contrast or a render finish, which is a better outcome than a near match that reads as a mistake for the life of the house.

Insurance and paperwork

Common questions

Why is the price of orangery work higher than a conservatory's?

Because it contains more building. Masonry piers, their foundations, an insulated flat roof, a structural lantern and full building control involvement are all work a conservatory avoids, and each of them brings its own trade to site.

Is an orangery warmer than a conservatory?

Usually much warmer, and that is the point of it. Solid insulated walls and an insulated perimeter roof lose far less heat than glass, so the room is comfortable in winter without being separated off from the house.

Can an orangery be built onto any house?

Physically almost always, but it is a heavier and taller structure than a conservatory and it needs foundations and a structural design to suit the ground and the existing wall. It also has more visual presence, so it repays getting a drawing done before committing.

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