Conservatory Cost Calculator UK 2026
Answer 4 quick questions for an instant 2026 UK conservatory estimate. Choose style, size, roof and region — realistic low/typical/high figures from 2026 UK supply-and-fit pricing. No email required.
How Much Will Your Conservatory Cost?
Base style cost × size multiplier × roof multiplier × regional rate. Takes under 60 seconds.
How This Calculator Works
We combine conservatory style, size, roof type and your region with 2026 UK supply-and-fit pricing.
Base Style & Size
- Lean-to £13,000 · Edwardian £18,000 · Victorian £19,000
- Garden room £25,000 · Orangery £30,000
- Small (≤12m²) ×0.80 · Medium (12–20m²) ×1.00 · Large (20m²+) ×1.45
Roof: Polycarbonate ×0.82 · Double glazing ×1.00 · Solid tiled ×1.48.
Region & Range
- London +35% · South East +15% · South West +2%
- East Midlands −8% · North West −12% · North East −15%
- Wales −8% · Scotland −5% · NI −18%
- Low/high band: mid ×0.88 to ×1.18.
- Breakdown: ~45% structure, ~38% glazing & roofing, ~17% foundations & contingency.
Costs include supply, labour and VAT. A real quote follows a site survey.
Typical Conservatory Costs by Style (2026)
Supply & fit including VAT at 20%: medium size, double-glazed roof, East Midlands (the calculator’s starting settings). A solid roof or another region changes the figure.
| Style | Typical spec | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lean-to | Medium, glass roof | £10,525–£14,113 |
| Edwardian | Medium, glass roof | £14,573–£19,541 |
| Victorian | Medium, bay-fronted | £15,382–£20,626 |
| Garden room | Medium, fully insulated, glass roof | £20,240–£27,140 |
| Orangery | Brick piers + lantern roof | £24,288–£32,568 |
These figures power the calculator above — enter your own spec for a tailored estimate. For the full breakdown, read our complete cost guide.
Conservatory Cost by Size (2026)
Supply & fit including VAT at 20%, double-glazed roof, East Midlands (the calculator’s starting region). Range spans lean-to at the low end to orangery at the high end — pick your exact style, roof and region in the calculator above for a tighter figure.
| Size | Typical footprint | Area | Cost fitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 3m × 3m, 4m × 3m | up to 12m² | £8,420–£26,054 |
| Medium | 5m × 3m, 4m × 4m, 5m × 4m | 12–20m² | £10,525–£32,568 |
| Large | 6m × 4m and above | 20m²+ | £15,261–£47,224 |
How we produced these figures
The cost ranges on this page come from BestBuilders’ 2026 regional cost model: published national cost guides adjusted by a regional labour index, then reviewed against published trade pricing. They are indicative ranges for a typical specification, not quotes — access, finish level and the builder’s workload move real prices either way.
Regulatory points (planning, Building Regulations, grants and VAT) are checked against current UK government guidance. Spotted something out of date? Tell us via the form above.
The calculator’s questions, explained
Each price below is what the calculator above returns when you change only that answer and keep the others at the starting settings (Edwardian, Medium (12–20m²), Double Glazing, East Midlands): £14,573–£19,541, mid-point £16,560. Figures include the structure, glazing, roof, foundations, labour and VAT at 20% with a contingency buffer, as the calculator's result says; tricky groundworks, moving drains, electrics, heating, flooring and blinds are usually extra.
Conservatory style
Style sets the base cost — more complex shapes cost more. Style sets the base price that size, roof and region then multiply, so it shapes every other answer. Among the glazed styles, more facets and corners mean more frame and glass.
| Option | What it means | Estimate | vs starting choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lean-to | Simple mono-pitch roof — cheapest option Suits a bungalow or a house with little height under the upstairs windows, because the roof slopes one way off the wall. The cheapest style here. | £10,525–£14,113 | −£4,600 |
| Victorian | Bay front with faceted ends — classic style The bay front suits a period house. Its faceted ends lose a little usable floor at the corners, and it costs slightly more than an Edwardian here. | £15,382–£20,626 | +£920 |
| Edwardian | Square or rectangular, full-height ridge Its square plan leaves no awkward corners, so more of the floor is usable for a dining table or a sofa and chairs. | £14,573–£19,541 | starting choice |
| Orangery | Brick pillars, solid perimeter, lantern roof Brick piers, a solid perimeter and a lantern roof make it closer to an extension in build and price. With that much solid wall and roof, it may not qualify for the conservatory exemption from the Building Regulations. | £24,288–£32,568 | +£11,040 |
| Garden Room | Fully insulated — usable all year round For a room you want to use in every season. Being fully insulated, it costs more than any glazed style, though less than an orangery. | £20,240–£27,140 | +£6,440 |
Size
Footprint is the biggest driver of material and labour cost. Size multiplies the whole price. Under permitted development the conservatory, together with any earlier extensions and outbuildings, may cover no more than half the land around the original house.
| Option | What it means | Estimate | vs starting choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (≤12m²) | Up to 3m × 4m. Suits terraced houses or compact gardens. Fits a terraced house or a compact garden, with room for a small table or a pair of chairs. | £11,658–£15,633 | −£3,312 |
| Medium (12–20m²) | 3m × 5m to 4m × 5m. Most popular size for semi-detached houses. Room for a dining table for four or a sofa and chairs, and the size the style cost table on this page is based on. | £14,573–£19,541 | starting choice |
| Large (20m²+) | Over 20m² footprint. Often with bifold or sliding doors. For a rear conservatory, check the depth against permitted development (3 m from an attached house, 4 m from a detached one). The Building Regulations exemption also stops at 30 m² of floor area. | £21,131–£28,334 | +£7,452 |
Roof type
Roof choice affects insulation, noise and planning requirements. The roof multiplies the whole price, and it decides how warm, quiet and bright the room feels through the year.
| Option | What it means | Estimate | vs starting choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate | Lightweight and cheap. Hot in summer, noisy in rain. Most affordable. Fine for a sun room you use mainly in spring and autumn, or a budget build you may re-roof later. | £11,950–£16,023 | −£2,981 |
| Double Glazing | Glass roof panels — brighter with better insulation than polycarbonate. The usual choice. Ask for a solar-control coating, which cuts summer heat and glare while keeping the room bright. | £14,573–£19,541 | starting choice |
| Solid Tiled Roof | Fully insulated, quiet, planning-friendly. Best thermal performance. Makes a year-round room, at the highest price here. The Building Regulations exemption depends on a significant share of the roof and walls being glazed, so check with building control first. | £21,568–£28,920 | +£7,949 |
Where the property is
Labour rates vary up to 35% above UK average in London. The region multiplies the whole estimate, by the percentages the calculator shows: London +35% · South East +15% · East of England +5% · South West +2% · Scotland −5% · West Midlands −6% · East Midlands −8% · Wales −8% · Yorkshire & Humber −10% · North West −12% · North East −15% · Northern Ireland −18%. At the starting settings that moves the mid-point from £14,760 in Northern Ireland to £24,300 in London. The tables above and the cost tables on this page start from East Midlands, the calculator's own default.
Non-price facts above: Planning Portal: conservatories; Planning Portal: conservatories and the Building Regulations; Planning Portal: extensions (depth limits); LABC: solid roofs on conservatories or porches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a conservatory cost in the UK in 2026?
Do I need planning permission for a conservatory?
What is the difference between a conservatory and an orangery?
How long does a conservatory take to build?
Is a conservatory worth it in 2026?
How accurate is this conservatory cost estimate?
What does the conservatory estimate include and exclude?
Why would a real conservatory quote differ from the calculator?
Can I use a conservatory all year round?
Do conservatories need building regulations approval?
What's Included in a Conservatory Price
The headline figures on this page and in the calculator cover the core supply-and-fit package: the dwarf-wall or full-height base, the frame (uPVC, timber or aluminium), the glazing, a standard roof, fitting labour and 20% VAT. On a medium Edwardian or Victorian conservatory that typically works out around £15,000–£20,000 before upgrades.
Several items are usually quoted as extras, so factor them into your budget: groundworks on sloping or soft ground, moving a drain or manhole, electrics and lighting, heating (radiators or underfloor), flooring, plastering, blinds and any dwarf-wall brickwork. A solid or tiled roof upgrade also sits on top of the base price. For a larger footprint with brick piers, compare the numbers against a dedicated orangery cost calculator before you commit.
- Included: base, frame, glazing, standard roof, fitting, VAT
- Usually extra: tricky groundworks, drainage moves, electrics, heating, flooring, blinds
- Upgrade extra: solid or tiled roof, premium glass, bespoke shapes, bifold or sliding doors
Planning Permission and Building Regulations
Most conservatories are classed as Permitted Development and do not need a planning application, provided they stay within the usual limits: no more than half the land around the original house is covered, the structure is single-storey, it is not forward of the principal elevation facing a road, and eaves and ridge heights stay within the permitted maxima. Listed buildings need listed building consent, and conservation areas add restrictions (a side conservatory, for example, needs planning permission) — always confirm your own limits on the government's Planning Portal conservatories guide before ordering.
Conservatories are also frequently exempt from Building Regulations, but only when they meet specific conditions: they are built at ground level and under 30m², they are separated from the house by external-quality walls, doors or windows, and they have an independent heating system with its own controls. Remove those separating doors to make the space fully open-plan and the exemption is usually lost, which brings the glazing and thermal-performance rules into play. If you are weighing a conservatory against a full brick build, our single-storey extension cost calculator is a useful comparison.
Roof Upgrade Options: Polycarbonate, Glass and Solid
Roof choice is the single biggest driver of how usable a conservatory feels year-round, and it moves the price noticeably. Polycarbonate is the cheapest option (around 0.82× the glass-roof cost in the calculator) but it overheats in summer, feels cold in winter and is noisy in heavy rain. A modern glass roof with a solar-control coating is the mid-range choice and keeps the room bright. A solid or tiled roof — roughly 1.48× the glass price — insulates like a proper extension, cuts noise and is the most planning-friendly, at the cost of some daylight.
Replacing an existing tired polycarbonate roof with glass or a solid, insulated system is one of the most popular conservatory upgrades in 2026. To price that specific job on its own, use our conservatory roof cost calculator, then read whether the investment pays back in our solid-roof conversion guide linked below.
How to Choose a Conservatory Installer
The estimate you get from the calculator is a budgeting tool; the price you actually pay depends heavily on who builds it and how they price your plot. Get at least three written, itemised quotes and make sure each one prices the same specification so you are comparing like for like rather than being drawn to the cheapest headline number. Because a conservatory blends groundworks, glazing and roofing into a single job, the biggest differences between quotes usually come from what each installer has assumed about your foundations and roof specification rather than from the frame itself, so read the small print on those two lines especially closely before you compare the bottom-line totals.
- Ask for costs broken down by structure, glazing and any internal fit-out, not a single lump sum
- Check the installer registers glazing work with a competent-person scheme such as FENSA or Certass
- Confirm what is and is not included — foundations, electrics, heating, decorating — in writing before you sign
- Use local specialists and read recent customer feedback for work of a similar size and style
- Agree a payment schedule tied to build stages, and never pay the full amount up front
When you are ready, we can match you with up to three local conservatory installers so you can compare real, surveyed quotes side by side. If you are still deciding what to build, it is worth reading around the options first: an insulated garden room cost guide covers the year-round alternative to a traditional glazed conservatory, while a full brick house extension cost guide shows where a conservatory sits against a conventional extension on price and disruption. You can also browse every related tool and guide from our cost guide hub before you request quotes.