How Much Does a Conservatory Cost? UK Prices for 2026
Researched 2026 UK ranges, every row backed by two sources. Use them to judge a quote; your own house sets the real price.
The conservatory cost you get quoted can move by thousands of pounds on the same patch of lawn. A plain lean-to and a brick-pier orangery are both called conservatories, yet one is a light frame on a low wall and the other is close to a small extension. Most of the gap comes from three choices: the style, the size and the conservatory roof.
This guide pulls together five UK price guides for 2026. A range only appears below when two of them agree on it, or when one guide's range sits inside another's. Where they don't agree, you get the reason instead of a number. Two of the five are quote-comparison and directory sites, Less and BestBuilders, so they're named. The others are cost-guide and calculator sites.
In 2026, a small uPVC lean-to costs about £8,000–£13,000. Edwardian and Victorian designs run £12,000–£19,500, a P-shape £17,500–£24,500, and an orangery £22,000–£32,000. Replacing an old conservatory roof costs £2,500–£5,000 for glass, or about £4,000–£8,000 for a solid roof.
Conservatory Cost by Style
Style sets how much frame goes up, how many panels the conservatory roof needs and how much glass gets cut to odd angles. That's why the same floor area costs more as a Victorian than as a lean-to. These are fitted prices for a uPVC frame on a new base, with a glass or polycarbonate roof:
| Style | Fitted price, 2026 | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Lean-to, about 3×3 m | £8,000–£13,000 | Less; an independent cost guide gives £8,000–£14,000 for a 3×3 m uPVC build |
| Edwardian, about 3.5×3.5 m | £12,000–£18,000 | BestBuilders; Less gives the same range for a mid-range Edwardian or Victorian |
| Victorian, about 4×3.5 m | £13,500–£19,500 | BestBuilders, inside an independent cost guide's £11,000–£25,000 for Victorian and Edwardian styles |
| P-shape (a Victorian bay joined to a lean-to) | £17,500–£24,500 | BestBuilders, inside Less's £16,000–£30,000 |
| Orangery, about 4×4 m | £22,000–£32,000 | BestBuilders; Less's orangery range starts a little lower and runs to £40,000 |
Gable-fronted conservatories have no agreed figure across the five guides. BestBuilders says they cost about the same as a Victorian or Edwardian, or a little more. A calculator site gives the reason: the tall, flat front takes extra frame and extra glass.
Each guide prices a slightly different footprint, so read the order as the firm fact and the figures as a guide. The order holds in every source. The lean-to is cheapest, Edwardian and Victorian sit in the middle, the P-shape comes next and the orangery costs the most.
Which Conservatory Style Suits Your House
The house often picks the style for you. A tall Victorian ridge won't fit under a low bedroom window, and a narrow back wall can't take a P-shape. So check what fits before you fall for a brochure photo.
Lean-to. This has a single sloping glass or polycarbonate roof that rests against the house wall. Less and BestBuilders both say it suits bungalows and homes with low eaves. It's the cheapest because the frame is simple and there's no faceted front to pay for. The room is a plain rectangle, so it's easy to furnish, though the front edge has less headroom.
Edwardian. This one has a square or rectangular floor and a pitched conservatory roof rising to a ridge. BestBuilders calls it the most usable floor area for each pound spent. Less makes the same point from the other side: straight walls mean a sofa or a dining table fits without awkward corners.
Victorian. The front is a bay made of three or five angled facets, with a steeper, more decorated ridge. It suits period houses. You lose a little floor space to the angles, and the extra frame work is why it usually costs more than an Edwardian of the same width.
Gable. The front rises straight up to a triangular glazed end instead of sloping back. That gives more headroom across the whole room and a more room-like feel. It needs more frame and glass than a hipped design.
P-shape. This joins a lean-to to a Victorian or Edwardian section to make an L-shaped room. It gives you two zones, such as a dining end and a lounge end. BestBuilders says the house needs a rear wall of at least 5 m for it to look balanced.
Orangery. Brick piers stand between the glazed panels, and the solid roof perimeter frames a central glass lantern. It feels more like part of the house than a glass box. Less says it needs more brickwork and heavier foundations, which is where the extra cost goes. Less also lists a T-shape for wide plots, but only one guide prices it.
Conservatory Cost by Size
Every extra square metre means a bigger base, more frame and more glass. Less prices each common style at three sizes. Four of its figures line up with a second guide:
| Style and size | Fitted price, 2026 | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Lean-to, 3×3 m (9 m²) | £8,000–£13,000 | Less, inside the independent guide's £8,000–£14,000 |
| Lean-to, 4×3 m (12 m²) | £10,000–£15,000 | Less, inside a renovation cost-guide site's £9,600–£18,000 for 12–15 m² |
| Victorian, 5×4 m (20 m²) | £18,000–£25,000 | Less, inside the renovation site's £18,000–£36,000 for Victorian and Edwardian styles |
| Edwardian, 5×4 m (20 m²) | £19,000–£27,000 | Less, inside the same £18,000–£36,000 |
Look at the lean-to rows. The floor area more than doubles from 9 m² to 20 m², but Less's price rises by about half. Some costs stay much the same whatever the size. BestBuilders makes the same point: the cost per square metre falls a little on larger builds, because those fixed costs are spread further.
A 4×3 m footprint is the size most quotes are built around. Less says so, and the independent guide calls it the most popular UK size. Less also gives a practical test. A 3×3 m room takes a small table and chairs but feels cramped with a sofa and armchairs. At 4×3 m, you can lay out proper furniture.
Measure what you plan to put in the room before you settle on a size. A few extra square metres now cost far less than living with a room that's too small.
Glass, Polycarbonate or Solid Roof
On a new conservatory, the type of conservatory roof is the biggest single choice after size. Less calls it the most important decision you'll make, and the calculator site calls it the single most important cost factor. It decides whether you use the room in July and January, or only in spring.
As a part of a new build, the guides price the two lighter options like this:
| Conservatory roof on a new build | Price, 2026 | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate roof | £800–£1,500 | A renovation cost-guide site, inside Less's £800–£2,000 |
| Glass roof | £2,500–£5,000 | A renovation cost-guide site, inside Less's £2,000–£5,000 |
A polycarbonate roof is the cheapest, but it's loud in rain and lets heat straight through. Less and the independent guide both say the panels yellow and turn brittle after 10 to 15 years. A glass roof with a solar-control coating keeps more of the summer heat out. Less says a glass roof lasts as long as the structure.
A solid roof uses insulated panels with a tiled finish outside and a plasterboard ceiling inside. The room stops acting like a greenhouse, but it gets darker. Less suggests a solid perimeter with a small glass lantern in the middle as the compromise, if light matters to you.
What Does a Replacement Conservatory Roof Cost?
Plenty of homes already have a conservatory that nobody sits in. It's too hot in summer, too cold in winter and noisy when it rains. Less points out that a new conservatory roof fixes that for a fraction of a rebuild. The walls and doors can often stay, and so can the base.
Here's what the swaps cost in 2026:
| Replacement conservatory roof | Price, 2026 | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate to glass | £2,500–£5,000 | Less, inside a calculator site's £2,500–£8,000 |
| Glass to a tiled solid roof | £4,000–£8,000 | Less, inside BestBuilders' £4,000–£10,000 for replacing either kind of old conservatory roof with an insulated one |
| Solid roof conversion, larger conservatory or fuller spec | £5,500–£11,500 | BestBuilders, inside a calculator site's £5,000–£15,000 |
Before you order, ask for a check of the existing frame. Less says the lightweight tiled systems are designed to sit on existing frames. The calculator site warns that many older frames still need strengthening first. The independent guide adds that its prices assume the frame is sound.
Then there's the paperwork. A conservatory is normally exempt from the energy rules in the building regulations. LABC, the body for council building control teams, says a replacement solid roof that greatly cuts the amount of glazing can end that exempt status. If it does, the work needs building regulations approval, much like an extension. So ask each installer two things in writing: will they notify building control, and is the fee in the price?
A glass-for-glass or glass-for-polycarbonate swap keeps the room light. A solid conservatory roof gives you a warmer room but a darker one. If you want both, ask whether a glass lantern or glazed panels can be kept in the new design.
uPVC, Aluminium or Hardwood Frames
After size and the conservatory roof, the frame material moves the price most. The independent guide puts uPVC at 80% of the UK market, and every figure above assumes it.
Aluminium gives slimmer frames and more glass. Less adds 20 to 40% for it, and BestBuilders adds 25 to 35% to the frame cost. Hardwood suits some period houses. Less adds 40 to 70% for it, and BestBuilders 50 to 80%.
Upkeep differs too. Less expects 20 to 30 years from a uPVC conservatory with very little care, and the independent guide says 20 to 25. Both say aluminium lasts longer still. Hardwood can last for decades, but it needs regular painting or staining to keep rot out.
The Costs Outside the Frame
A headline quote may leave out several lines. Less advises asking about each one before you sign.
The base. Every conservatory needs proper foundations, not a patio. Less puts a strip foundation at £1,500–£3,500, inside the renovation site's £1,500–£4,000. Sloping ground, poor drainage or tree roots push it up. An existing patio usually has to come up first.
Heating. How you heat the room can decide its paperwork. Approved Document L exempts a conservatory from the energy rules only while the house's heating system is not extended into it. So a radiator plumbed off the central heating can end the exemption. The independent guide says electric underfloor heating on its own circuit keeps the exemption.
Doors. French doors to the garden are normally included. Bifolds cost extra, so check the quote says which you're getting.
Building control. Where the job needs approval, the fee runs about £400–£800 on the renovation site's figures, inside BestBuilders' £400–£900. The Planning Portal says any new structural opening between the conservatory and the house needs approval, even if the conservatory itself is exempt. Knocking through without putting back a door or wall between the two also ends the exemption, because that separation is one of its conditions.
VAT. Conservatory work is generally charged VAT at the standard rate of 20%, as the calculator site says. When one quote shows VAT and another doesn't, add it back before you compare.
Planning Limits That Can Add Cost
Most conservatories don't need planning permission. They count as permitted development, as long as they stay within the limits set for single-storey extensions. Going over a limit means a planning application, which adds a fee and weeks of waiting.
The main limits for a rear conservatory are these:
- Projection: no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall, or 4 m on a detached house
- Height: no more than 4 m, and eaves no higher than 3 m within 2 m of a boundary
- Garden cover: no more than 50% of the land around the original house built on
- Sides: single storey only, no wider than half the house, and not allowed in a conservation area
Flats and maisonettes have no permitted development rights at all, so a conservatory on a ground-floor flat needs permission. A listed house will usually need listed building consent too. Check with your council's planning team before you pay a deposit.
Midlands Prices Against the Rest of the UK
Where you live moves the number, mostly through labour rates. Less puts the Midlands exactly at the UK average for a mid-range Edwardian. BestBuilders puts the Midlands 8% below the UK average for its P-shape example.
London sits at the other end. Less adds 30% there, and BestBuilders adds 35% for inner London. So a price guide built on London quotes will look high to anyone in the Midlands. Always check which region a quoted figure comes from.
Three Conservatories, Priced
These examples use only the ranges above.
A small lean-to on a semi with low eaves. A 3×3 m uPVC lean-to costs £8,000–£13,000. If an old patio has to come up, allow for the base work in the quote. Heating it with electric heaters on their own controls, not the central heating, helps keep it exempt.
A Victorian on a bay-fronted house. In uPVC at about 4×3.5 m, this costs £13,500–£19,500. Aluminium would add 20 to 40% on Less's figures. If you plan to knock through to the house, budget for building control approval.
An old lean-to with a yellowed polycarbonate roof. A switch to glass costs £2,500–£5,000. A switch to a tiled solid roof sits within BestBuilders' band of £4,000–£10,000. Add the building control fee if the new conservatory roof needs approval, and ask for a frame check first.
Comparing Conservatory Quotes
Get three written quotes for the same style, size, frame, conservatory roof and glazing. Less and BestBuilders both say the spread between firms can run to thousands. A quote for polycarbonate and a quote for glass aren't two prices for one job.
Each quote should list these lines:
- Base: the foundation type, and who builds it
- Frame: the material and the maker's profile
- Conservatory roof: the type of panel, and the system name
- Doors and glazing: French doors or bifolds, and the glass spec
- Electrics and heating: the number of sockets and lights, and the heating type
- Paperwork: whether building control is needed, and whether the fee is in
Pay in stages. Citizens Advice says don't agree to a deposit of more than 25%, and the renovation site gives the same figure. Ask whether the guarantee is insurance-backed, in case the firm stops trading.
Decide before you sign. Goods made to your measurements are usually exempt from the normal right to cancel, even when you sign at home, and Citizens Advice names a conservatory as an example. So ask about cancellation before you put pen to paper.
Timing can help your price. Less says installers are busiest from March to September, and the renovation site says November to February is quieter. Getting quotes in the autumn and booking a winter start can help.
Verdict on Conservatory Cost in 2026
A fair conservatory cost in 2026 starts at about £8,000–£13,000, for a small uPVC lean-to. An orangery climbs to £22,000–£32,000. Edwardian, Victorian and P-shape designs sit between them. Size and frame matter, but the conservatory roof matters most to where your quote lands.
If you already have a conservatory you never use, price a new conservatory roof before a rebuild. Glass costs £2,500–£5,000, and a tiled solid roof £4,000–£8,000. Check the frame, and get the building control answer in writing. Compare three quotes for the same spec, pay in stages and decide before you sign.
Conservatory Quotes in Nottingham
Every figure above is a national 2026 estimate from published price guides, not a price for a Nottingham home. A firm number needs a survey of your ground, the house wall the conservatory will join and the space you have to work with.
Both regional tables put the Midlands at or a little below the UK average, so there's no obvious reason for a Nottingham quote to sit at the top of these ranges. If one does, ask the installer to explain which line pushed it there.
Two local points can affect the paperwork before they affect the price. Nottingham City has 33 conservation areas, and a side conservatory isn't permitted development in any conservation area. Flats and maisonettes have no permitted development rights at all, which matters in places with a lot of flats, such as The Park Estate. Our conservatory planning rules set out the limits. Check with Nottingham City Council, or with Rushcliffe, Gedling, Broxtowe, Ashfield or Erewash if your home is in one of those districts, before you pay a deposit.
Our conservatories page covers the styles, the building regulations exemption and conservatory roof replacement in more detail. One enquiry from you is passed to an independent installer near Nottingham, who does the survey and sends you a quote, free and with no obligation. Any fee for the introduction comes from the installer, not from you. Nothing is made, supplied, surveyed or fitted by us, and we don't inspect, approve or check the installer either, so our how to choose an installer guide lists the checks worth making yourself.
More Cost Guides
- double glazing costs, for replacement windows by type and size
- door costs, for composite, bifold and French doors
- planning permission, for when a conservatory or new windows need consent
Common Questions
How much does a conservatory cost in the UK?
In 2026, a small uPVC lean-to costs about £8,000–£13,000. An Edwardian runs £12,000–£18,000, and a Victorian £13,500–£19,500. A P-shape costs £17,500–£24,500, and an orangery £22,000–£32,000. Aluminium or hardwood frames, a solid roof and heating all add to these figures.
What is the cheapest type of conservatory?
A uPVC lean-to is the cheapest style. In 2026, a 3×3 m one costs about £8,000–£13,000. Its single sloping glass or polycarbonate roof needs less frame than a Victorian or Edwardian, and there's no faceted front. It suits bungalows and homes with low eaves under the bedroom windows.
How much does it cost to replace a conservatory roof?
Swapping polycarbonate for glass costs about £2,500–£5,000. Replacing a glass conservatory roof with a tiled solid roof costs about £4,000–£8,000, and a larger or fuller conversion £5,500–£11,500. Ask for a frame check first, because older frames can need strengthening before a solid roof goes on.
Is it cheaper to have a conservatory or an extension?
A conservatory is cheaper. Less and a calculator site both put a single-storey brick extension at £25,000–£45,000. On Less's figures, a 4×3 m uPVC lean-to costs £10,000–£15,000. An extension is warmer all year and needs building regulations approval. An orangery sits between the two on price.
Does a solid conservatory roof need building regulations?
It can. LABC says a replacement solid roof that greatly reduces the glazing can end a conservatory's exempt status. The work then needs building regulations approval, like an extension. Ask the installer whether they will notify building control, and whether the fee of about £400–£800 is in the quote.
Ready for a Quote?
Once you know what to ask, send us the job and an installer who covers your part of Nottingham will be in touch.