LivinRoof vs UltraRoof 380: which conservatory roof is better?

LivinRoof and UltraRoof 380 are both made by Ultraframe in Clitheroe, sold through the same installer network and backed by the same 10-year parts guarantee. So this is not a question of which company to trust. It is a question of which kind of roof you want: a tiled one, or a lighter panel roof that can take glass almost anywhere.

UltraRoof 380 is a tiled roof built around a deep insulated eaves beam. LivinRoof is built on Ultraframe’s glass roof chassis and clad in grey insulated panels, which puts it closer to a hybrid roof. We have not tested either; the figures below are Ultraframe’s unless we say otherwise.

LivinRoof vs UltraRoof 380 at a glance

	LivinRoof	UltraRoof 380
Maker	Ultraframe (UK) Ltd, Clitheroe	Ultraframe (UK) Ltd, Clitheroe
Construction	Glass roof chassis with thermally broken rafters, 25mm external insulated panels, 90mm plus 25mm insulation inside, plasterboard and skim	380mm insulated box eaves beam filled with mineral wool, hidden aluminium frame, structural insulated roof panels, OSB/3 boards and membrane; no cutting or battening on site
U-value (W/m²K)	0.15 standard, 0.12 option	0.15 standard, 0.12 or 0.13 option (Ultraframe pages differ)
Weight	31 kg/m² including plasterboard	38 kg/m²
Roof finish	Grey (RAL7016) aluminium-faced panels, not tiles	Ultraframe Authentic slate-effect tiles, Metrotile shingle
Glazed options	Glass can replace any panel, in almost any shape	Full-length rectangular glass panels, Velux-style roof windows, or fully solid
Structure	Pitch 5 to 40.9 degrees; box gutter spans up to 6m; bi-folds below must be bottom supported	No tie bar; up to 4m unsupported span for bi-fold or sliding doors; designs up to 6.7m x 5m
Certification	BBA-certified glass roof chassis, MFA and Stroma pre-approved, LABC Registered Detail EWS529, fire tested by Warringtonfire	MFA and Stroma system approval, BBA approval for Ultrapanel, LABC Registered Detail EWS1293, fire tested as a complete roof by Warringtonfire
Guarantee	10-year parts guarantee; installer warranties vary	10-year parts guarantee; installer warranties vary
Installer network	Ultraframe approved installers, about 35 LivinRoof dealers (ExpertSure estimate); also sold as Prefix	Ultraframe installers and trade fabricators; also sold as a self-build kit by DIY retailers
Typical fitted price	£9,500 to £15,500 incl VAT (ExpertSure, May 2026)	Quote-only; £950 to £1,500 per m² installed including disposal (ConservatoryCost.com, June 2026)

Which is warmer?

On Ultraframe’s figures they are level. Both are 0.15 W/m²K as standard, the limit for a new roof in England, with an upgrade: 0.12 for LivinRoof, and 0.12 or 0.13 for UltraRoof depending on which Ultraframe page you read. Other sources quote 0.18 for LivinRoof and 0.16 for UltraRoof, so check the figure on your quote.

The difference in practice comes from glass. ExpertSure notes that adding glazed panels to LivinRoof reduces its thermal advantage, and the same applies to glass panels or roof windows in UltraRoof. In England a roof window only has to reach 1.4 W/m²K, about nine times the heat loss of the solid roof around it. A mostly solid UltraRoof will lose less heat than a LivinRoof with a lot of glass. Our guide to tiled conservatory roofs explains what a solid roof does for comfort.

Weight and structure

Both are light by solid roof standards. LivinRoof is 31 kg/m² including plasterboard and UltraRoof 38 kg/m², which Ultraframe describes as the lightest tiled conservatory roof.

Where they differ is the structure. UltraRoof’s patented 380mm box eaves beam means no tie bar is needed, and Ultraframe says it allows unsupported spans of up to 4m for bi-fold or sliding doors, with designs up to 6.7m x 5m. Ultraframe says it is watertight in about 6 hours and typically fitted in 2 days. LivinRoof sits on the existing frames, which its LABC certificate says need metal reinforcement or improvement, and bi-folding doors beneath it must be bottom supported, not top hung. LivinRoof does go down to a 5 degree pitch, which helps on low lean-tos.

With either roof, building control will check your frames. LABC says frames built for polycarbonate may lack the steel reinforcement to carry a solid roof, and inspectors test with pilot holes or a magnet. Our guide to whether a conservatory can take a solid roof covers the survey.

Looks and finishes

UltraRoof 380 looks like a conventional tiled roof. Ultraframe offers its Authentic lightweight slate-effect tiles in Carbon Grey, Harvest Brown or Terra Brick, or Metrotile shingle in Charcoal, Burnt Umber or Antique Red, with aluminium or tile-look hip and ridge cappings. A third-party site says real tiles and slate can also be used. Inside is a vaulted, loft-style plastered ceiling with a small external soffit and an internal pelmet for lighting.

LivinRoof has no tiles. The outside is grey aluminium-faced panels in RAL7016 Urban Grey, which Ultraframe calls a rolled lead look, with a black gutter or a powder-coated cornice. Inside is a vaulted plastered ceiling with an insulated pelmet, 300mm deep as standard and up to 1,200mm, for downlights or speakers. Ultraframe itself says the grey look may not match the house roof.

Light: how much glass can you have?

LivinRoof is the more flexible. Ultraframe says glass can replace any of the grey panels, in almost any shape including triangles, without additional cost, and performance glass options are available.

UltraRoof takes full-length rectangular glass panels in any specification, including solar control, or Velux-style roof windows, or it can be fully solid. Ultraframe guarantees its self-cleaning glass for 10 years. If you want a strip of glass or a couple of windows in a tiled roof, UltraRoof does that; if you want glass to be a large part of the design, LivinRoof is the better fit.

Certification and building control

Both roofs need a building regulations application when they replace a glass or polycarbonate roof, and both hold approvals that make that easier. LivinRoof has LABC Registered Detail EWS529 and MFA and Stroma pre-approvals. UltraRoof has LABC Registered Detail EWS1293, first issued in April 2021, plus MFA and Stroma system approvals. Both have been fire tested as assembled roofs by Warringtonfire.

Ultraframe lists BBA certification for its glass roof chassis and Ultrapanel technology. On 27 September 2026 the BBA’s website said its UKAS accreditations were temporarily suspended; a BBA certificate is evidence for building control, not an approval in itself. At least one retailer uses the Ultraroof name in its own product name, so check your quote names Ultraframe’s UltraRoof 380 and its certificate. See our building regulations guide.

Guarantees, and what happens if your installer stops trading

The guarantees are the same: a 10-year parts guarantee from Ultraframe, with installer warranties that vary. ExpertSure reports that the LivinRoof guarantee is not insurance-backed. ConservatoryRoofCosts.co.uk quotes a 25-year tile guarantee for UltraRoof, which we did not see on Ultraframe’s pages, and Metrotile offers its own 40-year weatherproof warranty on its shingle. Ask which apply to your roof.

Ultraframe has traded since 1983 and its main trading company has no insolvency record. The bigger risk is the installer, who provides the workmanship guarantee. If that firm stops trading, only an insurance-backed guarantee from an FCA-regulated provider such as HomePro keeps that cover in place. Ask for one, keep deposits to 25% or less and pay by credit card where you can.

Price and value for money

ExpertSure puts LivinRoof at £9,500 to £15,500 fitted including VAT, with a 14 to 18 m² Edwardian at £10,500 to £12,500 and a 15 to 20 m² Victorian at £11,500 to £14,000. UltraRoof pricing is quote-only, according to ExpertSure. ConservatoryCost.com gives £950 to £1,500 per m² installed, including disposal of the old roof, and ExpertSure’s general tiled figure for a 4m x 4m Victorian (a 16 to 18 m² roof) is £8,000 to £12,000.

Our 2026 range for a fitted tiled roof on a medium conservatory (about 4m x 3.5m) is £7,400 to £12,100, typically about £9,600, and our general hybrid range is £6,600 to £12,600, with branded LivinRoof running higher. See tiled roof costs. With LivinRoof, Ultraframe says glass costs nothing extra; with UltraRoof, ask how glass panels change the price.

Reported problems

These are reviewers’ and review sites’ reports, attributed. We have not verified individual cases.

Both roofs share Ultraframe’s Trustpilot page, which covers all its products and shows 4.4 from 115 reviews (checked 27 September 2026), with 76% five-star and 21% one-star. Some reviewers describe intermittent leaks on LivinRoof installations resolved only after several service visits, and others report water getting in at box gutters and lead flashing on older installations. Ultraframe replies to negative reviews. For UltraRoof, ExpertSure notes that there is no published pricing.

LivinRoof or UltraRoof 380: which should you choose?

• You want it to look like a tiled roof: UltraRoof 380.
• You want wide bi-fold or sliding doors with no tie bar overhead: UltraRoof 380.
• You want lots of glass, or glass in unusual shapes: LivinRoof.
• Your lean-to has a very shallow pitch: LivinRoof, which goes down to 5 degrees.
• Your frames are borderline for weight: LivinRoof is slightly lighter, but get a survey either way.

Our LivinRoof review and UltraRoof 380 review cover each in more depth. When you get quotes, ask each Ultraframe installer to price both options for your conservatory, with the U-value including any glass, who handles building control and who backs the workmanship guarantee. Our guide to comparing quotes has a full checklist.