How long does a conservatory roof last?

A polycarbonate conservatory roof is usually said to last about 10 to 20 years, and glass and solid tiled roofs 20 to 30 years or more. Treat those numbers with some care: all of them come from people selling roofs, sheets or price guides, and we found no independent study of how long conservatory roofs actually last. The condition of your roof, and of the frames holding it up, tells you more than any average.

That matters for a lot of homes. The government’s Energy Follow-Up Survey found about 4 million English households had a conservatory in 2011, up from about 1.7 million in 1991, so a great many roofs are now well over 15 years old.

Conservatory roof lifespan by type

Roof	Published lifespan claims	Who says so
Polycarbonate	“As little as ten years”; “around 10 years”; 10 to 15 years; 10 to 20 years; 20 to 30 years depending on thickness	Insulation Superstore; The Eco Experts; MyHomeImprovements and ExpertSure; ConservatoryLand (installer); WholesalePOS (sheet retailer)
Glass	20 to 30 years; “25+ years”	MyHomeImprovements; Little Conservatory Company (installer)
Glass and polycarbonate together	Start showing problems after 10 to 20 years	MyJobQuote
Tiled or solid	20 to 30 years “with minimal maintenance”; problems after around 25 years	MyHomeImprovements; MyJobQuote
Insulated panels	No lifespan figure found; guarantees mostly 10 years	Makers’ guarantees

The spread for polycarbonate is the widest, from 5 to 30 years if you include every claim, and it depends on thickness, tint and who is talking. One installer says polycarbonate “degrades and discolours within 5-10 years” and needs replacing within 10 to 15; a sheet retailer says 16mm to 25mm multiwall lasts 25 to 30 years.

How long does a polycarbonate conservatory roof last?

Most price guides put a polycarbonate roof at about 10 to 20 years before it discolours, leaks or needs re-sheeting, and some say around 10. A sheet retailer claims 25 to 30 years for 16mm to 25mm multiwall, but it sells the sheets. Discolouring, leaks and slipped sheets are the usual reasons it gets replaced.

Guarantees give a better sense of what makers will stand behind. Exolon gives 10 years on weathering, hail resistance and UV stability for its multiwall sheet, and Ultraframe shows a 10-year guarantee for its 25mm sheet. ExpertSure says some products carry only five years. Our guide to polycarbonate thickness compares sheets, and our page on the discoloured polycarbonate roof covers what to do about yellowing.

How long does a glass conservatory roof last?

Price guides and installers suggest 20 to 30 years or more for a glass roof. The weak points are the seals, flashing and gutters rather than the glass: Which? lists worn sealants, damaged panels, blocked gutters and flashing problems as the common causes of conservatory leaks, which 9% of its members reported as a regret.

The published guarantees we found for roof glass run from 10 to 15 years. Anglian gives 10 years on its Solaroof glass and 15 on sealed units, and Ultraframe guarantees its self-cleaning glass for 10 years. Older glass roofs can also be replaced for performance rather than age: Ultraframe rates standard double glazed roof glass at a U-value of 2.8, against 1.0 to 1.2 for its current performance glass.

How long does a tiled conservatory roof last?

Longer than polycarbonate, on paper. One price guide says 20 to 30 years with minimal maintenance, and another says solid roofs start showing problems after around 25 years. The leading lightweight systems, Guardian and SupaLite, date from 2006 and 2012, so nobody yet has 30-year evidence for them, and the guarantee terms matter.

Component and tile warranties are long, but they are warranties on parts, not promises about the whole roof:

Product	Warranty or guarantee
Leka components and tiles	40 years, excluding products in the roof that Leka did not supply
Warmer Roof	25-year manufacturing warranty, 40-year tile warranty
Eurocell Equinox	10 years on the roof; tiles up to 40 years depending on type (25 years for SlateSkin and Envirotile)
Metrotile tiles	40-year weatherproof warranty
Britmet tiles	50-year guarantee
Guardian Warm Roof	10-year product guarantee, 10-year installer workmanship guarantee
Ultraframe LivinRoof	10-year parts guarantee
SupaLite Tapco Slate tiles	10-year tile guarantee as standard

According to Wikipedia, Ultraframe was the first roofing system to gain BBA approval, in 1996, and holds a 25-year BBA life expectancy certificate for conservatory roofing. The problems reported in Trustpilot reviews of the main solid roof makers are mostly leaks at box gutters and flashing, tile fading and condensation appearing years after installation, which is why the quality of the installation matters as much as the materials.

Signs your conservatory roof is near the end

• Discolouring. Polycarbonate that has yellowed or gone cloudy lets in less light and is ageing; ExpertSure says clear sheets yellow over time.
• Leaks that keep coming back. One leak can be a seal; repeated leaks after resealing point to a roof that is failing.
• Slipped, cracked or brittle sheets. Sheets that have slid down the bars or cracked need re-sheeting at least.
• Condensation and mould. Persistent condensation or damage to the ceiling of a solid roof is worth investigating early.
• Cracks where the conservatory meets the house. LABC says foundation movement can cause cracks and water leaks at this junction, which is a structural question rather than a roof one.
• A roof you cannot get parts for. Synseal, maker of Global and K2 roofs, went into administration in 2019; third parties still sell spares for Global roofs.

Repair or replace?

Repair makes sense when the problem is local and the rest of the roof is sound. Which? suggests clearing gutters, replacing loose or cracked panels and resealing joints and vents. MyJobQuote puts a typical leak repair at around £375, and other guides go up to £2,000. The Glass and Glazing Federation says repairing glass can be cheaper than replacing it.

Replacement makes sense when the roof is failing in several places, when it has discoloured throughout, or when you want a different kind of roof. Typical fitted prices for a medium conservatory (about 4m x 3.5m) in the common shapes; installers usually quote including VAT, but check:

New roof	Typical fitted price
Insulated panels or lining	£1,800 to £4,600
New polycarbonate	£2,700 to £5,200
New glass	£3,500 to £7,000
Lightweight tiled	£7,400 to £12,100

Our cost guides break these down by size and style, and the leaking conservatory roof page walks through finding a leak before you decide.

Will your frames outlast a new roof?

A new roof is only worth fitting if the frames and base will last as long. Anglian, an installer, says frames 10 to 15 years old or damaged may not be strong enough, and a MoneySavingExpert contributor warned against a new roof on windows past half their life. For a solid roof, LABC says the frames must contain steel reinforcement.

If the whole structure is tired, the numbers can favour a rebuild. The Federation of Master Builders puts a full lean-to uPVC conservatory replacement at £8,000 to £17,000, and Taskino puts replacing the side frames and dwarf wall alongside a new roof at £2,000 to £4,000 extra. Our comparison of a new roof or a new conservatory sets out the choice.

How to make a conservatory roof last longer

• Keep gutters and downpipes clear. Which? names blocked gutters as a common cause of leaks, and the Association of British Insurers says damage from poor maintenance is not covered by home insurance.
• Check seals, flashing and the ridge. SupaLite advises seasonal checks and a professional inspection every few years for a solid roof.
• Clean aluminium trims. Ultraframe says powder-coated aluminium is “not maintenance free”: wash it with warm soapy water and wax it up to twice a year.
• Use the right sealant on self-cleaning glass. Ultraframe says it must be sealed with MS polymer sealant, not ordinary silicone.
• Never stand on the roof. Ultraframe says it is not safe to stand directly on a conservatory roof; use proper access equipment.
• Keep a solid roof ventilated. The LivinRoof certificate asks for regular ceiling cleaning and ventilation that keeps relative humidity below 80%.

When you get quotes for a replacement, ask each installer what maintenance the guarantee requires, how long each part is covered, and whether the guarantee is insurance-backed. Our maintenance guide covers cleaning in more detail.