How to compare conservatory roof quotes

Why do conservatory roof quotes vary so much?

Because they rarely price the same job. Size and shape, the roof system and tile, internal finishing, roof windows and any strengthening of the frames or base all move the price. MyJobQuote says converting to a different roof type typically costs 30% to 40% more than a like-for-like replacement.

The spread in real quotes is wide. On MoneySavingExpert one homeowner was quoted around £20,000 for a 6m x 4m Victorian roof, while another paid £9,000 for a similar size. In a separate thread, a £1,700 quote to put glass on the existing glazing bars sat beside a £6,000 quote for a complete new roof. Those are not two prices for one job. They are two different jobs.

Published price guides disagree too. The Federation of Master Builders puts a solid or tiled roof at £4,000 to £6,000, while ExpertSure gives £6,100 to £15,000. Which? members who replaced a roof reported an average of £6,144 across all roof types in an April 2026 survey. Our own typical ranges for a medium conservatory (about 4m x 3.5m), fitted, are below. Installers usually quote including VAT, but check each quote says so.

Roof	Typical fitted price	Typical time on site
Tiled (lightweight, insulated)	£7,400 to £12,100	3 to 6 days
Hybrid (solid with glazed panels)	£6,600 to £12,600	4 to 7 days
Glass	£3,500 to £7,000	2 to 4 days
Insulated panels or lining	£1,800 to £4,600	1 to 3 days
New polycarbonate	£2,700 to £5,200	1 to 2 days

See the cost guides for prices by size and style, or put your own measurements into the cost calculator before the first installer visits.

What should a conservatory roof quote include?

Everything needed to finish the job, itemised: the named roof system and tiles, removal of the old roof, any structural work, gutters and fascias, insulation and its U-value, the internal finish, electrics, building control fees and certificate, access equipment, guarantees and the payment schedule. Anything missing is a likely extra.

Use this as your checklist. A good quote covers all eleven:

1. Roof system and finish. The system name and maker, style, tile or slate type and colour, and any roof windows or glazed panels.
2. Strip-out and disposal. Removal of the old roof, plus the skip or waste carrier.
3. Structural work. Frame reinforcement or replacement, posts, tie bars, box gutter supports and trial holes.
4. Ring beam and rainwater. Ring beam, gutters, fascias, soffits, downpipes and the connection to drainage.
5. Insulation. Type, thickness and the target U-value. In England a new solid roof must reach 0.15 W/m²K.
6. Internal finish. Plasterboard type, skim, and whether decoration is included (usually it is not).
7. Electrics. The number and type of lights, and the electrical certificate.
8. Building control. Which body, the fee, and who pays it.
9. Access. Scaffolding or towers. Which? advises checking that materials and scaffolding are included.
10. Guarantees. Product, workmanship, insurance-backed and deposit cover, and who backs each one.
11. Payment schedule. Deposit, stage payments and the final payment.

What extras should you budget for?

The usual extras are skip hire, scaffolding, new guttering, internal finishing on a solid roof and the building control fee. MyJobQuote’s 2026 guide prices them at a few hundred pounds each, with internal finishing up to £2,000, so a quote that leaves them out is not as cheap as it looks.

Extra	Typical cost (MyJobQuote 2026)
Skip hire	£120 to £300
Scaffolding	£400 to £800
New guttering	£150 to £500
Internal finishing on a solid roof	£500 to £2,000
Building control fee	about £200 to £400 (other guides say up to £800)

Structural work is the extra that varies most. If the survey finds frames without steel reinforcement, LABC says new windows or extra structural posts may be needed. Ask for that work to be priced as a separate line so you can compare it across quotes.

Check the VAT line too. HMRC says insulation fitted as part of a wider construction job is one standard-rated supply, so a full roof replacement is likely to carry 20%. Ask the installer to confirm the VAT treatment in writing.

How to compare quotes like for like

Once you have the line items, line them up. These are the checks that explain most price gaps:

Check	What to look for
Roof system	The same system, or an equivalent U-value stated in writing
Structural scope	The same frame, post and foundation work. A cheap quote may simply leave reinforcement out.
Internal finish	The same plasterboard, skim and any pelmet or ceiling detail
Electrics	The same number of lights, with a certificate
Building control	The same route (council or private approver), fee included, certificate promised
Guarantees	The same length and backing, including insurance-backed cover
Price type	A fixed quote, not an estimate
Timing	Start date, days on site, and what happens if a problem is found once the roof is off

Is the cheapest conservatory roof quote a false economy?

Sometimes. A low price can mean a thinner specification, missing structural work or no building control application, which you may pay for later. Compare the specification before the total. Which? also warns that choosing a polycarbonate roof to save money can be a false economy because of noise and poor temperature control.

The riskiest gap is building control. A solid or tiled roof needs building regulations approval, and MoneySavingExpert contributors described a firm’s claim that it was not needed as a red flag. A Mumsnet user who relied on that assurance had it flagged by their buyer’s solicitor five years later. Our guide to red flags when buying a conservatory roof lists the other warning signs.

Questions to ask every installer

Ask the same questions of each firm and note the answers against their quote:

1. Which roof system is it, and who makes it?
2. Are you an approved installer for that system?
3. Who submits the building control application, to which body, and will I get the completion certificate?
4. Have you checked my frames for steel reinforcement, and how?
5. Will you dig a trial hole or otherwise check the foundations?
6. Are structural posts, tie bars or box gutter supports needed, and are they priced?
7. What is the insulation build-up and U-value? Can I have it in writing?
8. Who does the plastering and electrics, and will I get an electrical certificate?
9. Do you use subcontractors?
10. What happens, and what will it cost, if you find a problem once the roof is off?

There are more in our list of questions to ask a conservatory roof installer.

Deposits, payment stages and guarantees

Citizens Advice suggests a deposit of no more than 25%, payments in stages at agreed milestones, receipts for everything, and paying by card rather than cash. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, a credit card provider is jointly liable with the trader for an item with a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000.

Some installers belong to schemes that insure the deposit if the firm stops trading before the job is finished. DGCOS covers up to 25% of the contract value, capped at £5,000, for 120 days from signing. The Consumer Protection Association covers up to 25% or £7,500, whichever is lower. HomePro covers deposits up to 25%, capped at £10,000. Check membership with the scheme itself, not the logo on the quote.

Guarantees come in layers, and each covers something different:

Guarantee	What it covers
Manufacturer product guarantee	The roof components, for example Ultraframe’s 10-year parts guarantee on LivinRoof or Leka’s 40-year component warranty
Installer workmanship guarantee	Installation defects, while the installer is trading
Insurance-backed guarantee	Honours the written guarantee if the installer stops trading. DGCOS says these run for 2 to 10 years and may be shorter than the installer’s own guarantee.
Deposit protection	The deposit only, if the firm fails before the work is finished

Which? advises that any guarantee should last at least 10 years. Our guides to guarantees and insurance and paying for a new roof go into more detail.

Quote or estimate?

Insist on a quote. Citizens Advice warns that an estimate, unlike a quote, can leave you liable for extra charges, and recommends a written contract covering exactly what you are paying for and when. In one case reported by Suffolk Trading Standards, a roof repair offered by a cold caller at £2,000 escalated to £29,900.

When you get quotes, send each installer the same brief: the roof system or target U-value, the internal finish, the number of lights, any roof windows, and a request to itemise structural work and building control. Then the totals mean something, and the tiled roof cost guide gives you a benchmark to test them against.