Glass, solid and hybrid roof pricing, plus the structural checks that decide whether your frames can take the load.
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Replacing a polycarbonate roof is one of the highest-impact improvements you can make to an older conservatory, but the quotes vary enormously — usually because people are being quoted for three genuinely different products.
This guide separates those products, then explains the structural survey that has to happen before any of them can be priced properly.
A replacement glass roof keeps the light and adds modern solar-control performance. A solid, insulated roof turns the space into a room you can use all year but reduces overhead light. A hybrid combines insulated panels with glazed sections or a roof lantern.
Cost rises broadly in that order, but the deciding factor is usually how you want to use the room rather than the headline price.
The bigger the span, the more structural support is needed. A solid roof is heavier than polycarbonate, so the existing frames and base have to be assessed before anyone commits to a price — that assessment is part of our survey, not an optional extra.
A plastered and skimmed internal ceiling with downlights costs more than a pre-finished panel ceiling, and it is often the difference between two quotes. Decide which you want before you compare figures.
Treat a conversion as a change to the whole roof arrangement, not simply the removal of transparent panels. The existing frame, supporting walls and base need to be considered alongside the proposed roof. A conservatory that carries its present glazing cannot be assumed to support a different system without assessment. Keep the condition of the supports separate from the choice of ceiling finish when discussing the proposal.
Start with how you intend to use the space. Removing overhead glazing changes the source of daylight, including the light reaching rooms behind the conservatory. Look at the windows and doors in the proposed layout and consider whether any glazed roof sections are wanted. A solid roof and a roof with retained glazed areas are different specifications, even when both are described as a conversion.
The junction with the house deserves its own discussion. Ask how the replacement meets the existing wall, what happens at the gutter edge and whether the height or pitch changes. These details can influence both the exterior appearance and the inside ceiling. Planning and building regulations should be checked for the actual proposal rather than inferred from the original conservatory approval.
Before ordering, ask for the proposed roof construction, supporting work and internal finish to be written down together. Keep optional items distinct from the work needed to install the roof. A free home survey and written quote allows the existing conservatory and intended conversion to be discussed as one project, with uncertainties identified before a specification is agreed.
Read the specification before comparing the total. Roof type should be a separate line identifying the proposed construction and any glazed sections. Internal finish should state the ceiling treatment and what finishing work is included. Structural work should identify changes to supports rather than being hidden within a general description of fitting. That separation makes differences visible without assuming that a cheaper proposal covers the same work.
Check the treatment of the existing roof, the junction with the house and any work excluded from the proposal. If one quotation includes a finish that another leaves unfinished, ask for the comparison to be made on the same basis. Record optional items separately so they do not obscure the core roof specification. Fairway Window Systems Ltd offers a free home survey and written quote, a 10-year guarantee and the promise: we beat any like-for-like quote.
We'll assess the frames and base, then quote glass, solid and hybrid options side by side.
Often yes, but it must be checked. We survey the frames, base and span before quoting a solid roof, and we will tell you if reinforcement is needed.
Replacing like-for-like glazing usually does not, but changing to a solid roof can bring building control into play. We advise on this at survey stage.
A solid insulated roof or modern solar-control glass both make a substantial difference compared with old polycarbonate.
A roof conversion replaces the existing glazed or polycarbonate roof with a different system, usually an insulated solid roof. The frames, base and junction with the house are assessed first, because the new roof is heavier and changes how the room behaves.
A solid roof conversion usually costs more because it includes an insulated structure, a finished internal ceiling and sometimes structural work to the frames. A glass roof keeps the original construction approach. The span, roof shape, internal finish and condition of the existing frames move both figures, so compare written specifications rather than headline prices.
Read about conservatory roof replacement for the service options, or see windows and doors across Bristol, Bath and North Somerset for a local specification discussion.