How Much Does a Tiled Conservatory Roof Cost?

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April 24, 2018
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How Much Does a Tiled Conservatory Roof Cost?

Tiled Conservatory Roof Prices & Designs

The cost of a tiled conservatory roof is going to vary a lot depending on the size of your conservatory and the type of tiles that you use.

To demonstrate what we mean, for differing finishes, conservatory roof prices can range from £250 to almost £900 per square metre, so there is quite a difference there.

Let’s be clear at outset, fitting a solid roof on your conservatory will cost a decent amount more than fitting a glass or polycarbonate roof.

If you have a large conservatory with a complex roof design, then you should be prepared with a budget of over £10,000+ in order to replace an existing glass or polycarbonate roof.

For example:
  • Tiled conservatory roof prices can run from £4,500 to £9,000+ depending on spec.
  • Glazed conservatory roof prices can run from £3,000 to £4,000+ for a small conservatory.

The other situation to take into account is whether you are installing a new conservatory “from scratch” or replacing an existing conservatory roof.

Here, we take a look at:

  1. What are the most popular types of conservatory roof tile?
  2. Advantages & Disadvantages of tiled conservatory roofing.
  3. What you need to know about converting from a clear to a solid conservatory roof.
  4. How much does a tiled conservatory roof cost?

1 What are the most popular types of conservatory roof tile?

The types of tiled conservatory roofing that you are most likely to see installed around the UK will usually be one of the following:

  1. Concrete tiles: You can see these tiles used everywhere on the typical house main roof. Redland & Marley, two big tile manufacturers, have quite large portfolios of designs in a range of colours. Typically, you can put them into 3 categories, Profiled, Flat or Plain.
  2. Clay Tiles: An alternative to concrete is to use clay tiles. Some very nice designs in the market, terracotta being a favourite. In a lot of cases, clay tiles are smaller than concrete tiles.
  3. Slate: Classic natural slate is going to virtually last forever. But it can be costly. An alternative that looks great is cement fibre slate. They do a really good job of replicating the look of natural quarried slate. Also a lot lighter than clay or concrete tiles.
  4. Synthetic (engineered) tiles: Often made from a combination of fibreglass, rubber, limestone, cement or polymers. These “composite” tiles are very long lasting, light & strong. A good range of colours and styles, including Shingles & shakes.
  5. Metal tiles: It may sound unlikely, but there are some great metal roof tiling systems in the market. You can’t tell by looking at them that they are metal, as they appear the same as any other type of roof tile: Two examples are Metrotile & SupaLite.
Types of Roof Tile Design

Types of Roof Tile Design

Concrete and Clay tiles are going to be heavier than cement fibre slate, composite or metal tiles and therefore need a stronger support. For a replacement to a lightweight polycarbonate conservatory roof, this is crucial to bear in mind.

Advantages & Disadvantages of tiled conservatory roofing.

Whist having a tiled conservatory roof is generally a good idea, but there are some gains and some losses when compared to poly carbonate or glass conservatory roofs.

Solid Conservatory Roofs

Clay, Slate and Concrete Conservatory Roof Tiles

2 Pros & Cons of a solid conservatory roof Vs glazed conservatory roof.

  1. Heat control:

The advantage here is with a solid roof, as it’s pretty obvious that a tiled roof blocks direct sunlight, and so therefore will significantly reduce potential heat build-up on sunny days.

Double glazed conservatory roofs with solar control glass, gas filled 28mm sealed units can mitigate quite a lot of the problems, but will not be as effective as a tiled roof.

The converse is also true, in that cold penetration will be less for a tiled conservatory roof than for a double glazed version.

  1. Natural sunlight:

This factor is clearly an advantage with a glass roof. If you want a bright, naturally lit conservatory, then it has to be a glazed roof.

Tiled conservatory roofs can be adapted to allow for more light by fitting something like Velux window units. A couple of skylights will significantly increase the light levels in the room.

  1. Visual Appeal:

A conservatory with a tiled roof can certainly look more substantial than one with a polycarbonate roof, but really the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” in this case.

Conservatories with glass roofs look like conservatories, whereas conservatories with tiled roofing can often look more like a home extension.

Tiled P-shape Victorian Conservatory

Tiled P-shape Victorian Conservatory

Image Credits: Tapco Tile & supalite.
  1. Sound insulation:

Just by being a thicker covering, a tiled conservatory roof will help greatly in deadening sound from the outside. Double glazed roofing will also help with soundproofing, but a polycarbonate roof provides virtually no soundproofing. Advantage goes to tiled roofs here.

  1. Cost of a glazed conservatory roof Vs cost of a tiled conservatory roof.

If you have ever seen the film “Jaws” where the actor Roy Scheider says “you’re gonna need a bigger boat”, you are going to need a bigger budget for a tiled conservatory roof.

A tiled conservatory roof, when compared to glazed is more complex, more labour intensive and time consuming – all these things contribute to the higher cost.

Price advantage goes to Poly-carbonate, followed double glazed roofs, with tiled roofing being the most expensive of the three.

Tapco Tile Colour Range

Tapco Tile Colour Range

3 Replacement Tiled Conservatory Roof

What you need to know about converting from a translucent to a solid conservatory roof.

If you are having a new conservatory designed and installed, then most of the following will have already been taken into account by your installer. But it won’t hurt to be reminded that going from a clear to a solid roof can be categorised as a “change of use from temporary to permanent” and bring some new factors into the equation.

  • Will the existing frame bear the weight of the new roof? You need to have a structural assessment to find out. Don’t just fit a new roof and “hope for the best”.
  • Will the base / foundation be strong enough to bear the extra weight? If you have a thin concrete slab, or a lightweight steel framed base, then you may need to upgrade it. A survey should identify any issues.
  • Will you need planning permission? For a smaller conservatory, you may not need planning permission. This does not mean you don’t need to comply with building regulations. Our recommendation is that you check with your local planning department before commencing any work. You may also need to bear in mind the neighbour consultation scheme for larger conservatories. You might also have forgotten to take into account any previous extensions, (even outhouses count). If you are using over 50% of the land around the house, you will need planning permission for the roof conversion.
  • If you needed planning permission for the original conservatory, then it’s virtually certain that you will need new permissions & building regulation approval to replace a translucent roof with a solid tiled roof.
  • If you are adding a solid roof, then local building control could want to see adequate ventilation in place, which could mean adding roof vents or window trickle vents.

See the planning portal & Local building control for more information.

Some things to bear in mind are building regulations for solid conservatory roofs, and you may need to strengthen the existing frames to take the weight of a tiled roof.

In summary, planning permission requirements and building regulations are 2 areas where getting it wrong can be costly. Always discuss in detail with your contractor and local authority before commencing any work.

4 How Much Does a Tiled Conservatory Roof Cost?

There is going to be quite a variation in conservatory roof prices.

If you are having a new conservatory designed and installed, then the cost of the roof is included in the overall conservatory cost. You could get a decent idea of the added expense by comparing quotes for tiled roofing with quotes for glazed roofing – the difference in cost being easily seen.

For replacement conservatory roofing, there is the cost of the new roof itself to take into account, plus any remedial work needed to strengthen the existing conservatory frame. Not forgetting the removal and disposal of the old roof.

There is also so much choice in terms of the tiles themselves, such as make, size, material, colour etc.

The following example tiled conservatory roof prices don’t take all these things into account, and will only give you the most general indication of potential costs.

Basic Tiled Conservatory Roof Prices Guide:


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Summary:

Replacing your conservatory roof is not cheap, and not something that you should rush into. It is far better that you gather all the information you can and then take the time to have a few consultations with conservatory roof experts.

To get an accurate set of costs you will really need an on-site survey by a professional. At the survey, you can sit down and discuss your requirements in detail and come up with a design that suits your situation.

If you want to know how much a tiled roof costs for your conservatory, we can arrange for free surveys and written quotations from accredited installers all over mainland UK.

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