How long does it take to build a conservatory?

Building a conservatory can open up your home with an influx of light, extra living space and incredible aesthetics. Unfortunately, it can be a long-winded project causing some disruption to your day-to-day life. As such, many people wonder how long it takes to build a conservatory. Knowing this can help you to plan ahead and prepare for this exciting addition to your home.

Stick with us as we guide you through some of your brilliant options, average timescales (like how long does an orangery take to build?) and roughly how much you’ll need to budget.

How long does it take to build a conservatory?

In order to calculate how long it takes to build a conservatory, you’ll need to consider a range of factors. These variables can have a huge effect on the construction process, so it’s worth taking a little time to think about the following:

• Size of conservatory: The bigger your conservatory, the longer the construction will take.
• Style of conservatory: More customised, complex conservatories will take longer to build than simple ones.
• Roof type: The type of roof you choose can alter the timescales.
• Ground works: If significant ground works are needed to properly support your conservatory, this will add on extra time.
• Planning permission: Most conservatories are considered to be permitted developments so will not need planning permission. However, if your conservatory extends beyond 3m building regulations are essential, which may add on extra time.

Once you’ve taken these factors into account, you may be wondering how long it takes to build a conservatory on average. As a guide, it’ll take about 8 – 12 weeks to build your conservatory, with the parts being manufactured off-site.

Your contractor can start on the foundations and dwarf walls in the meantime, although there may be a delay with the part manufacturing that can affect all aspects of the build. This can have a knock-on effect on finishing your conservatory including decoration, flooring and electrical works.

What is the timescale for converting a conservatory to an orangery?

While conservatories are a stunning addition to any home, they can have their drawbacks. The wide expanses of glass mean the space can quickly become too hot and they can become very chilly in the winter. Converting your conservatory to an orangery is the perfect solution. Orangeries offer more comfortable temperatures while still having excellent garden views.

In short, an orangery is a combination of a normal extension and a conservatory. So, if you’re considering the transition, it may be useful to know what the timescale for converting a conservatory to an orangery is. It’ll take roughly 6 – 8 weeks as long as the existing conservatory footprint is kept the same.

How long does it take to build an orangery?

If you’re thinking about alternatives to a conservatory, an orangery is a great choice. Benefits include:

• Beautiful garden views
• Comfort throughout the year
• Better insulation, meaning better energy efficiency
• An excellent source of natural light

Sounds great, but how long does it take to build an orangery? Usually, this will take between 4 and 6 weeks although the weather may be a factor in delays as an orangery has more masonry elements. Alternatively, if your orangery is constructed using timber, there may be delays as it will often be manufactured off-site.

How long does it take to build a lean-to conservatory?

In general, this will take 3 – 4 weeks depending on a range of factors.

Lean-to conservatories are often called sunrooms thanks to their wide stretches of glass, creating the feeling of being outside while being protected from the elements. They’re attached to your house with a gently sloped roof to allow rainwater to run off.

Can I build a conservatory myself?

Depending on your DIY skill level and experience it may be possible to do some of the construction work yourself. Having said that, building a conservatory is time-consuming, arduous and expensive, so hiring a range of professionals to do the work can save you hours of time and energy.

What’s more, most conservatories are considered a bespoke construction so getting the measurements correct is essential. Making any kind of error during measuring and construction can cause huge delays, extra costs and a lot of stress. That’s why we would strongly recommend you hire a team of experts to take over your project.

Knowing your conservatory is being built by professionals will also give you peace of mind that nothing essential has been forgotten. The finished conservatory will be of excellent quality and any unforeseen issues will be dealt with quickly and effectively.

Thankfully, using our search engine is a fantastic way of reaching a range of local tradespeople quickly. Let us take away the anxiety and effort of finding the best professionals, allowing you to focus on more important things.

How much does it cost to install a conservatory?

If you choose to make the wise decision to use professionals to build your conservatory, you may be wondering how much this will cost. There are of course a wide number of factors that’ll affect how much you’ll pay but below are some of the average prices:

• Building regulations submission cost – £100 – £125
• Building regulations Inspections cost – £200- £400
• Lean to conservatory average cost – £10,250 – £13,500
• Orangery average cost – £11,500 – £59,000

It’s also worth considering that a conservatory can add value to your home – it’s predicted up to 7%!

If you’d like to learn more about conservatory and orangery costs, the variables that affect the costs and other handy tips, why not explore our conservatory cost guide or our orangery cost guide.