Conservatory prices vary more than almost any other home improvement. The word covers everything from a small lean-to on a quick base to a brick or stone orangery with a roof lantern. This guide gives realistic ranges for homes in and around Peterborough and Stamford, explains where the money goes, and flags the extra costs that older and stone houses can bring.
These are rough figures for a conservatory built properly from the base up in the Peterborough area. They include foundations, dwarf walls, frames, glazing and basic finishing:
These are ranges, not quotes. The final figure depends on the size, the frames and glazing you choose, how much groundwork the site needs and how the new room joins your house. Flooring, heating, blinds and furniture are often priced separately, so check what any figure includes.
The base is where cheap conservatories cut corners, and you cannot fix it later. A sound job starts with foundations dug to suit the ground, then a damp-proof membrane and an insulated floor slab. Much of the Peterborough area sits on clay, which shrinks and swells with the seasons. Foundations sometimes need to go deeper, especially near trees, and that can add a noticeable sum before anything shows above ground.
On top of the slab come the dwarf walls or piers, the frames and glazing, the roof and the inside finish: plastering, electrics, sockets and lighting. We do our own bricklaying and plastering, and the same team stays on the job from groundworks to handover. If an orangery has a solid or tiled roof section, our sister firm, Advanced Roofing & Scaffolding, does the roof covering and any scaffolding.
Many homes around Stamford and the nearby Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Rutland villages are built of local limestone or old brick. For a conservatory to look right next to them, the dwarf walls usually need matching stone or reclaimed brick, laid in a mortar that suits the original walls. Finding and laying matching stone can add several thousand pounds compared with standard facing brick.
Old walls are rarely straight or upright, so joining a new structure to them takes longer on site. If the house is listed or in a conservation area, as parts of Stamford and many village centres are, expect extra drawings, consent fees and a longer wait before work starts.
A conservatory is usually exempt from building regulations if it meets all of these conditions: it is under 30 square metres, it is mostly glazed, external quality doors separate it from the house and the main central heating does not heat it. If you take out the dividing wall or fit a mostly solid roof, it is treated much more like an extension. That means building regulations approval, better insulation and possibly a steel beam. The cost can rise a lot, but you get a room you can use all year.
A fully glazed roof is cheaper to build but can be hot in summer and cold in winter. Better glass, roof vents and a partly solid roof all cost more at the start and make the room far more usable.
Ask every builder to price the same drawings and to set out exactly what is included. On older properties, keep around 10 to 15 per cent aside for surprises once the ground is opened up.
Usually, yes, per square metre. An orangery with a large solid roof and full insulation can cost close to an extension, so it is worth comparing both before you decide.
Many conservatories count as permitted development, but there are limits on size and position, and listed buildings and conservation areas need more care. Check with Peterborough City Council, South Kesteven District Council for Stamford, or Rutland County Council before you commit.
A straightforward conservatory usually takes a few weeks on site, and an orangery can take six to ten weeks. Waiting for frames and glazing can add to that, so order early.
Free site visit, free quote. We will come out, take measurements, and tell you straight what it will cost and how long it will take.