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What changes the cost of a tiled conservatory roof?
In Cheshire, the cost of replacing a glazed conservatory roof with a tiled one depends on the size and shape of the roof, whether the frame and base can take the extra weight, the insulation and plastering inside, and building regulations approval. We print no roof price, so compare written quotes that cover the same structure, sign-off and finish.
Last reviewed:What does a tiled conservatory roof involve?
A tiled conservatory roof, often sold as a solid or warm roof, replaces a glass or polycarbonate roof with a lightweight structure that is insulated, boarded and finished with tiles or slates outside, and plastered inside. The aim is a room that stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer than a glazed conservatory.
It is a structural job, not a simple swap. The old roof comes off, a new frame goes on, and the walls, frame and base below have to carry a heavier load than they did before. Inside, there is usually new plasterboard, skim and decoration, often with downlights or other new electrics.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. This guide does not print a price for a tiled conservatory roof. We could not find two dated public UK sources for one, and a single figure from one article is not enough to print. What it does cover is what changes the quote, what the rules say, and how to compare offers.
Is the existing conservatory strong enough?
This is the first question, and it can change the whole price. A tiled roof weighs more than glazing. The frame, the dwarf walls, the base and the foundations have to cope with that extra load. Many installers carry out a survey before quoting a firm price. Some jobs need extra posts, a ring beam, new or reinforced walls, or in some cases a new base.
Ask each installer:
- how they will check the frame, walls and base
- whether a structural engineer or building control will be involved
- what happens to the price if strengthening is needed once work starts
- whether the existing windows and doors stay, or need replacing to carry the new roof
A quote that does not mention the structure at all is not a quote for the same job as one that includes a survey and strengthening.
Building regulations and planning
The Planning Portal says a new conservatory roof must comply with building regulations so that it is structurally safe, energy efficient and properly ventilated [S4]. It also says planning permission may be needed if the change significantly alters the structure or appearance of the roof [S4].
There is a related point about exemption. The Planning Portal says a conservatory is normally exempt from building regulations only if it meets several conditions, including being built at ground level, being less than 30 square metres in floor area, being separated from the house by external quality walls, doors or windows, and having an independent heating system with separate controls [S3]. The same page says any glazing and fixed electrical installation must still comply with the regulations [S3].
For roofs more generally, the Planning Portal says that work to re-cover an existing roof will need approval if a new covering increases the weight of the roof covering by 15 per cent or more, or if structural alterations are made [S5]. A tiled roof on a conservatory is a heavier covering and a new structure, so ask building control or the installer how approval will be handled.
This page gives no DIY steps for structural or roof work. Ask the installer who will apply for approval, and what certificate you will get.
GOV.UK: find your local council for building control. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
What changes the cost of a tiled conservatory roof
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Roof size and shape | Lean-to, Victorian, Edwardian, gable or P-shaped | The roof type and size they priced |
| Structural survey | Some installers include it, some charge separately | Whether a survey is in the price |
| Strengthening | Frame, posts, ring beam, walls or base | What strengthening is included, and how extras are priced |
| Roof system and tiles | Lightweight tiles, slate-effect tiles, roof windows | The system and tile named in the quote |
| Insulation and ventilation | The specification affects comfort and approval | What insulation is used, and how the roof is ventilated |
| Inside finish | Plasterboard, skim, coving, decoration | Whether plastering and decorating are included |
| Electrics | Downlights, sockets, heating | Who does the electrics, and how they are certified |
| Gutters and drainage | New gutters, downpipes, connection to drains | Whether rainwater goods are included |
| Building control | Application, inspections, completion certificate | Who applies, and whether fees are in the price |
| Access and waste | Scaffolding or platforms, removing old glazing | Access method and waste removal |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S2]. Ask whether each total includes VAT.
Access, safety and the old roof
Removing an old glazed or polycarbonate roof and building a new one means working at height above a fragile surface. The Health and Safety Executive's order of approach is to avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable, then prevent falls using an existing safe place or the right type of equipment, and then minimise the distance and consequences of a fall [S6]. Ask each installer what access they will use, and whether it is in the price.
HSE: work at height. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Ask too how the old roof will be removed and taken away. Glass and polycarbonate panels and old frames are bulky, and the removal line is easy to leave out of a quote.
Inside the room: plastering, lighting and heating
Much of the difference between a basic and a finished job is inside the room. A tiled roof usually comes with a plasterboard ceiling, and many people add downlights, a ceiling fan or new sockets at the same time. Electrical work needs to be done and certified properly, so ask who is doing it and what certificate you will receive.
Heating is worth thinking about early. If the conservatory is open to the house, or you plan to remove the doors between them, that affects the exemption conditions the Planning Portal describes [S3]. Ask the installer or building control before you change the layout.
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
Give each installer the same information:
- the shape and rough size of the conservatory, and photos from inside and outside
- what the current roof is made of
- whether there are doors between the conservatory and the house, and whether you want to keep them
- what is below: dwarf walls, full-height glazing, the type of base if you know it
- whether you want roof windows, downlights or other electrics
- how you heat the room now
- anything that makes access difficult, such as a narrow side path or a neighbour's boundary
- your postcode, and when you would like the work done
How to compare tiled conservatory roof quotes
Check each quote for:
- A structural survey, and what strengthening is included.
- The roof system, tile and insulation named.
- Building regulations: who applies, and what certificate you get.
- Inside finish: plasterboard, skim and decoration, or not.
- Electrics: what is included and who certifies it.
- Gutters and drainage.
- Access, removal of the old roof and waste.
- What happens if extra work is found once the old roof is off.
- Whether VAT is included.
Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three traders, avoiding large upfront payments and keeping any deposit you cannot avoid to no more than 25% [S1].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Replace the polycarbonate roof of a Victorian-style conservatory with a tiled roof, plastered inside, with downlights." Or: "Our lean-to conservatory in Crewe is too hot in summer. Please quote for a solid roof and tell us whether the frame can take it." Or: "We want a tiled roof on a conservatory with dwarf walls, plus new gutters and a roof window."
Get quotes from local installers
Describe the conservatory, the roof you want and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See the roofers page, the builders page or the glaziers page. For a flat roof on a new extension instead, see flat roof extension cost.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Quotes and deposits: Citizens Advice [S1].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S2].
- Conservatory exemption: Planning Portal: conservatories, building regulations [S3].
- Changing a conservatory roof: Planning Portal Interactive House FAQ [S4].
- Work to an existing roof: Planning Portal: roof, building regulations [S5].
- Work at height: HSE introduction to working at height safely [S6].
Questions about tiled conservatory roof costs
How much does a tiled conservatory roof cost?
This guide does not print a figure, because we could not find two dated public UK sources for one. The size and shape of the roof, the state of the frame and base, the insulation, the plastering inside, lighting and building control sign-off all change the total. Ask installers to quote the same specification and say what sign-off is included.
Do I need building regulations approval for a tiled conservatory roof?
Very likely. The Planning Portal says a new conservatory roof must comply with building regulations so that it is structurally safe, energy efficient and properly ventilated. Ask each installer how approval will be handled and what certificate you will get at the end.
Will my conservatory still be exempt after a solid roof goes on?
It may not be. The Planning Portal sets out the conditions for a conservatory to be exempt from building regulations, including being under 30 square metres, separated from the house by external quality walls, doors or windows, and having its own heating controls. Changing the roof is a separate question from that exemption, so ask building control or the installer.
Do I need planning permission to change my conservatory roof?
Often not, but it depends. The Planning Portal says planning permission may be needed if the change significantly alters the structure or appearance of the roof. Listed buildings and conservation areas can bring extra rules. Ask your council if you are unsure.
Can my existing conservatory frame take a tiled roof?
That has to be checked for your conservatory, not assumed. A tiled roof is heavier than glass or polycarbonate, and the frame, walls and base may need strengthening. Ask each installer how they will check the structure, and whether that check and any strengthening are in the price.
Should I pay a deposit for a new conservatory roof?
Citizens Advice suggests avoiding large upfront payments and keeping any deposit you cannot avoid to no more than 25%. Ask what the deposit pays for, and get a receipt.
Does QuoteZila check the installers who quote?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Related guides
- Roofers: roof work and repairs
- Builders: when the structure needs strengthening
- Roof repair cost: another guide to reading a roofing price
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
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- Bay Window Roof Cost: What Changes the Quote. What moves a bay window roof quote: flat or pitched top, lead, felt or tiles, the wall flashing, rotten timber and access. Some FMB material prices included.
- Chimney Flashing: What to Put in a Quote. Lead flashing at a chimney in Cheshire is the joint where the stack meets the covering. This guide prints no price. It shows what the quote must name.
- House Clearance Cost: What Changes the Price. What changes the cost of a house clearance: the volume, access, sorting for sale or charity, sofas and armchairs, cleaning, and checking the waste carrier.
- Scaffolding Hire Cost: What to Ask. Scaffolding is around £400 a day, and hire can cost from £400 a day, in Federation of Master Builders guides. QuoteZila does not set prices.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms and matching notes.
- S1: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Building regulations: conservatories, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/conservatories/building-regulations/
- S4: Do I need building regulations approval or planning permission to change the roof on my conservatory?, Planning Portal (Interactive House). Accessed 2026-10-25. https://interactive.planningportal.co.uk/faqs/do-i-need-building-regulations-approval-or-planning-permission-to-change-the-roof-on-my-conservatory
- S5: Building regulations: work to an existing roof, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/building-regulations-work-to-an-existing-roof/
- S6: Introduction to working at height safely, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/introduction.htm