Orangeries are a true hybrid of an extension and a conservatory, creating a warm, sunny, and light room that can be used throughout the year, regardless of the weather outside. While being far more expensive than your average lean-to conservatory, orangeries are often worth the cost and might not be as unaffordable as you first imagined.
In this article, we’ll be looking at:
- How much an orangery costs
- What affects the cost of an orangery
- How to save money on an orangery
- What’s involved in installing an orangery
- How to find and hire a builder
If you want to bask in natural light but don’t want to have a full conservatory fitted, an orangery is a great option. Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of having one installed in your home.
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How Much Does an Orangery Cost?
Before we get into the finer details, let’s first take a look at some estimated supply and labour costs for orangeries to give you an idea of what kind of budget you will likely be working to. On average, an orangery is likely to cost between £2,000 to £2,500 per metre squared.
You can have low-end, mid-range, and high-end orangeries and, as expected, these have differing costs. A small low-end orangery could cost £10,000 in comparison to a high-end at £30,000.
| Size of Orangery | Estimated Supply Cost | Estimated Labour Cost | Time Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (4m x 4m) | £5,000 to £15,000+ | £150 to £250 per day | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Medium (6m x 6m) | £12,000 to £25,000+ | £150 to £250 per day | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Large (7m x 7m) | £18,000 to £60,000+ | £150 to £250 per day | 4 to 6 weeks |
For a small four-metre by four-metre orangery, you can expect estimated supply costs of around £5,000 to £15,000+. Your labour costs will be somewhere between £150 to £250 per day, and the total installation time will take between two to four weeks to complete.
Looking at the next size up, a medium six by six-metre orangery can come in at anywhere between £12,000 to £25,000+. You can expect the same labour fees to range between £150 to £250 per day, and this size of installation will take slightly longer, lasting anywhere between three to five weeks.
Finally, the largest orangery we have priced is for a size of seven by seven metres, for which the estimated supply cost can range from £18,000 to a staggering £60,000+ depending on your materials and design. With £150 to £250 per day in labour fees, and the project taking between four to six weeks to complete, this size is by far the most expensive option.
What Affects the Cost of an Orangery?
Now that we have a rough idea of costs associated with orangeries, let’s look at the ways we can potentially reduce or raise those fees depending on some variables.
The Supply Costs
There are a few supply costs you’ll need to factor into your orangery budget:
- Foundation, brickwork and roofing – these will generally fall under the main cost of the orangery structure, being between £5,000 to £60,000+ depending on your material and size
- Windows and doors – a uPVC 600 by 900-millimetre window can cost between £150 to £350, while composite frames can cost between £1,200 to £1,800
- Rendering – depending on your render material, you can see prices of £10 per square metre for cement, and £30 and beyond for the same size of pebbledash
- Patio – you may want a patio added to your outside area, which can cost around £1,550 for a small area of around 15 square metres
- Painting and decorating – average costs for painting a room can be between £200 and £300
- Heating – electric underfloor heating can cost between £50 to £75 per square metre, while wet is between £80 to £150
The Type of Orangery You Choose
The material you choose for your orangery has the potential to raise or lower your overall project costs.
uPVC
uPVC is a cheap material type when it comes to orangeries, giving a great option for budget-conscious homeowners. These can start at around £15,000, with large options reaching £40,000.
Timber
While a small, timber-framed orangery can cost £16,000, hardwood variants will be more expensive owing to their more durable material. These can cost anywhere from £24,000 for small-sized orangeries and can reach more than £100,000 for larger-scale builds.
Aluminium
Requiring virtually no maintenance, aluminium is a confident option for homeowners wanting no hassle with upkeep. This commands high prices, though, and you can expect fees of between £16,000 to £22,000 for small sizes, and up to £40,000 for large.
Composite
Composite is a mix of aluminium and timber, giving a great option for those wanting the durability of metal but the warmth of wood as well. These can cost between £20,000 to over £100,000 depending on your size.
The Size of the Orangery
Our price comparison table above shows how the size of your orangery can dictate the price you pay, with costs ranging from £5,000 to over £60,000 when changing between small four-by-four metre orangeries and larger seven-by-seven models.
The Design of the Orangery
An orangery differs from a conservatory due to the build, with a conservatory commonly being a glass structure with a pitched roof, whereas an orangery is a brick structure with a flat roof and glass lantern.
You may want a patio or bifold doors added to your orangery which will add yet more costs, typically £3,000 to £3,500, while you may wish to add floor-to-ceiling windows which will command high prices.
The Quality of the Orangery
The build doesn’t stop at the external structure with orangeries – you’ll need to consider the internal build and finish, too, including internal and external fixtures and fittings. How you choose to finish your orangery is up to you, and you can do this on a budget by waiting for sales to pick up key pieces, or go all out on a bespoke design where the sky is the limit.
The Preparation Work
Having an orangery installed unfortunately isn’t a plug-and-play solution – you’ll need to have your garden prepared and the ground readied for the new structure. This can cost around £300 for most gardens, but larger projects can command higher fees reaching into the thousands.
Your Location
An unfortunate – or fortunate, depending on your location! – feature of all renovation jobs is the fact that you will pay more for the same work to be done in a capital city than you will in a smaller town due to demand. Bear this in mind if you live in a wealthy area, as you will likely see higher prices.
Click To Get QuotesHow Can I Save Money on an Orangery?
By now, we can see how orangeries costs can quickly build up, so let’s take a moment to consider some ways to save money on your installation, or some long-term investment ideas to bear in mind.
Orangery costs vary extensively, but if you’re on a tight budget you may decide to go for the cheapest possible option. In the short term, this can be a great idea, and a small, timber-framed orangery might cost you as little as £7,995, however, cheaper isn’t always better.
Hardwood is often used in more high-end orangeries because of its quality, whereas softwood is a budget option. There can be issues with choosing more budget material options – it may not look great overall and may need to be replaced or repaired far more often than more expensive options.
To install a budget extension, tradesmen will have to utilise cheaper materials, and timber frames can warp and rot over time, leading to potentially large repair costs. Likewise, budget softwood framing or joinery might seem like a bargain at first, but this will require more maintenance and they’ll need replacing far sooner than hardwood.
Other concerns with budget options include poorly fitting components, sticking windows, warped doors and low-quality, hand-brushed finishes. Overall, these can harm your home’s value because they don’t fit with the aesthetic.
This isn’t a problem if you have no intention of moving, but if you want to sell your home in the future, it’s worth paying for a better finish.
Though the largest, most decadent orangeries can easily cost over £60,000, on average, costs will vary between £20,000 and £50,000. The wide breadth in expense is down to the various factors involved, largely the size of the extension – for example, a four-by-four metre orangery with basic finishes should cost around £20,000.
Foundations and building expenses attribute up to half of the overall cost, so whilst some savings can be made on finishing touches, it’s important not to scrimp on the basic structure.
There is also a significant difference in roofing costs when comparing orangeries and conservatories. Whilst the latter normally only require a pitched roof that’s often made of cheap materials, an orangery normally requires a roof lantern.
This is more costly due to the engineering and materials required. In addition, roof vents should be numerous to ensure orangeries remain usable on hot days, and though floor insulation costs extra, there’ll be a noticeable change in temperature during winter without it.
If you’re considering having an orangery built, then you should think of it as an extension rather than a garden roof tacked on the back of your home. The average cost of a single-story extension that’s 20m² is between £30,000 and £50,000 – compared to this, an orangery of the same size costing £20,000 is a bargain!
When it comes to orangery prices, it’s best to use as big a budget as possible. Instead of rushing in and buying the cheapest one you can find, it might be worth delaying the project for a couple of years so there’s more money available.
Overall, it’s worth paying for the best because when they’re done right, orangeries are a beautiful extension to your home that will improve not only your life but your home’s value, too.
Before starting work on your orangery project, ensure you consult your local planning office. Planning permission isn’t usually required, but it’s best to double-check than be caught out with a fine once work has started, which can artificially boost your spending on things that can easily be avoided.
Click To Get QuotesIs an Orangery the Best Choice for My Home?
Choosing to have an orangery installed is not a small decision. To help you make sure that an orangery is the best choice for your home, we’ve taken a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages in the table below.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| A much more contemporary design than a conservatory | Due to building materials it could be more expensive than a conservatory |
| Very heat-efficient so will help to reduce heating bills | May not receive as much sunlight as a conservatory |
| Multi-purpose room | Disruption of the area of the house where it's being installed |
The most striking advantage of an orangery is that it provides a much more contemporary design than a conservatory. This is due to the brickwork involved to help it blend into the original property.
Orangeries are very heat-efficient so will help to reduce heating bills, as they are incredibly insulators. They’re also multi-functional and you can set them up as a dining room, extension of your living room or even an office.
Due to building materials, however, it could be more expensive to install than a conservatory, so keep an eye on this if you’re working to a tight budget. This type of extensions also may not receive as much sunlight as a conservatory.
Finally, it’s quite likely that if you choose to install an orangery, you will experience disruption of the area of the house where it’s being installed.
What’s Involved in Installing an Orangery?
Now, let’s see what the likely steps are for your installer during your orangery project.
Depending on your starting situation, your old orangery or conservatory will be dismantled and taken away, with the ground cleared and levelled ready for the new structure. Alternatively, if you are starting afresh, your ground will be cleared and levelled ready for the orangery’s foundations
Once the external brick structure is built, your installers will move onto the beams and boards across the outer edges of your structure, and your box gutter will then be installed, leaving a gap in the centre for your lantern
The roof will then be installed, with structural beams put in place first and affixed, before the glazing is added and secured in place
The fascia will then be affixed, and your external structure is complete
It’s good to bear in mind that this is just for the external structure, and further work will need to be completed for any internal work such as plastering, adding in flooring, electrics and plumbing.
How Do I Find and Hire a Builder?
Your best option for finding a builder to complete your orangery project for you is to simply seek out recommendations from friends, family or neighbours who have had similar work done recently. This way, you’re saving yourself the time spent searching for a suitable trader, and are receiving a word-of-mouth recommendation from a trusted source.
In cases where this isn’t possible, using HouseholdQuotes can cut down your search time considerably by keeping all results to one website, saving you the effort of comparing and contrasting between different sites and tabs. What’s more, it can also help to save you up to 40% off your project’s fee.
Click To Get QuotesEnsuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
As with any home renovation job, it’s important to check the competency of your tradesperson before agreeing to enter into work with them. This will ensure you get a professional finish and approach while getting the best results for your money.
You should take a look at their previous work and any relevant references, as well as any photos or videos of their past jobs to see what kind of finish you can expect. Similarly, you should take note of their experience and how long they’ve been in the industry to denote their skill level.
It’s important to double-check the trader has insurance in place before beginning any work, helping to save you any hassle if anything does end up going wrong during the job. You should always agree on a written quote before the work begins to ensure you are getting exactly what you expect for exactly the price you expect, too.
Final Checklist
For homeowners wanting to transform part of their outdoor space into a livable indoor space, having an orangery installed is a great option to create an all-year-round room. Here’s our final checklist to make sure all things are considered when taking on this job.
- Decide if an orangery is right for you, or if a conservatory would better suit your needs
- Think about what material is best for your environment and upkeep – do you mind having to look after a material like timber, or would you prefer something you don’t have to think about, like aluminium?
- Consider what you want out of your orangery, thinking about the design and internal features to factor those costs into your overall project fee
- Find a competent and reliable trader using HouseholdQuotes to help save up to 40% on your project’s fee
- Make sure to get a written quote so there are no nasty surprises, and ensure they have insurance before any work starts
Click To Get QuotesFrequently Asked Questions
What’s the Difference Between a Conservatory and an Orangery?
Could an Orangery Add Value to My Home?
Which is Cheaper: Orangeries or Conservatories?
Do Orangeries Get Cold in Winter?
For homeowners wanting to winter-proof their orangery, they may want to look into underfloor heating as an option. For more information on that, take a look at our dedicated page.
Do I Need Planning Permission to Build an Orangery?
How Much Do Conservatories Cost?
For more information on conservatories and their associated costs, take a look at our dedicated page.
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