Most conservatories built in the last thirty years share a problem: the roof. Glass and polycarbonate let in plenty of light, and they also let in the sun's heat in summer and let out the room's warmth in winter, so the space ends up used for three or four months of the year and treated as an overflow cupboard for the rest. A tiled conservatory roof changes that by replacing the translucent covering with a solid, insulated one. This guide looks at the idea from the homeowner's side: what you gain, what you give up, how the roof is built, what the rules say, and how to tell whether your conservatory is a good candidate.
What a tiled roof actually changes
The biggest change is temperature. A solid insulated roof slows the heat arriving from the sun and holds in the warmth your heating provides, so the room sits closer to the temperature of the rest of the house. Condensation drops too, because the inner surface of the ceiling stays warmer than a cold sheet of glass and is less likely to meet moist air at its dew point. Rain stops drumming on a plastic roof. And the room gets a plastered or panelled ceiling, which means lights, a ceiling fan or a television mount, none of which sit well on glazing bars.
The trade-off is daylight. Take away the glass and the room is no longer lit from above, so it will feel different, especially if the conservatory sits on the north or east side of the house, or is deep from front to back. Roof windows and lanterns can bring some of that light back. We cover the trade in more detail in our answer on light levels under a solid conservatory roof, and our comparison of glass, polycarbonate and solid roofs is useful if you have not yet decided which direction to take.
How a tiled conservatory roof is built
There are two broad routes. The first is a conventional carpentry roof: timber rafters, insulation, felt or breathable membrane, battens and real clay or concrete tiles. It looks entirely traditional and can be matched exactly to the house, but it is heavy and it normally calls for new structural support, often a steel or timber frame built inside or around the existing one.
The second route is a lightweight system, in which a coated steel, aluminium or composite tile is fixed over an insulated structure designed to be much lighter. These are factory-engineered and quick to fit, and they suit the typical uPVC conservatory frame far better. We have written a separate page on how lightweight tiled roof systems are built, so here we simply note that most conservatories we see are better suited to this route than to a traditional one.
Both routes share the same working parts, and they should be itemised in any quote you receive. A wall plate fixed to the house carries the top of the rafters. An eaves beam at the front carries the bottom. Insulation sits in the depth of the roof, a vapour control layer stops room moisture reaching cold timber, and a breathable underlay beneath the tiles sheds the water that gets past them. Flashings seal the roof to the house, trims close the verges and ridge, and new gutters take the water away.
One thing you cannot do is simply lay tiles over the old polycarbonate. Glazing bars are not designed to carry a covering, and the load would find its way into the frame and the walls. Our answer on tiling over an existing conservatory roof explains why.
Looks, colour and the house it belongs to
A tiled roof is the most visible part of a conservatory, so it is worth choosing with the house in mind. The usual aim is to echo the main roof: a similar colour, a similar profile, and a similar texture. Matching exactly is rarely possible with weathered tiles, because the house roof has faded and mossed over decades and a new roof arrives crisp and uniform. Most people choose a shade slightly darker or a neutral grey and let the two settle into each other.
The pitch matters too. A conservatory roof has to meet the house wall below any first-floor windows, and a low-pitched roof limits what tiles can be used. Steeper pitches suit most tile types, whereas shallow ones need a system designed for them. Fascias, gutters and the finish on the frame should be considered at the same time, so that the new roof does not sit awkwardly on a tired white frame. If the frame is also due for replacement, do the roof and frame together and save on scaffold.
Is your conservatory suitable?
Suitability depends on the structure and not on the age of the conservatory. We look at several things.
- The foundations and dwarf walls: are they sound, and do they sit on a proper base rather than a thin slab?
- The frame: is it uPVC with steel reinforcement, aluminium, or timber, and is it straight and free of movement?
- The eaves beam: can it take a continuous load along its length?
- The house wall: is the brickwork sound for the wall plate and the flashing chase?
- The shape: a lean-to is simplest, a Victorian or Edwardian style with a faceted front needs more careful detailing, and a P-shaped or L-shaped plan has valleys where two roofs meet.
Sometimes a conservatory passes with some strengthening, such as a new steel beam or reinforced posts. Sometimes it does not, and then the honest advice is to choose another route, such as an insulated glass roof with better glazing, or a rebuild of the base first. We show you the evidence, in photographs, before anything is ordered.
Rules, approval and the paperwork
Swapping a translucent roof for a solid one is Building Regulations work, so an application goes to the council or to a private approver. Building Control looks at whether the frame and foundations can carry the new roof, and also at insulation, ventilation and structural safety. A roof system that carries a registered or assured status with LABC can speed matters up, but it does not remove the application. Our page on conservatory roofs and Building Regulations sets out the process step by step.
Planning is a separate question. Whether the change alters the external appearance enough to matter depends on your property, and the position is different for a listed building, in a conservation area or where permitted development rights have been removed. We cannot give legal advice, so check with your council's planning team before work starts, and if your house is listed, talk to the conservation officer.
We handle the Building Regulations side wherever the work is notifiable, from submitting the application to arranging the inspections, and you receive the completion paperwork at the end. That paperwork is worth keeping because a future buyer's solicitor will ask for it.
Costs and what pushes them up or down
A typical UK range reported for a solid tiled conservatory roof runs from £6,100 to £15,000, which one calculator expresses as £650 to £1,200 per m². Think of those numbers as a guide to the market, not a Beacon price list. A small lean-to with a simple frame sits at the lower end, and a large faceted conservatory with a lantern, extra beams and internal finishing sits near the top. Our own page on conservatory roof replacement cost breaks down the line items. Your fixed quote follows the survey.
| Factor | Pushes the price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Size and plan shape | Up | More area, more hips, valleys and junctions |
| Frame strengthening | Up | New beams or reinforced posts add materials and labour |
| Roof windows or a lantern | Up | Each opening needs its own framing and flashing |
| Internal finishing | Up | Plastering, decoration and lighting are extra to the roof |
| Simple lean-to with good base | Down | Fewer junctions and no structural work |
Living with a tiled roof afterwards
Once it is fitted, the roof needs little attention. Gutters should be cleared each autumn, and moss on a shaded slope can be brushed off before it holds water against the tiles. The flashing at the house wall is the part to glance at after a hard winter. Inside, you will find the room quieter and more stable in temperature, but you may also find it needs ventilation in a way glass did not: a solid roof shuts out the draughts that cooled a glass one. Trickle vents on the windows, or a window opened on a warm day, are usually enough for a room that gets daily use.
It is also worth thinking about what the roof does to the conservatory's standing in the house. A solid roof makes the room feel like an extension, and some homeowners ask whether that has consequences when selling or for council tax. Those are fair questions, and the answers belong with your estate agent and the local authority, not with us. We can supply the paperwork that proves the work was done properly.
When we would tell you not to replace the roof
A new roof is not always the right answer. If your conservatory is used in summer and shut in winter, and you are content with that, a better blind or a film on the glass may be all you need. If a roof is simply leaking at one bar or at the wall, a repair is cheaper and faster than replacement. If the frame is tired or the base is cracked, a solid roof could cost you the room rather than save it.
Our survey is free and includes photographs of your own conservatory, so you see exactly what we saw. If the roof you have has years left in it, we say so. If a new one is justified, you get a fixed written quote, and the work carries our 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing. For the full range of choices, visit our page on conservatory roof replacement in Basingstoke.
