How long does it take to fit a solid conservatory roof?

1What happens on site, and in what order

The work follows a fixed sequence. The old roof comes off first: sheets, bars and the cappings that held them. Then the frame is checked, and any extra support or new eaves beam goes in before the new roof structure is built across the top. Rafters, insulation, a vapour control layer and the weatherproof covering follow, then the flashings along the house wall and the gutters.

Once the roof is watertight, the inside is finished: ceiling boards, plastering, spotlights or electrics, and any decoration. That last stage is the one people forget, and it can take as long as the roof itself, because plaster needs time to dry before paint.

For a small room the roof stage is measured in days. A larger or more complicated shape, a lantern or a hipped end, adds days. We would rather give you the order of work than a promise we cannot keep if the weather turns.

2The weeks before anyone arrives

Before any work starts, the roof has to be designed for the frame it will sit on. A solid roof is heavier than polycarbonate or glass, so we check the walls, the base and the frame first. Our page on the conservatory structural check explains what that involves.

Next comes the design: roof pitch, covering, insulation thickness, the position of any roof window and the ventilation. The drawings go with the building control application. Materials are then ordered, and tiles, slates or special sizes of window can have a waiting time before they arrive.

Where the conservatory sits on a boundary, or access is through a narrow side passage, we plan the delivery and the scaffold early so the first day is spent working, not moving things about.

None of this is wasted time. A roof built to a drawing that building control has already seen goes up faster, and with fewer surprises, than one worked out on the day.

3Building control stages and the inspector's calendar

A solid conservatory roof needs a building control application. The Adur & Worthing Councils service update says the owner is legally required to let building control know as particular stages of the build are completed, and the inspections are booked with the council team. The same page mentions a shortage of the newly registered inspectors the system now needs, so it pays to book early.

That means inspection dates can decide how fast the project moves. A stage that has to be seen before it is covered up, such as the structure or the insulation, may pause the job until someone visits. Anything hidden before it is inspected can mean uncovering it again.

Since 6 April 2024 the council team has said that the Building Safety Regulator no longer lets it give design advice, so the design must be right when the application goes in. We explain the consent to you and send the Building Regulations notification ourselves, which keeps the stages in step with the building work.

4Weather, access and the neighbours

Wind and rain matter because the room is open to the sky for a short while after the old roof has gone and before the new one is sealed. We plan that window carefully, covering the opening and sheeting the room when a forecast turns. On a coastal site, a stiff breeze can stop the lifting of large sheets altogether.

Access affects timing too. A side gate that is too narrow for long rafters, or a garden step that stops a pallet truck, means more carrying and slower days. Scaffolding on the road or pavement needs a highway licence, which the scaffold firm requests, so allow for that wait.

Tell neighbours when the scaffold goes up and when the old roof comes off. A little notice avoids complaints, since there is noise, dust and the odd delivery lorry, and shared boundaries are easier to work along when everybody knows the dates. If the conservatory touches a neighbour's wall, mention that at the survey.

5Living through it, and what comes after

During the work the conservatory is out of action, and doors to the house are usually closed off. If the room is your only route to the garden, tell us at the survey. Furniture and flooring should be moved or covered, because roofing dust gets everywhere.

When the roof is on, you will want to start using the room, but plaster and paint need to dry slowly. Ventilation helps, so read our note on ventilating a conservatory after a solid roof before choosing finishes. The same applies to the gutters, which are usually the last external job; see conservatory gutters.

The full range of roofs we fit is on the conservatory roof replacement page.

A realistic plan allows a few days of slack at the end for snagging, tidying and a final walk round with us.