Orangery Cost UK 2026: £25K to £80K (Lantern + Build Guide)
From £25,000 for a small uPVC orangery to £80,000+ for a bespoke hardwood design.
Updated June 2026. Based on Everest, Orangeries-UK, Anglian, and Homebuilding and Renovating data.
How Much Does an Orangery Cost?
An orangery costs £25,000 to £80,000 in the UK in 2026. A small 3m x 3m orangery in uPVC starts at £25,000. A medium 4m x 4m runs £32,000 to £44,000 in uPVC, £42,000 to £58,000 in aluminium and £58,000 to £80,000 in hardwood. Per square metre that is roughly £1,830 to £3,560 for a uPVC build, and the rate falls as the footprint grows because the lantern, the groundwork and the building control fees barely change with size.
Small orangery extension
3m x 3m, 9 m2
£25,000 - £32,000
uPVC frames. Aluminium £32,000 - £42,000.
Medium orangery
4m x 4m, 16 m2
£32,000 - £44,000
uPVC frames. Hardwood £58,000 - £80,000.
Large orangery
5m x 4m, 20 m2
£40,000 - £56,000
uPVC frames. Aluminium £52,000 - £72,000.
Ranges come from this site's 2026 orangery price table below, built from installer-published pricing (Everest, Orangeries-UK, Anglian) and Homebuilding and Renovating. The per-square-metre figures are calculated from that table. Checked 7 September 2026.
Orangery Prices at a Glance (2026)
Prices vary significantly based on lantern complexity, pillar design, and brick matching. These ranges cover most UK residential orangeries.
| Size | uPVC frame | Aluminium frame | Hardwood / Oak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3m x 3m (small) | £25,000 - £32,000 | £32,000 - £42,000 | £42,000 - £58,000 |
| 4m x 4m (medium) | £32,000 - £44,000 | £42,000 - £58,000 | £58,000 - £80,000 |
| 5m x 4m (large) | £40,000 - £56,000 | £52,000 - £72,000 | £72,000 - £100,000+ |
| 6m x 5m (very large) | £55,000 - £75,000 | £70,000 - £95,000+ | £95,000 - £140,000+ |
Prices include brick pillars, solid perimeter roof, glazed lantern, plasterboard ceiling, glass walls, bifold doors, building regs application, and electrics. Excludes flooring, underfloor heating, and VAT. Source: Everest, Orangeries-UK, Anglian, Homebuilding and Renovating 2026.
What Is an Orangery?
An orangery is a hybrid structure that sits between a conservatory and a full extension. It is characterised by brick or rendered pillars forming 25-35% of the perimeter, a solid flat roof with a central glazed lantern, and an internal plastered ceiling. The result is a structure that looks and feels like a proper room while still allowing generous natural light through the lantern and glazed walls between the pillars.
The term comes from the 17th and 18th-century orangeries built on English country estates to overwinter citrus trees, which required plenty of light but a warmer environment than a greenhouse could provide. The modern residential orangery borrows the aesthetic - brick mass, lantern light source, classical proportions - without the full cost of a brick extension.
An orangery costs 2-3 times more than a comparable conservatory. The primary reasons are the brick pillar construction (which requires groundwork, footings, and a skilled bricklayer), the solid insulated flat roof (which must meet Part L thermal standards because it constitutes a room), and the glazed lantern (typically £3,000-£8,000 as a standalone element). Every orangery is also more bespoke than a standard conservatory - there are fewer off-the-shelf kits, which means more design and project management time.
Conservatory vs Orangery
| Feature | Conservatory | Orangery |
|---|---|---|
| Wall type | Mostly glass | Brick pillars + glass |
| Roof | Glass or poly | Solid + lantern |
| Ceiling | None (glass above) | Plastered, lit |
| Building regs | Often exempt | Always required |
| Winter warmth | Needs heating | Much better |
| Cost premium | Baseline | 2-3x more |
| Value uplift | 5-10% | 8-15% |
Orangery vs Conservatory Cost
An orangery costs roughly two to three times a conservatory of the same footprint. On a 3m x 3m build that is about £17,000 to £18,000 more; on a 5m x 4m build it is about £22,000 to £28,000 more. Both comparisons are uPVC against uPVC, so the gap is construction, not frame material.
| Footprint | Conservatory (uPVC) | Orangery (uPVC) | Extra you pay | Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3m x 3m (9 m2) | £8,000 - £14,000 | £25,000 - £32,000 | £17,000 - £18,000 | 2.3x - 3.1x |
| 5m x 4m (20 m2) | £18,000 - £28,000 | £40,000 - £56,000 | £22,000 - £28,000 | 2.0x - 2.2x |
Four things drive the gap. Brick pillars need footings and a bricklayer, which a conservatory dwarf wall does not. The solid perimeter roof has to hit the Part L target of 0.15 W/m2K, so it is a warm roof rather than glass or polycarbonate. The lantern is a £3,000 to £8,000 component in its own right. And an orangery always needs building regulations approval, adding £400 to £1,200 in building control fees plus the specification cost of meeting the standard, where most conservatories are exempt.
Conservatory figures are this site's 2026 size price table; orangery figures are the table above. Multiples and extra-cost columns are calculated from those two tables. Checked 7 September 2026.
Orangery Cost Breakdown
Brick pillars and brickwork
£3,000 - £8,000
Including footings, DPC, brick match to existing house. Higher for expensive facing bricks.
Solid insulated perimeter roof
£4,000 - £10,000
Typically SIP panels or timber joisted construction with insulation to meet Part L.
Glazed lantern
£3,000 - £8,000
uPVC or aluminium. 50-60% of roof area by convention. Oak bespoke lanterns from £8,000.
Internal plasterboard and skim ceiling
£1,500 - £3,500
Includes boarding, skim, and paint. Downlights add £500-£1,500 depending on design.
Glass walls between pillars
£3,000 - £8,000
Double-glazed units with solar control. Triple-glazed option adds 10-15%.
Bifold or French doors
£2,500 - £6,000
Bifolds allow the garden wall to fully open. French doors are more traditional.
Building regulations approval
£400 - £1,200
Local authority or approved inspector. Always required for an orangery.
Structural engineer assessment
£500 - £1,500
Required for pillar foundations and lantern beam calculations.
Electrics and lighting
£800 - £2,500
Consumer unit, sockets, ceiling lights, underfloor heating provision.
Lantern Sizing Guide
The lantern is the defining element of an orangery. The conventional rule of thumb is that the lantern should cover 50-60% of the flat perimeter roof area. For a 4m x 4m orangery with a typical 1.2m perimeter roof border, the internal flat ceiling area is roughly 2.5m x 2.5m - suggesting a lantern of approximately 1.5m x 1.5m to 2m x 2m.
Too small a lantern produces a cave-like feel with insufficient natural light. Too large and the solid perimeter roof is reduced to a narrow band, which diminishes the structural credibility of the design and can make thermal performance harder to achieve.
Frame material for the lantern affects both cost and visual character: uPVC gives the slimmest standard sightlines but limited colour options; aluminium allows powder-coat matching to any RAL colour and is the most popular for modern orangeries; hardwood oak gives the most traditional character but requires regular maintenance.
Lantern Costs by Size and Material
U-Value Comparison
An orangery's solid perimeter roof (typically 0.15 W/m2K) and brick pillar walls radically outperform a conservatory's glass roof (1.2-2.8 W/m2K). The result: an orangery maintains 16-18 degrees C on a cold winter day versus 8-12 degrees for a standard conservatory.
Planning and Building Regulations for Orangeries
Planning Permission
Orangeries fall under the same permitted development rules as conservatories for planning purposes. The solid perimeter roof does not remove PD rights - the structure is still treated as a single-storey rear extension. The standard criteria apply: rear of the house, single storey, below 4m height, below 3m/4m rear extension, and below 50% garden coverage.
Conservation areas may restrict the use of brick that does not match the existing house. Listed buildings always require listed building consent for an orangery, regardless of size.
Full planning guideBuilding Regulations
Unlike conservatories, orangeries always require building regulations approval. The solid roof means the structure functions as a room, and the conservatory exemption does not apply. Budget £400-£1,200 for building control fees plus the cost of meeting Part L thermal standards in the roof and glazing specification.
On the positive side, building regulations approval gives you a completion certificate, which makes conveyancing smoother and provides protection if the structure is later challenged.
Building regs guidePremium Orangery Upgrades
| Upgrade | Cost | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Hardwood oak frames | +£15,000 - £30,000 | Maximum heritage character; requires 5-year maintenance cycle |
| Underfloor heating (wet system) | £2,500 - £5,000 | Year-round comfort; much cheaper to run than electric |
| Skimmed plaster ceiling with downlights | £2,000 - £4,000 | Proper room feel; essential for high-end finish |
| Bi-fold doors (4-pane) | £4,000 - £7,000 | Opens the garden wall fully; premium holiday-home feel |
| Bespoke oak lantern | £8,000 - £15,000 | Centrepiece of the design; dramatically increases wow-factor |
| Natural stone floor (travertine, limestone) | £4,000 - £12,000 | Complements the period character; retains heat from UFH |
Calculate Your Orangery Cost
Note: the calculator below gives a conservatory-based estimate. Orangery prices are 2-3x higher due to brick pillars and solid roof construction.
Conservatory Cost Calculator
Enter your details for a 2026 price estimate. Based on FMB, Checkatrade, and Which? data.
Floor area: 16.0 m2
Estimated Total Cost
£33,800 to £78,300
Indicative estimate only. Obtain 3 written quotes.
Cost Breakdown
Excludes: flooring, heating, furniture, VAT where applicable, planning fees. VAT is typically 20% on labour and materials.
Planning advice
Orangeries typically require building regulations approval. Planning permission may also be required depending on your property.
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