A Victorian conservatory has a bay front of three or five facets that meet at the end of a ridge, so its roof is a fan of tapered sections. Insulated panels suit it well, with every tapered panel cut to a survey template. A typical Victorian roof takes 1 to 2 days, and a medium one of about 17 m² usually costs £4,350 to £5,150 fitted.
The shape of a Victorian roof
Victorian conservatories have a curved look at the front, made from a series of flat window facets set at angles to each other. A three facet bay has one front facet and two angled ones, and a five facet bay has a front facet and two angled facets each side. The back half of the roof is usually a pair of side slopes meeting at a ridge that runs out from the house.
Above the bay, each facet has its own roof section. These sections are narrow at the top and wide at the gutter, and they all meet at a single point on the end of the ridge, often under a round cap called the hub or crown. A hip bar runs between each pair of sections, so a five facet roof has more hip bars than any other common shape.
Where the panels go
- Side slopes near the house: mostly rectangular bays from the ridge to the side gutters, similar to an Edwardian.
- Bay sections: each one is a tapered, roughly triangular panel, sometimes split into two or three pieces on a large roof. We take a template for every section at survey, because no two bays are quite the same.
- Hip bars: each hip gets a new aluminium cap that covers the joint between two tapered panels.
- Hub: where all the bay sections meet, a new cap closes the point so water cannot get in at the top of the fan.
- Ridge and wall: a ridge cap runs back to the house, with a new flashing sealed into the wall.
The tapered panels, extra hip caps and the hub are what make a Victorian cost about 10 percent more than a lean-to of the same roof area. A five facet roof has more of all three than a three facet one, so it sits at the upper end of the range.
Typical sizes and prices
Most Victorian conservatories are between about 3 m by 3 m and 4 m by 4.5 m on the floor. Because the bay front is rounded, the roof area is a little under that of a square room with the same width and depth, plus the gutter overhang.
| Style | Small (0 to 12 m²) | Medium (12 to 25 m²) | Large (25 m² and over) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victorian | £3,300 to £3,900 | £4,350 to £5,150 | £6,000 to £7,100 |
A small Victorian roof of about 10 m² usually comes in at £3,300 to £3,900, and a medium one of about 17 m² at £4,350 to £5,150. Every price includes removing the old roof, panels in your colour, fitting, the building control application and a 10 year insurance backed guarantee. Extras are glazed roof lights (£395 each), LED spotlights (£345) and new gutters and fascia (£295).
How long fitting takes
A small three facet Victorian is often done in 1 day. Medium roofs and most five facet roofs take 1 to 2 days, as the bay sections need careful fitting around the hub. We fit the side slopes first, then the bay, working round from one side so each tapered panel sits tight against its neighbour before the hip caps go on.
What the change feels like
Many Victorian conservatories built in the 1990s had glass roofs, and a pre-2002 double glazed roof has a U-value of about 2.8. On a 17 m² roof with 20°C inside and 0°C outside, that loses around 952 W. Through our 75 mm panels the same roof loses around 146 W, which is why the room stops feeling cold the moment the heating goes off.
If yours has 25 mm polycarbonate, the loss falls from about 544 W to about 146 W. For the full comparison by roof type, see our glass roof replacement and polycarbonate roof replacement pages.
Quirks we check on a Victorian
The hub
On older Victorian roofs the hub is a common leak point, because water from every bay section runs past it. We check for staining on the bars below it and replace the cap as part of the job.
Decorative cresting and finials
Many Victorian roofs have decorative cresting along the ridge and a finial on the hub. If yours does, talk to us at survey about whether you want to keep a decorative look or prefer a plain ridge, as this changes the trims we order.
Bay bars that have spread
If the window frames in the bay have been pushed outwards over time, the roof sections above them can be slightly out of shape. We measure each facet separately and check that the frames are sound, and the guide on whether your frame can take a solid roof explains what we look for.
Light in a Victorian
A Victorian bay is mostly window, so even with a solid roof the front of the room stays bright. Roof lights work best on the side slopes near the house, where the room is furthest from the bay windows. See roof lights for panel roofs for sizes and placement.
The bay usually faces the garden on three or five sides, so the front of a Victorian can get sun from morning to evening. With an insulated roof overhead, the bay keeps its view and its light without the heat building up above you.
Rules and paperwork
Fitting an insulated roof ends the building regulations exemption, which requires at least 75% of the roof to be translucent, so approval is normally needed. We agree the specification with building control and apply on your behalf. Planning permission is not normally needed because the footprint and height do not change, but check with the council if the house is listed or in a conservation area.
Questions people ask
Can a five facet Victorian roof have insulated panels?
Yes. Each tapered bay section is templated at survey and made to measure, so five facets simply means more pieces and a little more fitting time.
Why is a Victorian roof more expensive than an Edwardian?
The bay front has more hips, tapered panels and a hub cap where the sections meet. For the same roof area, a Victorian is about 10 percent more than a lean-to, against about 6 percent for an Edwardian.
Can I keep the finial on my Victorian conservatory?
Talk to us about it at survey. It depends on the condition of the finial and the ridge trims chosen, and we will show you both options before you decide.
Where do roof lights go on a Victorian roof?
Usually on the side slopes near the house, where the room is darkest. The bay itself is mostly window, so it stays bright.
Is a Victorian conservatory warmer after the roof is changed?
Much warmer. On a 17 m² roof, heat loss falls from about 952 W through pre-2002 glass to about 146 W through our panels on a 0°C night.
