Most people picture the day the old roof comes off and the new one goes on. That is only the middle of the job. Before it sit a survey of the roof, the frame and the walls it joins, a written quote, and, for a solid roof, an application to building control. After it come the weathertight finish, an inspection where one applies, and a handover with paperwork.
This guide follows the whole order of work for a replacement in and around Stroud, whether the roof being replaced is polycarbonate, glass or an older tiled one, and whether the new roof is glazed or solid. It deals with sequence only. For duration rather than order, turn to our note on how long a conservatory roof replacement takes. The full service, with published price ranges, is on our conservatory roof replacement page.
Stage one: the published range comes before the visit
Before anyone climbs a ladder at your house, you can see what the work typically costs. MyBuilder's conservatory roof replacement guide, updated 21 August 2026, gives an average of about £4,500 within a range of £2,000 to £10,000 or more. Polycarbonate sits at £2,000 to £5,000, glass at £3,000 to £8,000 and solid roofs at £5,000 to £10,000. They come from an outside cost guide and say nothing about what we will charge; they are there so the first conversation starts from solid ground.
The enquiry itself is short. Ring 01453 933613 or write to us on WhatsApp, and give us three things: what the roof is made of now, what you would like instead, and roughly how old the conservatory is. A handful of phone pictures taken indoors and from the garden mean we reach the survey already knowing which questions to ask.
What the early questions settle
The answers decide which of two routes the job takes. Swapping one glazed roof for another of similar weight is mainly a matter of fitting and weatherproofing. Swapping a light sheet roof for a heavy tiled one brings in the frame, the walls and building control. Knowing which route you are on at the start stops the surprise arriving halfway through.
Stage two: the survey, from the ridge to the wall plate
The survey is a proper look at every part the new roof will touch, not a measure-up for a price. We go over the existing roof from inside and from outside, as far as access allows. Indoors, we check the glazing bars, the ridge, the eaves beam and each corner of the frame. Outdoors, we check the gutters, any box gutter, and the line where the roof butts against the house.
The wall abutment and the flashing
That junction between a conservatory roof and the house is where a lot of the work is hidden. A flashing is a folded metal strip, normally lead, that bridges the joint; its upper edge is usually tucked into a raked-out mortar course. Code 4 lead, 1.80 mm thick, is the usual weight for general flashing according to Leadworx, and whether your wall is stone, brick or render tells us how it must be built in. Photographs of the abutment go into your survey record.
The frame and what it can carry
Frames built for a light polycarbonate sheet were not always designed for anything heavier. Homebuilding and Renovating flags that frames which once held light polycarbonate are being asked to bear far more once a heavier roof goes on. We check the frame for movement, split seals, rot in timber and corrosion in metal. If the frame's condition is hard to judge, we say that openly and suggest a structural check before any price is fixed. Our guide to protected homes is the place to turn if the house is listed.
The pictures we take of your roof and frame stay with you, so the quote points at something you can look at.
Stage three: the written quote and the choice of roof
Next comes a written quote covering access and scaffold, taking the old roof off, any frame reinforcement, the new roof, flashing and gutter work, making good inside and out, waste removal and labour. Your quote shows VAT too, so the total is not a surprise.
Frame work is the line most worth reading. MyBuilder gives structural reinforcement as a separate £500 to £2,000, because not every conservatory needs it. A quote that says nothing about the frame has not yet tested the question that decides the weight of roof you can have.
Choosing the roof type at this point
The quote often presents two options, because many owners want to compare them. A glass or polycarbonate replacement keeps the room bright. A solid roof, tiled or slate-effect, changes how the room feels, cuts the light and, as the next stage explains, brings paperwork. Our guide to why a conservatory runs cold in winter helps you to decide whether comfort is the real reason for replacing the roof, and the sourced figures on lifespan are in the options and cost guides.
Like-for-like matters most on the house side. If the conservatory abuts a stone wall, the finish at that wall stays in a matching material rather than being swapped for something cheaper.
Stage four: paperwork before the first panel comes off
For a glazed roof replaced with glazed, paperwork is usually light. For a solid roof it is not. Going solid counts as material alteration, says Homebuilding and Renovating, so the Building Regulations apply: an application goes to building control and an inspector visits to check it. The Planning Portal sets out the test as safe structure, energy efficiency and ventilation. It also notes that a big change to the roof's structure or look can bring planning permission into play.
Who receives the application
Across Stroud District the council's own service is the Gloucestershire Building Control Partnership, run jointly with Gloucester City. Homes nearer Cheltenham and Tewkesbury fall under a different partnership, while the Forest of Dean council has its own team. A registered building control approver offers the private route wherever you live. We explain which route suits your address and, because the work is notifiable, we file the notification ourselves.
Weight and the 15% rule
The Planning Portal says that a new covering which makes the roof 15 per cent or more heavier needs approval. The rule is written about covering weight, and it is why a tiled replacement for a polycarbonate sheet comes with a structural check. Our answer on whether a solid conservatory roof needs planning covers the planning side, which is a different question from the Building Regulations one.
Ask building control, or a registered approver, before you sign anything for a solid roof. Do not rely on the installer alone to say it is not needed.
Stage five: access, strip-out and keeping the weather off
On the day, the first job is protection. Furniture and flooring inside are covered or cleared, the doors between house and conservatory are shut, and access is set up outside. On valley sides of Stroud, where gardens slope and paths are narrow, access is planned into the quote, so the scaffold and the skip positions are known before the first visit.
Taking the old roof off
A polycarbonate roof is lifted sheet by sheet, together with its glazing bars and cappings. Glass comes out in whole units, which are heavy and need two people at least. An old tiled or slate roof comes off course by course, working from the ridge down. Each stage exposes the rafters and the eaves beam beneath, and we photograph what we find, because it is the first time anyone has seen the frame bare.
Closing the roof the same stage it opens
A conservatory has no loft to catch a shower, so the roof is stripped in sections and covered as it goes, never left open overnight. Waste, including old glazing and sheet, is taken away rather than left in the garden. If the roof is an old fibre-cement type, the material is first checked, since careful removal is treated differently from breaking it up. HSE guidance covers that distinction.
Why the setting-up gets time
Nothing here is hurried. A scaffold that is level, a skip that sits where the lane allows, and a clear route for long glazing units are what let the build go ahead without delay later. Hillside gardens around Stroud often have steps between the road and the house, and carrying heavy panels up them is a plan for the quote, not an improvisation on the day.
Neighbours matter too. If the scaffold or skip will sit near a boundary or on a shared drive, mention it when we visit, and the arrangements go into the programme.
Stage six: frame work, build, inspection and handover
With the roof off, any reinforcement goes in first: new or upgraded rafters, a strengthened eaves beam, or fixings changed where the frame has moved. This is the stage that can turn up surprises, such as timber that has rotted under a failed seal, which is why the survey and the frame section of the quote carry so much weight.
Building the new roof
A glazed or sheet roof goes on in order: glazing bars or rafters, then the panels, then ridge and cappings sealed against water. A solid roof is built up in layers: structure, insulation, a breathable underlay, battens, then a lightweight tile or slate-effect covering. Lead flashing is dressed along the house wall and the finished roof is taken to the guttering, which is cleaned and tested. Where an internal ceiling is planned, it follows after the roof is watertight.
Inspection and sign-off
Where building control is involved, the inspector looks at stages of the work as agreed with them. We give notice as they require, and they look at the structure and the thermal build-up before anything is closed in. At completion, the site is cleared and waste is taken away. We photograph the finished roof and flashing, you receive the paperwork, and the work carries our 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing.
What the handover covers
Last, we walk you round the roof from inside and out, explaining how to keep gutters and the box gutter clear, what a healthy sealant line looks like and what to watch for in the first season. If building control has issued a completion document, it comes to you with the guarantee and the photographs, and you should keep all three together with your deeds, as they answer questions later. Our note on timing shows how these stages stack up in days.