HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire an orangery builder in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Whether an orangery needs approval depends on its design — ask building control. The checks, the lantern and foundation questions, and the paperwork.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an orangery builder in five steps

  1. Ask building control firstYour orangery's design decides whether it needs approval.
  2. Get drawings and structureFoundations, piers, roof beams and the lantern specified.
  3. Check planningA separate question from building regulations.
  4. Agree the doors to the houseBifolds or an open plan affect approval and heat.
  5. Keep the certificatesCompletion certificate if approved, glazing and electrical certificates.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses orangery builders in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; for the orangery build the law controls the work itself, through building regulations approval where it is needed. A trader quoting for the orangery build should have public liability insurance and tell you who provides it. That trader status is what gives you rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and for a home or online booking a 14-day cancellation window under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — which does not cover goods made to your specification, and leaves you paying for work you asked to start early.

Find out early whether the orangery build needs approval or a warrant, and whose name is on the application. See the insurance certificate before you confirm the orangery build; the Locufy profile shows the trader and ID-checked badges. gov.uk →

Building regulations approval

Whether the orangery build needs building regulations approval depends on its design, the roof and how it connects to the house; building control will say which applies to yours. Under a full plans application in England, building control should issue the completion certificate for the orangery build within 8 weeks of the work ending, if it meets the regulations.

Get the building control reference for the orangery build before anything starts. gov.uk →

Party wall notice

If the orangery build touches a shared wall or is close to the boundary in England or Wales, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 means notifying the neighbours first; this is separate from building regulations, and Scotland follows other rules.

Find out who is handling party wall notice for the orangery build and the timing. gov.uk →

Building warrant (Scotland)

If you live in Scotland and the orangery build needs a warrant, getting it is your job as owner — the council can fine you and have unwarranted work removed. In Northern Ireland, notify the council's building control ahead of the orangery build.

In Scotland, see the warrant before the orangery build begins; in Northern Ireland, ask for the building control reference. mygov.scot →

VAT

HMRC puts building an orangery onto a home at the standard rate of 20%; once a trader's taxable turnover passes £90,000 it must register, charge the 20% and list it apart from the price of the work.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the orangery contract. gov.uk →

“Will the orangery build need building regulations approval?”

A good answer: A clear answer after checking the design with building control.

“What foundations and piers will the orangery have?”

A good answer: Depth and type, designed for the ground and the roof load.

“How is the roof lantern built and sealed?”

A good answer: Product named, with the roof build-up and insulation.

“How will the orangery be heated?”

A good answer: Radiators or underfloor heating, and who fits them.

“Who does the electrics?”

A good answer: An electrician who certifies the work, notifiable if a new circuit.

“What is the programme?”

A good answer: Base, structure, roof, glazing and finishes, with dates.

Getting the quote right

  • Drawings and structural design referenced
  • Foundations, piers and dwarf walls
  • Roof, lantern and glazing named
  • Heating, electrics and flooring
  • Who actually attends — the builders and the glazing fitters, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line
  • Stage payments

Walk away if

  • Says no orangery ever needs approval
  • No structural detail for the roof
  • Large deposit for a made-to-measure lantern with no terms
  • No programme
  • Electrics with no certificate
LOW
£20,000
TYPICAL
£32,500
HIGH
£55,000

What an orangery builder costs: £20,000–£55,000 per project

Orangeries are quoted per project; size, the lantern and glazing, the piers and doors, and heating set the figure. Orangery Builder price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Orangery builders near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Design and approvalsDrawings, structural design, building control and planning.
  2. GroundworksFoundations dug and inspected.
  3. StructurePiers, dwarf walls, roof beams.
  4. Roof and glazingLantern, roof covering and glazed units.
  5. Fit-out and completionHeating, electrics, floor, final checks.

Roof lantern
A raised glazed structure in a flat roof.
Pier
A brick column between glazed sections.
Bifold doors
Folding glazed doors that open wide.
Perimeter roof
The solid flat roof around the lantern.
Thermal separation
Doors or a wall between the orangery and the house.
Completion certificate
Building control's confirmation that the work complies.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkCompletion certificate where approved, glazing, electrical certificates and guarantees.
Check the lantern after rainSeals and flashings dry.
Snag before final paymentGlazing, doors and finishes.
Leave the reviewOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the orangery build falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Start with the builder, in writingSend the builder a short, dated account of the problem with the orangery build and the fix you want. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 implies reasonable care and skill into the contract, and section 54 gives you repeat performance or a price reduction when it is missing.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the orangery build under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workThe council is the authority for unapproved building work: tell building control in England, Wales or Northern Ireland if the orangery build went ahead without approval, or the building standards service in Scotland, where the owner carries the warrant duty. For a dispute about the orangery build with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the orangery build is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an orangery builder: questions people ask

It depends on the design and how it connects to the house; ask building control. Building control will confirm which rules apply.

No law licenses them; check approval, structural design, insurance and finished examples.

£20,000–£55,000 a project, typically around £32,500. Size, the lantern and glazing, the piers and bifold doors drive it. For what is usually included, read the Orangery Builder price guide; enter a postcode above to compare orangery builders locally.

Possibly; planning permission and building regulations approval are separate.

In England and Wales, under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 if work is on or near a shared boundary wall.

Goods made to your specification fall outside the usual 14-day cancellation right; check the contract terms.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Conservatory InstallerHow to hire: House ExtensionHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: ArchitectHow to hire: Window & Double Glazing InstallerHow to hire: GroundworksHow to hire: BricklayerHow to hire: Structural EngineerAll 701 hiring guides →

Orangery builders near you

Orangery builders in LondonOrangery builders in ManchesterOrangery builders in BirminghamOrangery builders in GlasgowOrangery builders in BelfastAll orangery builders on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — building regulations approval (England)
  2. gov.uk — building regulations: how to apply
  3. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  4. mygov.scot — if a builder is doing the work for you
  5. nidirect — how to apply for Building Regulations approval
  6. gov.uk — party walls and building work
  7. Party Wall etc. Act 1996
  8. HSE — CDM 2015: domestic clients
  9. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  10. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  11. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  12. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  13. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  14. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  15. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  16. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  17. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  18. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  19. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  20. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register