Sunroom addition costs range from $22,000 to $72,600, with an average of $47,000 depending on size and materials.
If you’re considering a sunroom addition to enjoy the change of seasons or build out a perfect reading and relaxation area, a small sunroom could cost as little as $22,000 to build. And a large luxury sunroom could cost as much as $72,600. The cost depends on several factors, including the location of your home, the quality of materials, and the size of the sunroom you want to add on.
“A sunroom is a wonderful, low-cost addition to a house,” says Bob Tschudi, an Expert Review Board Member and general contractor based in Raleigh, N.C. “In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, these structures extend your living space in an economical way.”
| Size (By Feet) | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 5 x 10 | $7,500 – $15,000 |
| 10 x 10 | $15,000 – $30,000 |
| 10 x 12 | $18,000 – $36,000 |
| 12 x 12 | $21,600 – $43,200 |
| 14 x 14 | $29,400–$58,800 |
| 10 x 20 | $30,000 – $60,000 |
| 12 x 20 | $36,000 – $72,000 |
| 20 x 20 | $60,000 – $120,000 |
On average, it costs between $150 and $300 per square foot to build a sunroom. So, what is a sunroom and why do the prices vary so widely? With a wide variety of layouts and material types, these rooms offer floor-to-ceiling sun, flooding the room with natural light without going outside.
The price depends on a number of factors, including the type of sunroom you’re building. Generally, four-season sunroom and conservatory costs are on the higher end of the spectrum, while three-season sunrooms, glass solariums, and atriums are on the lower end. Most sunrooms range between 50 and 400 square feet. Prices will skew lower and higher depending on the existing structure and chosen finishes.
| Type of Sunroom | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Four-Season | $25,000–$80,000 |
| Three-Season | $10,000–$40,000 |
| Solarium | $30,000–$75,000 |
| Conservatory | $5,000–$80,000 |
| Prefabricated Sunroom | $5,500–$30,000 |
There’s no one-sunroom-fits-all, and the type of sunroom you build will impact your final cost. Take a moment to consider how you plan to use your sunroom and how it relates to your local climate.
Four-Season Room: A four-season room is an insulated room that can be used during all seasons.
Three-Season Room: A three-season room is a less-insulated version of a four-season room, so it will be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer.
Glass Solarium: This is a glass room that truly extends your outdoor space—not only are the walls glass, but the roof is, too.
Conservatory: A conservatory is an enclosed greenhouse, so you don’t have to worry about the weather.
Prefab Sunroom: Prefab sunrooms are structures manufactured in factories to easily attach to your home with minimal installation. Installation takes less time and costs less than building from scratch.
A general contractor will be the best choice for a sunroom addition for a few reasons: they are familiar with all build aspects, they are only one person you need to deal with, and they finish products significantly faster than a group of individuals hired separately.
Some general contractors charge a daily rate between $300 and $900. However, most will charge a labor fee based on the project cost—around 20%.
[For a home addition], we charge piece-by-piece for the project, then we add our profit and overhead. For example, lumber for the project, permits, demolition, electrical, plumbing, and drywall. I add them up and then add our profit and overhead. On smaller jobs, we work by the hour and then add the material on top of that.
Sunrooms almost always have electricity, even if it’s just a few outlets and a ceiling fan or light fixture. Electricity is complicated so even if you DIY most of a sunroom, you’ll still need an electrician. Expect to pay an electrician $70 to $120 per hour for their work. Common sunroom addition electrical jobs include:
Installing an outlet: $300
Adding a light fixture: $500
Rewiring: $6,000
Sunrooms let in sun through windows, so you’d be right in assuming a window professional is someone you need to hire if you don’t go with a general contractor. Expect to pay between $60 and $140 an hour for a glass pro. Sunrooms are a large project and a pro likely won’t work alone due to the weight of the materials, so you can expect to pay each additional worker $35 to $70 an hour.
The cost of a sunroom varies depending on where you live. Here are some common cost ranges for different U.S. cities:
| City | Average Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $6,000 – $100,000 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $6,000 – $75,000 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | $2,500 – $110,000 |
| Aurora, IL | $2,500 – $150,000 |
| Cleveland, OH | $2,500 – $90,000 |
| Atlanta | $2,500 – $90,210 |
| Charlotte, NC | $2,500 – $80,000 |
| Dallas | $2,500 – $80,000 |
| Philadelphia | $2,500 – $120,000 |
| Rochester, NY | $2,500 – $90,000 |
| Portland, ME | $2,500 – $70,000 |
There are many sunroom ideas to choose from and each alters the final price tag. Sunroom costs come down to its size, construction permits, structural elements, and all the fixtures that give it style. Let's take a look.
Any addition to your home requires a building permit, which costs between $400 and $1,500. Acquiring a permit usually takes between two and eight weeks, and is an essential step in the process. This ensures that everything is up to code and meets insurance requirements.
“If you are working with a licensed general contractor, make sure that they are insured,” says Tschudi. “If you are a DIYer, contact your insurance agent to add coverage for your construction. That way, the materials, the subcontractors, and even your entire house is protected.”
If there’s no existing foundation to build on, expect to pay between $500 and $5,600 to clear the land and prepare the construction site. If you need trees removed you can expect to pay around $700 per tree, and land excavation comes in at a cost of $1,300 to $4,600.
Pouring the foundation for a new sunroom costs between $1,000 and $6,000, depending on the square footage.
Insulation costs between $500 and $1,500, depending on the materials and square footage of the room. If you’re learning how to build a four-season deck or sunroom, for instance, expect higher insulation costs to maintain a comfortable temperature during warmer and colder times of the year. While insulation is expensive, remember that it’s only a true year-round or four-season sunroom that requires insulation.
If you’d like to walk out into your gardens from the sunroom, patio door installation adds another $1,300 to $11,000, including labor and the door unit. While a three-season sunroom may not require many doors, a four-season sunroom would benefit from outside access—like, for example, connecting to a garden. Adding another door would also help with ventilation.
The cost to add heating and central air conditioning to your sunroom is $2,300 to $20,500. The price varies depending on whether or not you’re expanding your existing ductwork or installing a ductless mini-split system. A less-expensive alternative is using a window air conditioning unit and a space heater, but those items can have a significant impact on your utility bills. Like insulation, HVAC systems are unique to year-round sunrooms.
Finishes can range from $200 to $9,000, based on how much you have planned for the interior design. Expect to spend $1,500 to $4,300 on various sunroom flooring ideas and $2 to $6 per square foot on painting. If you start planning well in advance, you can find good deals on furniture for the room, bringing your costs down.
If you’re hiring a general contractor to help with the construction of your new sunroom addition, oftentimes, the cleanup cost will be rolled into the total project price. However, if you’re cleaning up a construction yourself or want to hire a crew, plan on another $280 to $670. Dumpster rental and haul-away usually costs around $300 to $525.
Adding final cosmetic touches with landscaping costs usually ranges in cost between $1,400 and $5,500.
If you already have a porch on your home, you may be tempted to just convert that into a sunroom. While you could add some screens and enclose the porch, that isn’t technically a sunroom. The stark reality is that converting a porch may actually end up costing you more due to the demolition work required.
Demolition workers charge between $30 and $90 per hour plus a disposal fee of around $500.
If you’re going to build a sunroom yourself, a prefabricated kit is the easiest option. They are factory-built and shipped to your home. However, the kits are more modest three-season rooms and may not last as long as custom-built options.
If you’re looking to build a four-season sunroom, you’ll need contractors to pour a foundation, install insulation and windows, wire electricity, put in an HVAC system, and various other tasks that require specialized knowledge and training.
In theory, you could cut an average of 20% from the cost to build a sunroom if you DIY. However, structural, electrical, and insulation projects are rarely ideal for those without training and a license. In many cases, local building codes will require a professional sunroom contractor near you to sign off on the plans.
There are plenty of ways to get creative and save money on sunroom additions. Not all sunrooms need to host a hoard of neighbors or offer year-round use. Here are some ways to keep costs in your budget.
Consider prefab sunroom designs.
Turn an existing space into a sunroom.
Opt for a smaller space.
Choose a three-season sunroom to cut out the need for insulation.
Consider low-cost HVAC options such as mini splits.
Consider a conservatory or garden room over a solarium.
Speak with at least three designers to compare estimates.
Stick with a flexible timeline to allow contractors to find low-cost materials.
Consider long-term costs that will save you money on heating and upkeep over time.
Line up your sunroom with existing exterior doors.
Research DIYable finishes on your own for after the major construction phase.
Building a sunroom on a budget is possible, but it can be difficult to envision what each price range will get you. Garden rooms and conservatories, for example, are best for modest budgets around $5,000 to $10,000. Once you get above $20,000, consider building an atrium, a small three-season room, or a greenhouse on an existing structure. Between $30,000 and $75,000, break into the three and four-season rooms larger than 2,000 square feet.
While building a sunroom can be a costly endeavor, they have a 49% return on investment (ROI), which is on the high end for a home addition and will increase your home’s value by half the cost of the addition. Whether you choose to make this addition during a home remodel or when taking on the cost to build a new house, it can be a wise one for your bottom line.
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You can definitely build a sunroom in any climate—as long as it’s well-insulated. If you live in a cold climate, a four-season sunroom will stay warm even when it’s chilly outside. Other types of sunrooms, like a three-season room or a glass solarium, won’t be a great fit for cold weather.
Building an average-sized sunroom typically takes between four and six days depending on the features you choose. However, more elaborate solarium or large sunrooms can take up to two weeks from start to finish. The timeline depends on the type of sunroom you want to build and whether it's a retrofit or you're starting from scratch.
If you’re deciding between building a sunroom or a room addition, you’re likely weighing the costs of both projects. For example, the cost of building a home addition that’s 12 by 12 feet on the first floor ranges from $11,520 and $28,800. As mentioned above, it costs about $22,000 to $43,000 for a 12-by-12-foot sunroom.
However, the cost of building a sunroom decreases significantly if you install a prefab sunroom or convert a porch into a sunroom. Consult a professional local contractor about which option is right for you.
