Almost everyone is familiar with the stomach-churning, knock-the-wind-out-of-you, disappointment of sticker shock.
With sunroom addition costs anywhere from $20,000 to $120,000, how can you even come close to guestimating where your project will fall along the continuum?
Here at JSB we’re going to shed some light on the situation. We have been a part of the home remodeling industry since 1978 and a certified BetterLiving sunroom installer since 2011. Project cost is the single most influential factor in planning any home improvement project and it’s our belief that it’s unfair for contractors to blindside you with a hefty price tag and then expect you to sign a contract right away.
You can use our sunroom pricing page in conjunction with this article to help you get a better understanding of how different conditions and selections will affect the price of your sunroom. In the end, you will be able to narrow down the price range for the sunroom project that you want to complete.
Table of Contents:
- What Factors Impact the Cost of a Sunroom Addition?
- 1. The Size of the Sunroom
- 2. Type of Sunroom
- Screen Rooms
- Three-Season Rooms
- Four-Season Rooms
- 3. Sunroom Materials
- Wood Sunrooms
- Aluminum Sunrooms
- Vinyl Sunrooms
- 4. Sunroom Roof Structure
- Under-Existing Roof
- Studio Roof
- Gable Roof
- 5. Existing Foundation Conditions
- 6. Sunroom Design Options
What factors impact the cost of a sunroom addition?
Many factors will impact the cost of a sunroom. Two identical sunrooms built on two different houses can vary in cost so all numbers in this article are meant to give you a general idea of sunroom cost differences. For specific pricing of your sunroom, you’ll need to collect quotes from various sunroom builders.
1. The Size of the Sunroom
The size of your sunroom is one of the most important factors in determining the cost of your sunroom. As you add square footage to your sunroom, the cost to build will increase. Sunrooms can be built with many different dimensions but here at JSB, we have found that the most common sizes are:
Average Sunroom Sizes:
- 12 ft. x 12 ft. - Starting at $10,000 - $26,000 depending on the type of sunroom
- 14 ft. x 14 ft. - Starting at $12,000 - $30,000 depending on the type of sunroom
- 16 ft. x 16 ft. - Starting at $14,000 - $35,000 depending on the type of sunroom
Large Sunroom Sizes:
- 12 ft. x 18 ft.
- 16 ft. x 20 ft.
Sunrooms can be many other dimensions. The sizes listed above tend to be popular because their shape and proportions lend themselves to having enough space in the sunroom to allow for furniture of different sizes with enough room to be able to comfortably walk around in.
2. Type of Sunroom
The three main types of sunrooms in order of lowest cost to highest cost are screen rooms, three-season rooms, and 4-season rooms. There are other types of outdoor living structures like conservatories or solariums but these three types of sunrooms are by far, the most common. Here at JSB, we install all three types of sunrooms. If you’re interested in our specific pricing, check out our sunroom pricing broken down by size and room type.
Screen Rooms
Screen rooms use screens instead of glass in the windows. They are typically constructed out of aluminum and are the least expensive type of sunroom.
Three-Season Rooms
Three-season rooms are aluminum rooms and are enclosed with glass. The quality of the sunroom glass will determine how well your room maintains a comfortable temperature. In locations like central Ohio, they can usually be used in spring, summer, and fall.
Four-Season Rooms
Four-season rooms are vinyl-wrapped rooms, enclosed with glass. With the proper insulation, they can be used year-round. Four-season rooms are the most expensive of these sunroom options but the higher cost may be worth it if you plan to use your sunroom year-round. They can also be fitted with heating and air-conditioning if you choose.
3. Sunroom Materials
Better quality sunroom materials will raise the cost of your sunroom. The material options are what the walls and roof of the room will be built out of. The sweet spot for most homeowners is to balance between quality and cost. This tends to bring you the most value for the room you want to build.
Most of the time, the material your sunroom is built out of will be determined by the type of sunroom you choose to build.
Wood Sunrooms
Wood sunrooms are usually the most expensive to build and are traditional 2x4 framing with oversized windows. They are most commonly built at the same time as the house rather than as an addition afterward. Here at JSB, we don’t install wood sunrooms because we think aluminum and vinyl sunrooms are more durable and offer more value to our customers.
Aluminum Sunrooms
Aluminum is a trustworthy sunroom material that resists water damage. They can be insulated and are the most budget-friendly material to build a sunroom addition with. Not all aluminum sunrooms are created equal. Some aluminum rooms are more well insulated, making for more comfortable temperatures inside the room.
Vinyl Sunrooms
Vinyl is waterproof and can be insulated well to allow consistent temperatures inside the room. It is energy efficient enough to be climate-controlled with heating and air conditioning. Vinyl is more expensive than aluminum but less expensive than wood-built sunrooms.
Aluminum and vinyl sunrooms are both great for central Ohio since they are resistant to damage from water and strong enough to hold snow on the roof. Wood strong enough for snow but is less resistant to water so Ohio’s rainy spring and fall and our humid summers are rough on wood structures without diligent maintenance.
4. Sunroom Roof Structure
There are three main categories of roof structure that your sunroom can have. From least expensive to most expensive, they are an under-existing roof, a studio roof, and a gable roof. JSB can build any of these roof types and your sunroom will look like a natural addition to your home; like it was always meant to be there.
Under-Existing Roof
Building an under-existing room means that you are building under a roof that already exists. Think of enclosing a porch. This is the least expensive roof structure because you don’t have to build a roof as part of your sunroom project. Depending on the strength of your header, there may be some reinforcing that needs to happen but this will still be less expensive than having to build an entire roof.
Studio Roof
A studio roof slopes down from the side of your house. This option costs more than an under-existing roof but less than a gable roof. Studio roofs can attach to an exterior wall of the house or tie into the main roof.
Gable Roof
A gable sunroom roof comes up to a point from the two side walls of the sunroom. These can either attach to an exterior wall of the house or tie into the roof of the main house. All other features being identical, choosing a gable roof will add $3,000 - $4,000 to your sunroom project compared to a studio roof. The added cost might be worth it to have a vaulted ceiling with more room for lighting and fans.
5. Existing Foundation Conditions
There are many questions to answer to evaluate how your sunroom foundation will influence the cost of your sunroom addition. Sunrooms can be built on concrete slab foundations or deck foundations. Decks can be at ground level or raised. The conditions below are listed in order from least expensive to most expensive:
Existing Foundation Strong Enough to Hold a Sunroom
The least expensive foundation situation is for you to already have a concrete slab or deck that meets the strength requirements to hold a sunroom. This is uncommon for decks because most decks are built to hold up to foot traffic, not hold a heavy sunroom.
No Existing Foundation
The next best situation is to start with no foundation, just the ground, and build a brand-new foundation.
If you choose a deck foundation, your sunroom builder will usually build the deck as part of your project. This is true for a ground level or raised deck. A new deck foundation is less expensive than a new concrete foundation.
For a concrete slab, it is most cost-effective for you to have a concrete company install your footers and slab independently of your sunroom builder. Just make sure that your concrete company knows the required specifications for the slab to hold the sunroom you are building. Your sunroom builder should be able to provide you with the specifications necessary for your concrete.
Reinforce Your Current Concrete or Deck Foundation
If your current foundation is not strong enough to hold your sunroom, you may be able to reinforce it. Reinforcing concrete and a deck are comparable in price.
Here at JSB, we strengthen concrete slabs by cutting a hole in the concrete, digging three feet down into the ground, and filling the hole with a concrete pillar to transfer the weight of the room down into the ground. If you work with JSB, your design consultant can tell you if your concrete foundation will need to be reinforced at your in-home consultation.
For a deck, we can sometimes reinforce the framing of the deck to allow it to hold your sunroom. Once again, if you work with JSB and your design consultant can see under your deck at your in-home consultation, they can tell you if it can be reinforced or not.
Need to Extend Existing Foundation or Deck Cannot Be Reinforced
The final situation is your current foundation cannot be reinforced adequately or you want to build a room that is larger than the foundation that you have.
For concrete, JSB can tear out the current slab. We can coordinate with a concrete company to dig footers and pour a new concrete slab that is the correct size. Then we can build your sunroom on top of your new foundation.
For decks, we can either tear out the old deck or reinforce the old deck. Then add on to the deck to reach the size you want for your sunroom. Depending on how much work needs to be done to the old deck and how much you are adding to it, it may be more cost-effective to remove it and start fresh.
You can use the flow chart to help you walk through the process of determining how much foundation work your project will require.
6. Sunroom Design Options
Everything we’ve discussed up until this point has been structural features that affect the cost of a sunroom. The remaining factors that influence sunroom cost are design choices.
Sunroom Color
The color you choose for you sunroom may affect the overall price. This will depend on your sunroom contractor. Ask your contractor about price differences based on color so you know what to expect.
Here at JSB, color has a small effect on cost compared to other selections you will make when planning your sunroom addition. We have three color options: white, desert sand (tan), and earthstone (dark brown). Earthstone is available for aluminum screen or three-season rooms only. White is the most budget-friendly option. Desert sand and earthstone both add about $2,000 to your project.
Adding a Shingle Roof to Your Sunroom
If your sunroom roof is attached to the main roof of your home, you may want to add shingles to your sunroom roof. This isn’t a requirement and purely an aesthetic choice. Depending on the details of the project, building a shingle roof on top of the panel sunroom roof will add $3,000 - $7,500 to your project.
Amount Of Glass In Your Sunroom
There are several pieces of your sunroom that you can choose whether you want glass or panels. Knee walls, transoms, gable ends, and studio wings can be any combination of glass or panels within a sunroom. You can also decide how tall you want your knee walls and transoms.
Glass lets in natural light and is the more expensive option. Panels have the benefit of being less expensive and adding a little bit of privacy to your room if you have neighbors that are close by.
You should consider cost and how much privacy you want to determine the right combination of glass and panels for your sunroom.
How To Get The Best Pricing Information from My Sunroom Installer?
Considering a sunroom addition should be an exciting experience, not a gut-wrenching reality check. Understanding what factors go into the cost of a sunroom will pull back the curtain and help you set realistic expectations for your sunroom project.
If you are interviewing multiple sunroom installation companies, write down the answers to each of the following questions from all companies to make sure that the quotes you are comparing are for comparable rooms and amount of work.
- What size sunroom do you want?
- What type of sunroom do you want?
- What type of roof structure will your sunroom have?
- Is there an existing foundation? If so, what work needs to be done to it for it to hold the weight of a sunroom?
- What sunroom design options are available? Which ones have you chosen?
You can also learn more about the overall costs of sunroom additions and the timeline to install sunrooms to help you plan for your project.
JSB is here to help answer all your sunroom project questions. If you are interested in talking to us about completing a sunroom addition for you, schedule an in-home consultation today.
