Sunroom Costs: Let the Sunshine in With This Popular Home Addition

If you’re looking to add space and natural light to your home, a sunroom may just be the ticket. Referred to as a conservatory or solarium in earlier times, sunrooms are home additions that feature large glass windows or panels to let in abundant light and surrounding views, while providing protection from weather and pests.

Sunroom costs range from $11,000 to $160,000, depending on the size and style (whether they are designed for three- or four-season use.

To break down sunroom costs, we compared cost studies online and spoke with two experts: Marilu Kafka, a top-performing agent in Tolland County, Connecticut, and Casey Carney, design consultant, S. J. Janis Company Inc., an award-winning custom builder in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, who specializes in home additions.

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Three-season sunroom: $11,000 to $45,000

A three-season sunroom, aka a Florida room, resembles an enclosed porch with glass walls. Many early conservatories looked like greenhouses, but today’s three-season sunroom is usually more incorporated into the house’s structure, fitting under the roof like an enclosed porch.

Often featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, these rooms lack insulation and heating. Thus, as their name suggests, three-season sunrooms are only comfortable to use during only three seasons of the year in climates with colder winters. The typical cost runs from $11,000 to $45,000, depending on size, quality, foundation, and location.

Carney says the three-season sunrooms they build start at $80,000 to $90,000. Other builders prefer to calculate the price based on the average cost per square foot of a three-season sunroom, around $75 to $250.

Three season sunroom cost by size

Source: (Forbes)

Four-season sunroom: $25,000 to $85,000

A four-season sunroom is a fully integrated home addition with insulation and heating. Because these rooms require wiring and HVAC ducts for temperature regulation, this sunroom style usually features a knee wall rather than floor-to-ceiling windows.

“A four-season sunroom is preferable,” Kafka says, noting these are especially popular in colder climates where homeowners appreciate the ability to soak in the sun year-round. She also notes that this style of sunroom adds square footage and value in a home appraisal.

According to Forbes, four-season sunrooms cost $25,000 to $80,000 on average. Carney shares that S.J. Janis typically charges $160,000 to $180,000 for four-season sunrooms since larger sunrooms are popular in their market.

“Clients often overlook if their HVAC system can keep up with the additional square footage,” Carney adds, noting that upgrading to a more extensive system adds to the project cost.

Four season sunroom cost by size

Source: (Forbes)

Prefab sunroom: $5,500 to $33,000

Prefab sunrooms come in kits with all of the necessary building materials. Some savvy homeowners may construct it themselves, but most still opt to hire a contractor to ensure quality assembly. Most kits run from $5,500 to $33,000, depending on size and material.

Prefab sunroom cost by manufacturer

Source: (HomeGuide)

Sunroom cost breakdown

If you build a sunroom, you can customize its features and functionality. Here’s an overview of how much each component of a sunroom costs:

• Building permit: $200-$600 
• Insulation: $500-$1,500 ($0.70–$1.30 per square foot)
• Roofing: $3,600-$8,500
• Window installation: $3,500-$15,000 
• Foundation: $500-$5,600 per 100 square feet
• Flooring: $1,500-$4,300
  • Vinyl: $1-$5 per square foot
  • Linoleum:  $2-$6.5o per square foot
  • Tile: $4-$115 per square foot
  • Concrete pavers: $2-$7 per square foot
• Finishes (trim): $200-$9,000
• Ceiling fan installation: $150-$350 
• HVAC: $300-$14,500, depending on ductwork and system capacity.
• Electricity: $350 (based on an electrician’s hourly rate of $50-$100).
• Labor: $5,000-$20,000

Sunroom return on investment

Sunrooms add value and marketability by increasing living space and enhancing indoor-outdoor flow. Although from an appraisal standpoint, only four-season sunrooms add to your property’s square footage.

“A sunroom is definitely a plus as long as it’s in good shape and is the same quality as the home. I’ve never seen anyone reject additional living space,” says top real estate agent Kafka, adding that buyers are often willing to pay more for this extra living space.

“The cost of adding a sunroom that can be recouped on day one is 50%,” Carney adds. ROI data from HomeAdvisor echoes this estimate.

Just note that if you add a four-season sunroom, your utility bills may increase, as may your property taxes.

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Final tips for adding a sunroom

If you’re considering adding a sunroom, Carney advises checking into property setbacks that can limit where you can put an addition, HOA rules regarding design, and other legalities of adding onto your house. If you get the green light, he suggests finding an experienced design-build company to handle the whole project (unless you’re getting a prefab unit).

It’s an expensive project, Carney admits, but “the functionality of a sunroom is big” since you can use it for many purposes.

Header Image Source: (Jamie Pilgrim / Unsplash)