How long does a polycarbonate conservatory roof last?

Two national guides give figures for polycarbonate. HomeBuilding, in an article published on 18 April 2024, puts the typical life of a polycarbonate roof at 10 years. The Eco Experts, updated on 29 April 2024, says a glass or polycarbonate conservatory roof will last about 10 to 15 years. The second guide is not entirely consistent with itself, since it says elsewhere that polycarbonate can last longer, so we use the range of 10 to 15 years as the sensible planning figure.

Treat that as a typical life and nothing firmer. A manufacturer's warranty answers a separate question, namely what the maker will do if the product fails early. It says little about how many years the roof will actually serve you. HomeBuilding puts a tiled conservatory roof at in excess of 50 years, and that gap is why owners planning to stay put often move on from polycarbonate to a solid roof when the first one wears out. The shorter life of the plastic roof is the price of its lower cost, and for a room you use occasionally it can be the right trade.

Sunlight is the main enemy. Over years, ultraviolet light makes the surface of cheaper sheet go cloudy, yellow and brittle, and it can craze fine cracks across it. Better sheet carries a protective layer on the outer face to slow this, and it must be fitted with that face upward. A sheet laid upside down loses its protection immediately.

Heat cycles stress the fixings. Polycarbonate expands and contracts with temperature more than glass does, so a sheet that is clamped too tightly, or one with no room to move, buckles and eventually splits or lets the seal go. Trapped water is the other cause. If the open ends of the sheet are not capped and sealed properly, water and dust get into the hollow channels and algae grows inside where nobody can clean it. Overhanging trees add sap, leaves and shade that encourage algae on the outside too, and a roof that stays damp ages faster than one that dries out between showers. Fixings matter as well: cheap screws and caps corrode, and a roof held by corroded fixings can lift in a gale long before the sheet itself has worn out.

You can check a lot from the garden and the floor of the conservatory. Look for a yellow or milky cast, hairline cracks, green or black growth inside the channels, bowing between the bars, and brittle edges that chip. Look at the seals as well: perished rubber, gaps at the glazing caps and staining on the frame beneath all suggest water is getting past.

One dull or stained sheet does not justify a whole new roof. If the rest is sound, that sheet can be changed on its own. If the problem is more about sun than age, our page on conservatory roof blinds covers one way of shading a roof that gets too much sun and so slows the ageing of the surface. When several sheets show wear at once, or the bars are corroding, the covering as a whole has probably done its time, and patching one sheet at a time becomes poor value.

Mention how hot or cold the room gets, too. It tells us whether the roof is simply old or is also the reason you avoid the conservatory for half the year, and that can change the advice from a like-for-like swap to something better insulated.

A like-for-like polycarbonate replacement is the lowest-cost route. MyBuilder's guide, updated on 21 August 2026, gives typical national figures of £2,000 to £5,000 for a polycarbonate roof, against £3,000 to £8,000 for glass and £5,000 to £10,000 for solid roofs. Which of those is sensible depends on what you want from the room, not only on what failed.

If you choose a solid roof you also take on regulation. It is classed as material alteration work and needs a building control application, which is why our page on planning permission for a solid conservatory roof sets out what the Planning Portal says. And if you are weighing up how disruptive the work will be, how long a conservatory roof takes answers that for each option.

Cleaning twice a year with warm water and a soft brush keeps the surface clear and lets you spot problems early. Do it from a stable ladder at the eaves or from inside the room with a long-handled brush, because polycarbonate cannot take a person's weight and nobody should ever walk on it. Avoid pressure washers and abrasive pads, which scratch the outer face and speed up clouding. Clear gutters so water does not back up under the sheet edges, and cut back branches. Check the end caps after storms.

If you want a view on an ageing roof, we photograph your own sheets at the survey and follow with a written quote, aiming for the smallest scope that actually settles the problem. Any replacement carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee given in writing. Our conservatory roof cost guide gives the wider picture, the conservatory roof replacement overview lists every route, and you can ring 01793 626096, use WhatsApp or send the enquiry form.