FENSA Registered·Checkatrade 10/10 (279 reviews)·£5m Public Liability sales@swiftltd.co.uk·01322 221010 Swift Home ImprovementsAboutServicesAll services→ WindowsBi-fold DoorsComposite DoorsAluminiumWarm RoofsSkylightsuPVC DoorsConservatoriesRoof LanternsOrangeriesTimber WindowsSecondary GlazingFire Doors AreasAll areas→ LondonKentSurreyEssexGreenhitheDartfordBromleyBeckenhamChislehurstSevenoaks Our WorkReviewsContact01322 221010Request Free Quote - Home - Services - Orangeries Orangeries # Orangeries designed, builtand finished acrossKent, London and Surrey A brick-and-glass room that lives like part of the house rather than a conservatory bolted onto it, designed, built and finished for one fixed written price by the same family-run team since 1998. Request free quote 01322 221010 FENSA registered · Checkatrade 10/10 from 279 reviews · 10-year workmanship guarantee Since 1998 Family-run installer FENSA Registered installer 10/10 Checkatrade · 279 reviews 10 years Workmanship guarantee £10m Employers' Liability Overview ## What we do, orangeries 01 An orangery sits between a conservatory and a full extension. Instead of glazing from the ground up, it uses solid brick or rendered pillars and a low dwarf wall to frame large glazed panels, then caps the room with a flat perimeter roof and a central glass lantern. The result is a bright garden room that reads architecturally as part of the house, holds heat far better than an all-glass structure, and gives you real wall space inside for units, radiators, sockets and artwork. 02 We design and build orangeries for homeowners across Kent, London, Surrey and the wider South East who want more living space without moving. The typical brief is a kitchen-diner that opens onto the garden, a family sitting room off the back of a Victorian or 1930s house, or a formal dining room on a larger detached property. Everything is handled by Swift: design, planning checks where needed, groundwork, brickwork, glazing, lantern, electrics, plastering and floor screed. 03 Professional design and build matter more here than on almost any other product we install. An orangery is a structure, not a kit. Foundations must be dug to the right depth for the ground conditions, the perimeter roof needs correct falls and drainage, the lantern needs a properly insulated upstand, and the junction with the existing house has to be weathered and thermally detailed so you never see a cold line or a damp patch. Every orangery we build is set out and constructed by our own employed team, with the building work and the glazing under one accountable roof. Our work ## A snapshot of recent Swift installations Real photos from projects across Kent, London, Surrey and the South East. Tap through to see the full gallery. White uPVC conservatory exterior with new tiled roof and lead flashing joining a red-brick house Bright conservatory interior with white uPVC casement windows, top-opening vents and a rooflight overlooking the garden Interior view of a conservatory extension with aluminium bi-fold doors, glass roof and garden view Modern kitchen extension interior with flat rooflight skylights and full-height aluminium windows Oak-clad garden room with anthracite grey aluminium bi-fold doors and matching sliding window opening onto a sandstone patio See all recent work Product write-up to follow Why it matters ## What happens if you leave it Most people considering an orangery have already been quoted for a conservatory and felt the compromise. All-glass rooms are wonderful in April and punishing in July and January, and the lack of solid wall means there is nowhere to put a radiator, a run of base units or a television. Families end up with a room they only use for part of the year, which is an expensive way to gain floor space. The consequences of specifying badly are long-lived. Shallow foundations on shrinkable clay, common across much of north Kent and south-east London, lead to movement cracking in the brickwork within a few winters. A perimeter roof laid flat with no fall ponds water and eventually fails at the laps. A lantern bedded directly onto the deck without an insulated upstand leaks at the corners, and the repair usually means dismantling the roof. None of these are visible to the customer on the day the job finishes, which is exactly why the standard of the build matters. The most common mistake we correct is a quote that reads like an orangery but is priced like a conservatory, because the groundwork, structural steel over the opening into the house, electrics, plastering and floor finish are all excluded. Our orangery quotes are turnkey and fixed in writing, so what you compare is genuinely comparable. Our process ## From first call to sign-off - STEP 1 ### Sales representative visit One of our sales representatives comes out first to walk the property, understand how you want to use the room, talk through pillar and glazing proportions, roof options and finishes, and outline indicative pricing. No pressure, no time-limited discounts. - STEP 2 ### Surveyor & fixed written quote If you want to proceed, our surveyor attends separately to measure the site, check ground conditions, drainage runs, existing structure and the opening into the house, then locks the specification. You receive a fixed written quote covering the whole build. - STEP 3 ### Design, planning & building control We finalise the design, confirm whether the build sits inside permitted development or needs a planning application, and handle building regulations notification and structural calculations where the opening into the house requires them. - STEP 4 ### Groundwork, brickwork & manufacture Foundations are dug and poured to the depth the ground requires, the base and dwarf wall built, pillars raised in matching brick or render, and your frames and lantern manufactured to survey dimensions while the shell goes up. - STEP 5 ### In-house fitting team install & sign-off Our own fitters install the frames, lantern and roof, run electrics, plaster internally and finish the floor. We test every opener, hand over care instructions, register glazing with FENSA and issue your 10-year Swift guarantee. Benefits ## What you actually get ### Usable all year Solid pillars, an insulated perimeter roof and A-rated glazing keep the room comfortable in January and in July, unlike a fully glazed conservatory. ### Real wall space Pillars and the dwarf wall give you somewhere to put radiators, sockets, kitchen units, a media wall or shelving, which is what turns a garden room into a living room. ### Adds architectural value A brick orangery with a lantern reads as a considered extension rather than an add-on, which matters when you eventually sell. ### Daylight without glare The central lantern floods the middle of the room with light while the solid perimeter roof shades the edges, giving even, comfortable light rather than glare. ### Faster and less disruptive than a full extension You gain most of the benefit of a masonry extension on a shorter programme, and in many cases without planning permission. ### One accountable team Design, groundwork, brickwork, glazing, electrics and plastering are all Swift. There is no gap between builder and window company for a problem to fall into. Specification ## Orangeries, how we specify Orangery is a design category rather than a single product. The right specification depends on the age and style of the house, the ground it sits on and how you intend to live in the room. These are the decisions we work through before quoting. ### Pillars, dwarf walls and proportion The character of an orangery comes from the ratio of solid to glass. Wide brick pillars with deep glazed bays suit Victorian and Edwardian rear elevations; slimmer rendered pillars with taller glazing suit 1930s and modern properties. We match brick, bond and mortar colour to the existing house wherever possible, and we set pillar widths so the glazed panels line through with the windows above. ### Roof: perimeter and lantern The standard specification is an insulated flat perimeter roof with a plastered internal soffit and a central aluminium lantern. Some properties suit two smaller lanterns rather than one large one; some suit a tiled warm roof with flat rooflights instead. We advise on the option that gives the best light without turning the room into a greenhouse. ### Glazing and doors Glazed panels are usually A-rated argon-filled units with warm-edge spacers, with solar-control coatings on south and west elevations. Access to the garden is typically bi-fold, sliding patio or French doors in uPVC or aluminium, and the choice affects how the room lives day to day: bi-folds open the whole wall, sliders give a bigger clear pane, French doors are the simplest and most traditional. ### Groundwork, structure and the opening into the house Foundations are dug to suit the ground, which across parts of Kent and south London means allowing for clay and nearby trees. Where you want the orangery open-plan to the kitchen or lounge, the existing wall needs a structural opening with a steel beam and calculations, notified to building control. We handle both and build them into the fixed price. ### Heating, electrics and finishes We plan sockets, lighting, switching and heating at design stage rather than as an afterthought. Underfloor heating (wet or electric) works particularly well under tile or engineered timber and frees the walls entirely. Internally the room is plastered and the floor screeded ready for your finish, so it decorates exactly like the rest of the house. ### Planning and permitted development Most single-storey rear orangeries fall inside permitted development, but limits apply on depth from the original rear wall, height, boundary proximity, and whether the property sits in a conservation area or under an Article 4 direction. Parts of Bromley, Chislehurst and Sevenoaks are sensitive in this respect. We check at survey and, where an application is required, we prepare and submit it. FAQ ## Common questions ### What is the difference between an orangery and a conservatory? +A conservatory is predominantly glass, including the roof. An orangery uses solid brick or rendered pillars, a dwarf wall, an insulated flat perimeter roof and a central glass lantern. The orangery holds heat better, gives you usable wall space inside and looks more like part of the house. ### How much does an orangery cost in Kent, London or Surrey? +Every home is different, so we do not publish rates. Price depends on size, brickwork, roof specification, glazing, groundwork, ground conditions, any structural opening into the house and the internal finishes. Request a free survey and we will issue a fixed written quote before any work starts. ### Do I need planning permission for an orangery? +Often not. Most single-storey rear orangeries fall within permitted development, subject to depth, height and boundary rules. Conservation areas, Article 4 directions and listed buildings usually do require consent. We check at survey and handle any application needed. ### Does an orangery need building regulations approval? +It depends on the design. Many garden rooms separated from the house by external-quality doors are exempt, while open-plan orangeries and any new structural opening are notifiable. We establish which applies and deal with building control either way. ### How long does an orangery take to build? +Typically six to ten weeks on site, depending on size, groundwork, whether a structural opening is being formed and the internal finishes. You get a written programme with your quote and we confirm the start date once frames and the lantern are in stock. ### Can the orangery be open-plan to my kitchen? +Yes, and it is the most popular arrangement. It requires a structural opening in the existing rear wall with a steel beam and structural calculations, notified to building control. We include that work and the paperwork in the fixed price. ### Will it get too hot in summer or too cold in winter? +Not when specified properly. The insulated perimeter roof, solid pillars, A-rated glazing and solar-control coatings on sun-facing elevations keep temperatures far more stable than an all-glass conservatory. Heating and an opening lantern vent handle the extremes. ### Can I have underfloor heating? +Yes. It is best specified at design stage so the insulation, screed and floor build-up are set out correctly. Underfloor heating suits orangeries particularly well because it keeps every wall free. ### What guarantee do I get? +One 10-year Swift guarantee covering workmanship, frames, glazing and roof, with any manufacturer cover included inside those 10 years. Swift Home Improvements Ltd, company number 03679915, installing since 1998. ### Are you insured, and do you use sub-contractors? +£5m Public Liability and £10m Employers' Liability, with certificates available before you accept a quote. The fitting team is employed by us, not sub-contracted. ### Do you cover my area? +London, Kent, Surrey, Essex and the wider South East, from our base at 215 London Road, Stone, Greenhithe. Call 01322 221010 if you are unsure about your postcode. Related ## Explore related pages Conservatories Roof Lanterns Warm Roofs Bi-fold Doors Areas we cover Contact Home Next step ## Get a fixed price for your orangeries in writing Director-level survey, no pressure, and a written fixed price you can compare like-for-like. We get back to you promptly. Request free quote 01322 221010 FENSA registered·10-year workmanship guarantee· London · Kent · Surrey · South East Family-run installers of bespoke windows, doors and conservatories. Serving London, Kent, Surrey & the South East since 1998. - Checkatrade 10/10 CompanyAbout - Our Work - Showroom - Trade Enquiries - Reviews - Contact Services - Windows - Composite Doors - Bi-fold Doors - Aluminium - Conservatories - Warm Roofs - Skylights & Lanterns - Orangeries - Timber Windows - Secondary Glazing - Fire Doors Get In Touch - 215 London Rd, Stone,Greenhithe DA9 9DQ - 01322 221010 - sales@swiftltd.co.ukMon–Fri · 9am–5pm Sat · By appointment © 2026 Swift Home Improvements Ltd · Company No. 03679915 · FENSA Registered Privacy Policy·Terms & Conditions·£5m Public Liability·£10m Employers' Liability CallRequest Free Quote