Are you planning for room addition to your house? You have several options for what type of room you have to add or how to build it. Typically, homeowners either go for a bump-out or full-scale addition if they want to have extra space in their abode. 

Contractors often charge a considerable amount for a custom-built room addition. Depending on your specifications, a room addition that’s built from scratch can cost from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

If you’re tight on the budget, there’s a less costly alternative for you: a sunroom. Here are the things you must know if you’re thinking of adding a sunroom to your home. 

What is a Sunroom?

A sunroom is a supplemental living area that connects indoor and outdoor spaces. This type of room often has a sizable wall and ceiling space made of glass to maximize the amount of natural light in the room. 

In some municipalities, building standards don’t require sunrooms to have heating/cooling or electricity service. A conditioned room that has wall space with over 40% of glass is not allowed under the International Energy Conditioned Code. However, you can now find sunrooms fitted with an HVAC system and electricity. 

Floating concrete slabs are used as a base foundation for sunrooms. This type of foundation is more economical than standard foundations. 

Custom-Built vs. Prefabricated Sunrooms

You have two sunroom categories to choose from if you want a sunroom addition to your house. There’s the custom-built and prefabricated sunroom. The advantage of a custom-built sunroom is that it can adapt well to your home, but it can be a bit costly. A prefabricated sunroom is more affordable and it’s a popular alternative today.

Custom-Built Sunroom

If you want a specific design for your sunroom, you can hire a local contractor to do the job for you. Make sure to get the right person/s for its construction, one who specializes in building sunrooms or who has considerable experience with it. 

Stud-and-truss framing is a common element in many custom-built sunrooms. Of course, you can’t miss the predominance of glass in the windows, doors, or roofs in this type of room. There’s always the option to apply a unique design and materials for your sunroom. Don’t hesitate to talk with your contractor about it. 

Prefab Sunrooms

Many sunrooms nowadays are built from prefabricated kits with framework pieces of fiberglass, glass panels, steel, and aluminum. You can assemble these pieces yourself or you can call a qualified technician for the job. If you choose to DIY, make sure to follow the instructions from the manual or watch a video online. 

There are many manufacturers of prefabricated sunrooms today. You can order one online and it’s then packed in flat cartons and shipped by freight carriers to your home. 

Considerations for Sunroom Addition

Electrical Service

Electricity isn’t typically required in most sunrooms. But, nowadays, you can see sunrooms with electrical service, especially ones that are custom-built. You can now even add electricity to prefabricated sunrooms. 

In contrast to full-sized room additions that are built from scratch, sunrooms need not follow electrical code requirements as other rooms in the house, which makes sunrooms a less expensive alternative. However, safety is still a priority if you want to install electricity in your sunroom. 

HVAC System

A heating and cooling system is also not typically required in most sunrooms. However, you can find fan-driven or electric baseboard heaters in many custom-built sunrooms today. They’re now also fitted with an air cooling system to make the room more comfortable during the height of summer. 

Property Value

When it comes to property value, you need to understand that a sunroom addition won’t have a considerable effect on the market value of your property. A sunroom is only a supplemental space where you can hang out to get natural sunlight, read, or grow plants. It’s not an essential living area provided by a full-sized room addition. 

While the cost for sunroom construction is less than a full-scale room, you can’t expect to gain more in terms of equity value from it. 

Cost of Sunroom Construction

Costs for sunrooms differ significantly. You can spend around $7,000 to $10,000 for a small sunroom. For a larger sunroom with a new slab-on-grade foundation, you’re likely to pay a cost of $60,000 or more.

Prefabricated sunrooms can cost from $17,000 to $30,000. Prefab wooden kits with standard materials are more affordable. If you opt for premium aluminum and glass panels for the walls, it can cost more. 

Takeaway

Indeed, it’s an excellent idea to have a sunroom in your home. But, before deciding to add a sunroom to your house, make sure you know the type of sunroom you want and the cost of it. This guide is a good starting point to know about sunrooms.