Question 1

How much does a glass veranda cost?

Accepted Answer

From £4,000, VAT included. What moves the number is the span, the post arrangement, whether you want plain aluminium sections or ornate cast columns and brackets, and the extras — rafter lighting, sliding side panels, infra-red heating, blinds. We quote fixed after a site visit rather than giving a range and revising it later. Access, the state of the patio and what we're fixing back to all matter, and none of them can be judged from a photograph.

Question 2

Is a veranda the same as a pergola?

Accepted Answer

In everyday use, yes. Most people searching for a pergola in South Wales are describing what we build as a veranda — a roof over the patio, open at the sides, from £4,000. You have a choice of roof. Fixed toughened glass stays clear overhead and doesn't drum in the rain. Opening louvred blades let you angle them for sun or close them against a shower. We fit both — tell us which way you're leaning at the site visit and we'll quote it properly.

Question 3

Do I need planning permission for a veranda?

Accepted Answer

For a standard rear veranda, no. It's an open-sided structure attached to the back of the house within permitted development limits. It changes if you're on a listed building, in a conservation area, or on AONB land — much of the Gower — or if the structure goes forward of the principal elevation. We check before you commit.

Question 4

Glass or polycarbonate roof?

Accepted Answer

We never fit polycarbonate. Our fixed roofs are toughened safety glass, and we also fit opening louvred aluminium blades. Toughened glass in a thermally broken aluminium frame stays clear, doesn't yellow or go brittle with UV, and — the one people notice most — doesn't drum in the rain. Polycarbonate is cheaper and it is the reason a lot of people end up replacing a canopy after seven or eight years. If a quote you're comparing is significantly under ours, check which one it's for.

Question 5

Will it make the room behind it dark?

Accepted Answer

Much less than a solid canopy would — that's the argument for a glass roof. Light still comes through, so the kitchen or living room behind keeps most of what it had. It does change the quality of the light rather than just the quantity, and how much depends on which way the house faces and how deep the veranda is. We'll walk it with you and say honestly what to expect, because it's the one thing people notice afterwards.

Question 6

Will it stand up to coastal wind?

Accepted Answer

It has to, around here. Half our work is within a few miles of the water, and Gower and Mumbles gardens see wind and salt air that inland installations never deal with. That means powder-coated aluminium rather than anything that corrodes, proper anchoring into a sound patio rather than into whatever's there, and specifying the frame for the exposure of the site. If the patio isn't up to it we'll tell you at the visit, because a veranda is only as good as what it's bolted to.

Question 7

Can I close the sides in later?

Accepted Answer

Yes — sliding glass side panels are a designed option, not an afterthought, and adding all of them effectively turns a veranda into a glass room. If you think that's where you'll end up, tell us at the site visit. It costs nothing to specify the frame for it now and it saves replacing the structure later.

Question 8

How long does it take?

Accepted Answer

Two to three weeks on site for a typical installation, our own team throughout. Lead time from order is the longer part of the wait, which is why spring installations want ordering in late winter.

Glass Verandas & Canopiesin Swansea & South Wales

Roof glass

Structure

Integrated lighting

Drainage

Options

Every build, as standard.

Answered straight, before you ask.

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