Quick answer: HomeStars (updated August 2026) puts a Canadian three-season sunroom at $12,000–$45,000, a four-season sunroom at $25,000–$85,000, a solarium at $30,000–$80,000 and a glass-roofed conservatory at $50,000–$155,000, with an average sunroom around $30,000. City building permits for a typical sunroom addition cost roughly $250–$815 in the five biggest cities we checked, and heritage reviews can add more.
Sunroom cost checker
Pick a project to see the reported Canadian price range and where the figure comes from. It is a guide, not a quote.
Prices change and depend on the size of the job, the property, access and location. Figures were last checked . Always get a written quote before work starts.
Request a free quoteSunroom, three-season, four-season or conservatory?
In Canada, what the British call a conservatory is usually sold as a sunroom, and in Quebec as a solarium. The words matter because they change both the price and the building code rules:
- Sun porch or screen room: a partly enclosed porch or deck, often with screens rather than glass; no insulation or heating. HomeStars puts these at $5,000–$20,000.
- Three-season room: glazed walls on a proper base, with little or no insulation and no permanent heating. It is used from spring to autumn and is usually shut off from the house by an exterior-grade wall and door.
- Four-season room: insulated walls and roof, better glazing and heating (and sometimes cooling), so it works in a Canadian January. It is effectively part of the house and has to meet the house’s energy rules.
- Solarium: glass walls and a glass roof. In Quebec the word is also used for any sunroom, so check what is being quoted.
- Conservatory: a more architectural glass-roofed room, often custom-built; the most expensive option.
Any of these that is roofed and attached to the house is normally an addition that needs a building permit. Our city guides explain the local rules.
Sunroom prices by type
These are reported typical ranges for supply and installation in Canadian dollars, not quotes.
| Type | Reported cost (CAD) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sun porch | $5,000–$20,000 | HomeStars |
| Three-season sunroom | $12,000–$45,000 | HomeStars |
| Three-season sunroom, basic model | $15,000–$30,000 | RenoQuotes |
| Four-season sunroom | $25,000–$85,000 | HomeStars |
| Four-season sunroom, turnkey | $50,000–$85,000 | RenoQuotes |
| Solarium | $30,000–$80,000 | HomeStars |
| Conservatory | $50,000–$155,000 | HomeStars |
| Custom sunroom | $60,000–$100,000+ | RenoQuotes |
Sources: How Much Does a Sunroom Cost? (homestars.com, updated 21 August 2026); Sunroom Cost in Canada 2026 (renoquotes.com, May 2026). Checked September 2026.
Prices by size and per square foot
| Size or measure | Reported cost (CAD) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10 ft x 10 ft sunroom | $15,000–$30,000 | HomeStars |
| 12 ft x 12 ft sunroom | $21,600–$43,200 | HomeStars |
| 14 ft x 14 ft sunroom | $29,400–$58,800 | HomeStars |
| 20 ft x 20 ft sunroom | $60,000–$120,000 | HomeStars |
| Three-season, per square foot | $150–$250 | RenoQuotes |
| Four-season, per square foot | $400–$600 | RenoQuotes |
| Installation labour only | $4,000–$20,000 | HomeStars |
Sources as above. HomeStars prices framing materials separately: vinyl $2,500–$8,000, aluminium $4,000–$10,000 and wood $7,000–$20,000. Checked September 2026.
The big jump between three-season and four-season rooms comes from insulation, glazing, heating and the foundation. A room built for Canadian winters also needs a base that will not move with frost and a roof designed for the local snow load, which a lightweight porch enclosure may not have. See our guide to foundations and existing bases.
City permit fees in five big cities
Permit fees are set by each city, not by installers, and are extra unless your quote says they are included. For a typical sunroom addition on a house:
| City | Permit fee basis (2026) | Example: about 20 m² or a $40,000 job | Heritage layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | $18.56 per m² of new floor area, $214.79 minimum | $371.20 | Heritage permit in 27 HCDs |
| Montreal | Borough permit: $9.80 per $1,000 of work; $491.70 minimum in several boroughs | $491.70 (minimum) | PIIA sectors; Quebec authorisation in Old Montreal and Mont-Royal |
| Calgary | Flat fee: $333.84 under 400 sq ft, $1,302.08 over | $333.84 | Development permit if on the historic resources inventory |
| Ottawa | $12.52 per m² of new floor area, $117 minimum | $250.40 | $837 heritage permit in 20 HCDs |
| Edmonton | $415 development permit plus building permit by value | $815.40 | Protected Register properties |
Sources: each city’s 2026 fee schedule, listed on the city pages. Examples are our arithmetic. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits and designer or engineer fees are extra.
Building codes: heated or unheated
Every province bases its building code on the National Building Code of Canada, with its own changes: Ontario has the Ontario Building Code, Quebec its Construction Code, and Alberta the National Building Code – Alberta Edition. The Part 9 energy efficiency rules for houses (Section 9.36, mirrored in Ontario’s SB-12) exempt spaces that are not required to be heated, and allow a slight reduction in the insulation of a house wall protected by an enclosed unheated space such as a sun porch or enclosed veranda. So a three-season room kept separate from the house by an exterior door is treated very differently from a heated four-season room opened up to the kitchen. Decide which you are building before you get quotes, because converting later can mean new glazing, insulation and a new permit. See heating a conservatory.
The roof also has to carry the local snow load, which the code sets place by place. Ask every installer what snow load the roof is designed for and who checked it; it is one reason local prices rarely match the cheapest kit prices seen online.
Checking the contractor
Licensing is provincial, and sometimes municipal. In Quebec anyone doing renovation work for you needs a Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) licence. In Alberta, a business that signs a home renovation contract at your home and takes money before the work is finished needs a prepaid contracting licence. Ontario has no general renovation licence, but Toronto requires a City Building Renovator licence, and Ontario law requires written contracts for renovation work over $50 with a 10-day cooling-off period for contracts signed at home. Our city guides explain each check, and our guide to comparing quotes helps you line up like with like.
FAQs
How much does a sunroom cost in Canada?
HomeStars reports an average of around $30,000, with three-season rooms at $12,000–$45,000 and four-season rooms at $25,000–$85,000.
What is the difference between a three-season and a four-season sunroom?
A three-season room is glazed but largely unheated and uninsulated, so it is used from spring to autumn. A four-season room is insulated and heated for year-round use and must meet the house’s energy rules.
Is a solarium the same as a conservatory?
Both usually mean glass walls and a glass roof. In Quebec, solarium is also the everyday word for any sunroom, so check the specification on the quote.
Do I need a permit for a sunroom?
Almost always, if it is roofed and attached to the house. Fees for a typical sunroom were about $250–$815 in the five cities we checked in 2026.
Why are Canadian sunrooms dearer than kits I see online?
Foundations below the frost line, roofs designed for local snow loads and, for four-season rooms, insulation and heating all add cost.
Local guides
Ready to compare? See our comparison of conservatory and sunroom options or request quotes.
Sources
- How Much Does a Sunroom Cost? (homestars.com)
- Sunroom Cost in Canada 2026 (renoquotes.com)
- Building Permit Fees, 2026 (toronto.ca)
- Obtenir un permis pour l’agrandissement d’un immeuble (montreal.ca)
- 2026 Building & Trade Permit Fee Schedule (calgary.ca)
- Gross Floor Area Fee Schedule, 2026 (ottawa.ca)
- Planning and Development Fee Schedules, 2026 (edmonton.ca)
- Section 9.36 Energy Efficiency, Part 9 (rdn.bc.ca copy of the code text)
- The contractor and the licence (rbq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Prepaid contracting licence (alberta.ca)
- Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs (ontario.ca)
Last checked: September 2026. Prices and fees change, so treat these as a guide and confirm with installers and your city.
Compare Conservatories is a comparison and referral service, not a sunroom or conservatory installer. We do not design, build or approve sunrooms, and a listing here is not a recommendation.