Sunroom vs. Room Addition: Pros, Cons, and Costs

Building a sunroom or a room addition is a fantastic option to create more functional space in your home. But choosing between the two will depend on your budget, where you live, and how you plan to use the room. Explore the difference between a sunroom and a room addition to choose which is best for your home.

Sunroom vs. Room Addition: Key Differences

The critical difference between a sunroom and a room addition is usability. A room addition can be used year-round and will always include drywall, electricity, and HVAC. On the other hand, a sunroom’s use can be limited depending on your local climate, and it often doesn’t have features like electricity or HVAC.

What Is a Sunroom?​

A sunroom is a room attached to a home that features many windows, so it can let in a lot of natural light. Depending on the climate where you live, a sunroom could be used most of the year or only during a select time when the weather is mild. Sunrooms can range from very basic, usable during select seasons, to year-round habitable, with complex electricity, heating, and cooling. 

Sunrooms come in several different forms, including three-season and four-season sunrooms. Some, but not all, sunrooms can have HVAC or electricity, making them usable all year round. Others are enclosed simply with screens, relying on natural ventilation. While there’s variation in types of sunrooms, with plentiful windows or screens, these rooms are known for offering lots of natural light.

Best for: 

• Homeowners in moderate climates, where less heating or cooling is required to make the space comfortable. 

• Homes with existing porches.

• Homeowners seeking flexible living and entertaining space, not a bedroom or bathroom.

Pros of Sunrooms

Sunrooms combine the comfort of a living room with the tranquility of outdoor space. As an extension of the home, sunrooms can provide more livable square footage, which can increase the value of your home. These flexible spaces can be used as living rooms, dining spaces, or additional playrooms for kids. Building a sunroom costs $47,000 on average and will often be more affordable than a room addition, depending on the style and add-ons.  

Cons of Sunrooms

Depending on where you live, the use of the sunroom will vary by season. For example, if you live in a colder climate and don’t build a four-season sunroom, it’ll be hard to use the space in colder weather. Additionally, sunroom heating and cooling can be expensive, depending on the climate. While a sunroom adds square footage to the home, it also reduces the size of your yard. Finally, as sunrooms feature screens or windows, they’re likely to be less weather-proof than other parts of your home, requiring more frequent upkeep. 

What Is a Room Addition?

A room addition is a year-round, fully habitable add-on to a home. A room addition costs $21,000 to $72,600, on average, and can include additional electricity, HVAC, plumbing, and more. Room additions add square footage to a home, whether a bedroom, bathroom, or flexible living space. They also require a foundation, drywall, and insulation.

Best for: 

• Homeowners who plan on staying in their property for a long time. 

• Homes that require a specific-style room or space, such as a bathroom or bedroom.

• Homeowners with larger budgets and patience for a long timeline. 

Pros of Room Additions

If your family is struggling with space, putting a room addition on your home can make the property feel much more liveable on a day-to-day basis. For growing families, strategically adding a room could mean staying in the house longer instead of selling it in search of a larger property. In almost any instance where you add livable square footage to a home, you’ll see the property’s value increase.

Cons of Room Additions

From permitting to plumbing and electrical, adding a room to your home can be an expensive and lengthy process. The price tag will vary tremendously based on a family’s needs, but a room addition is not a simple weekend project. Often, you’ll be required to work with architects or draftspeople to permit the new room, adding to the bottom line. While a room addition will add value to a home, it might not be the ROI you expect.  

Sunrooms vs. Room Additions

Sunrooms and room additions add square footage to a home, but they’re not the same. Here’s how the two rooms stack up against each other.

Durability​​: Room Addition

Built with traditional materials, room additions are less exposed to the elements than a sunroom. Room additions need less regular maintenance than sunrooms, which have screens that expose them to the outdoors. 

Price​: Sunroom

Unless you’re building a large sunroom with electricity and complete HVAC, it’s likely to be more affordable than a room addition. You can build a sunroom on a budget by converting an existing space or installing a prefabricated sunroom.  

Resale Value​: Room Addition

In most markets, a room addition will add more value to a home than a sunroom. While a sunroom is a flexible and visually appealing space, its many windows make it a poor choice for a bedroom or private space. On the other hand, a room addition could be a bedroom, creating a higher resale value than a sunroom.

Ease of Installation/DIYability​: Sunroom

While you can hire a professional to build your sunroom, some savvy homeowners can create their own on a budget by simply enclosing an existing porch. This simple project will take less time and money than a room addition. Advanced DIYers may be able to achieve the project on their own. You can also find a qualified sunroom contractor near you who can handle the project.

Usability: Room Addition

Sealed off from the elements, a room addition can be used at any time of year in any climate. However, depending on the complexity of the build and climate, a sunroom’s use may be limited by time of year. 

Flexibility: Sunroom

Sunrooms offer flexibility when it comes to shared space in the home. The room can be used for eating, entertaining, or just lounging around. What’s more, its use may change over time. On the other hand, a room addition is likely built for one purpose only, like a bedroom. While it may be great at that function, it offers less flex space than a sunroom.