What Is a Sunroom, and Should You Add One to Your Home?

If you’re tired of dodging mosquitoes on hot summer days, a sunroom could be the perfect addition to your home. These light-filled spaces give you the ability to enjoy the outdoors without actually having to go outside. Whether you want to host an event in the sun or cozy up with a book and a full view of nature, sunrooms make it possible to do so without having to worry about a sudden downpour or an unexpected gust of wind. Use this guide to find out if a sunroom is what has been missing from your abode.

What Is a Sunroom?

A sunroom is an extension of a home that’s walled off by either windows or screens and sometimes covered with a glass roof to create a never-ending stream of light.

Sunrooms can consist just of walls of windows without a finished floor, which is called a greenhouse, but higher-end varieties called four-season rooms include heating, cooling, and electric, and basically act as an additional room in your home that you can use year-round.

What Are the Different Types of Sunrooms?

There are a few different types of sunrooms equipped with different features that you should consider before choosing to build one on your home.

Greenhouse

A greenhouse consists of glass or plastic windows that create a bump-out in your yard, but it doesn’t have a finished floor, and it’s not equipped with electricity. Greenhouses are great for growing plants even outside of their normal growing seasons, and they can be convenient places to put outdoor dining furniture to enjoy the outdoors and the sun without the bugs.

Arizona Room

An Arizona room, also called a screened-in porch, is one step up from a greenhouse because it features a finished floor. It normally doesn’t have electricity, although some homeowners opt to add a ceiling fan and some outlets for greater comfort and utility. Rather than walls of glass, an Arizona room has walls of screens to allow for maximum ventilation and fresh air.

Solarium

A solarium is a type of sunroom that’s made almost entirely of glass, including the walls and the roof, with aluminum or steel partitions between the windows. Solariums have finished floors but don’t feature outlets or other electrical components. This design provides maximum sunlight but minimal privacy.

Conservatory

Though many use the terms solarium and conservatory interchangeably, there’s actually a difference between the two. Conservatories are made almost entirely of glass to let as much light and heat in as possible. The difference is that they’re more likely to include other building materials, like brick half-walls and more decorative columns and partitions. Conservatories also tend to have a more ornate design, including a geometric roof design.

Three-Season Sunroom

A three-season room, also called a Florida room, includes complete walls with large windows, a finished floor, and a roof to match your main home. The space is usually equipped with electricity, but it isn’t insulated and doesn’t have heating or cooling, so it’s only usable for three seasons of the year unless you live in a more moderate climate. It’s often separated from the rest of the house by a sliding glass or French door.

Four-Season Sunroom

Four-season sunrooms are like three-season rooms, but they’re insulated and equipped with heating and cooling capabilities so that you can use them year-round as you would any other finished area of your home. They’re often fitted with knee-high walls rather than floor-to-ceiling windows to allow for proper HVAC duct and wiring installation, as well as some privacy. Four-season rooms are the most complete option and function just like a home addition with many windows, so this type of sunroom costs more than any other.

Pros and Cons of Adding a Sunroom

You can truly let your creativity run free when considering all the sunroom ideas out there, but it’s helpful to know the upsides and drawbacks before diving in.

Pros

Morning cups of coffee, long nights chatting in the summer, and endless days hanging with family and friends—there's no question that adding a sunroom enhances how you use your home. Here are a few additional perks to consider:

• May increase home value by adding more square footage and indoor/outdoor space.

• Offers a bug-free outdoor dining and hosting area.

• Increases the amount of natural light in your home's indoor space.

• The room can double as a dining area, children's play space, or entertainment room.

• Typically, it costs less than the price of other home additions.

Cons

On the other hand, don't be fooled by a sunroom's seemingly simple construction. The building process can be lengthy and may prove to be quite an investment. Here are some cons of building a sunroom:

• On average, the cost of a sunroom ranges from $22,000 to $72,600.

• Four-season sunrooms require additional insulation and HVAC access, raising the total cost.

• Three-season sunrooms are not usable for a full quarter of a year.

• The room will impede on outdoor space in your yard.

• With greater exposure to the elements, the room is more prone to changes in temperature, leaks, and storm damage.

• Sunrooms boost your home value but also increase your property taxes.

How to Choose the Right Sunroom Style 

With all the sunroom styles available, it can be difficult to determine which is the best fit for you. As you consider your options, ask yourself the following questions.

What Is My Budget?

Budget typically plays a major role in determining what sort of project homeowners choose to complete. Arizona rooms and prefabricated sunrooms are generally the lowest-cost options, while four-season rooms (or some high-end conservatories) are the most expensive.

Building a sunroom on a budget often comes down to its size, the type of finishes you choose, and whether you opt for a prefab structure or a custom-built design. 

How Do I Plan to Use the Space?

It’s important to consider how you plan to use the space before you decide what style of sunroom is right for you. If you plan to use the home addition year-round as an extra office space, playroom, or dining room, a four-season room is ideal.

If you plan to use the space for semi-outdoor entertaining during the warmer months only, you could opt for a less expensive screened-in porch or three-season room. If you’ll use the space for gardening, a greenhouse, solarium, or conservatory is your best option.

What Is the Climate Like?

The climate in your area should play a part in your decision. If you live in an area with a long winter, you’ll get the most use out of a four-season room since you won’t be able to use a sun porch or three-season room for long stretches. If you live in a particularly hot or humid climate, a conservatory or solarium might get quite uncomfortable during the summer months, as these all-glass designs trap solar heat. 

What Style Matches Your Existing Home Design?

If you’re adding a sunroom onto your home, you should think about what style matches well with your existing home design. A lower-cost screened-in porch won’t look natural when added to a high-end custom home, while a conservatory won’t make visual sense in a new-build neighborhood with limited backyard privacy.

Custom Sunroom Features 

In addition to being available in a range of styles, you can customize sunrooms to add a variety of features that tailor the space to your exact taste and needs. 

Fireplaces

Adding a fireplace to your sunroom build can help the space feel cozy and comfortable all year long. A wood-burning fireplace will work to heat your room during the winter months, making it a good addition to a three-season room, as well as providing ambiance when the view outside is gray or dreary. Gas fireplaces don’t usually produce as much heat but are sleek and ideal for smaller spaces. 

Wet Bar 

A wet bar can elevate your sunroom and make entertaining easy. It takes up minimal square footage and has the power to add style and class to your space, as well as make it easier to serve guests (or enjoy the space yourself) without ever stepping foot outside of your sunroom. 

Privacy Shades

Privacy shades can be helpful on particularly sunny days when you want to keep the sun out of your eyes or if you live in a more populated area and want to shade yourself from your neighbors’ view. Privacy shades vary in style and price point, from custom full-panel curtains to automatic smart shades you can set to raise and lower at different points during the day. 

Built-in Entertainment System 

Adding a mounted television or smart speaker system to your sunroom is a common, relatively simple customization that can help set the tone for using the space in a variety of ways. You can add smart speaker entertainment systems when you build your sunroom or later as a simple add-on. Just keep in mind that you’ll need electricity to run the space, so this isn’t a suitable upgrade for greenhouses, solariums, or conservatories that don’t have electricity.

Additional Sunroom Considerations

If you’re considering building a sunroom, you’ll want to design a room that meets your exact needs. As you work with your builder or architect, consider the following:

• Do you want electricity in your space? How many electric outlets will you want, and where will you place them?

• What sort of light fixtures and fans do you want?

• Are there any custom features that will allow you to use the space exactly as you desire?

• Do you plan to incorporate living plants into your design?

• Does your architect or builder have the expertise to create the sunroom you want?

• Are you willing to part with yard space in exchange for living space?

Where to Put a Sunroom

There is no right or wrong location to build a sunroom, though you’ll want to be thoughtful about how you plan to use the space. If you’re a morning person, a sunroom built on the eastward-facing side of the home will allow you to enjoy the morning light each day. If you plan on using your sunroom in the afternoon or evening, build it facing the south or west to catch the sun later in the day. Build away from trees and other obstructions, but note that you may need to consider shades or blinds if the direct sunlight is too intense.

Because sunrooms are built with lots of windows, privacy is often a concern for homeowners, and many prefer to build their sunrooms on the back of the home rather than on the sides or front. In any case, you should consider window treatments in case you find that you need a more private indoor-outdoor experience.

Is a Sunroom a Good Fit for Me?

A sunroom can be an excellent choice if you’re interested in adding flexible space to your home. Sunrooms are a good fit for homeowners who:

• Appreciate light, airy spaces

• Have a budget that allows for the type of sunroom they’re interested in

• Live in a neighborhood that does not have a homeowners association (HOA) or has an HOA that allows sunroom additions

• Enjoys spending time in indoor/outdoor spaces year-round

Can I DIY a Sunroom or Should I Hire a Pro?

You can learn how to build a sunroom yourself, but this is a very involved job that requires skill and extensive construction experience. If you need to build a complete structure from the ground up, recruiting a pro will ensure the job is completed properly. You should also consider that sunrooms require permits, and many municipalities require licensed professionals to pull permits, so you might need help from an expert who builds sunrooms even if you are comfortable with the work.

It’s best to hire a local sunroom contractor to get the job done properly. You’ll end up with a legal structure and a nicer-looking finished product, so the investment in professional labor is well worth it.