Enclosed alfresco vs sunroom: what's the difference in Victoria?

Search for a glass room in Melbourne and you'll find "sunrooms", "glass rooms", "enclosed alfrescos" and "patio enclosures", often describing much the same thing. The names matter less than two questions: how much of it is new, and how you'll use it.

The difference in one line

An enclosed alfresco glazes the open sides of an alfresco that already has a roof. A sunroom is usually a new glass room built from scratch, often with a glass roof as well as glass walls.

Cost: using the roof you have makes the biggest difference

These are guide figures; our alfresco enclosure cost guide explains what moves them, and a measure on site gives the real price.

How you use it decides the rules

A space you can close off and heat all year can be treated differently from an open verandah. In Victoria, your building surveyor decides how the enclosed space is classified, and that decides which rules apply, including energy efficiency. Victoria's 7-star standard has applied to new homes since 1 May 2024, and alterations and additions have their own rules. So "will we heat it and sit there every evening in July?" is a question to answer before the design is final, not after. Our guide on permits for enclosing an alfresco covers the steps.

Glass choices: single or double glazing

Single-glazed aluminium windows lose heat much faster than double-glazed ones: typical U-values (lower is better) are about 5.5–6.5 for single glazing against about 3.0–3.5 for double glazing. If the room will be heated most evenings, or the energy rules call for it, double glazing is worth pricing, and we supply double-glazed units. Our guide to laminated vs toughened glass explains how the glass types fit together. For a space you mainly use from spring to autumn, single-glazed safety glass on the walls is often enough.

Which suits you

• You already have a sound, roofed alfresco: enclose it. You keep the roof, the cost stays lower, and the job is shorter.
• You have an open patio or bare paving: a new glass room with its own roof, like the job above, may make more sense than building a roof first and glazing second.
• You want it to feel outdoors in summer: choose sliding or stacking panels that open most of the wall, whichever route you take. See our alfresco enclosure ideas.

Does it add value?

An extra room you can use all year appeals to buyers, but we couldn't find a reliable published figure for how much it adds in Melbourne, and the percentages quoted in marketing aren't sourced. Valuers' general advice is not to spend more than the home and street support. Build it because you'll use it.

We build both: glass for existing alfrescos and complete glass rooms. We measure on site, quote in writing and price the job before we start. See our alfresco enclosures or ask for a quote.