🔨 Renovation Cost Estimator
What will this renovation cost?
There is no published price list for Irish building work, which is why the first quote always feels like a number pulled from the air. These are indicative ranges for standard jobs, wide enough to contain most honest quotes and specific enough to tell you when one needs explaining.
Figures reviewed September 2026. Free, no signup, nothing stored on our servers.
What this means
The range is where most quotes for a standard job of that description land. A quote inside it is unremarkable. A quote well outside it in either direction is worth a conversation — upwards, about what is driving it; downwards, about what has been left out.
The contingency is not padding. Renovation budgets fail on what was not visible at quotation stage: a joist that has rotted, a wall that is not where the drawings say, a service that has to be moved. Ten to twenty per cent is the standard allowance and the projects that do not carry one are the projects that run out of money.
Professional fees appear only on the jobs that genuinely need them. An extension or an attic conversion normally requires design, possibly planning, and a certifier under the Building Control regulations — typically 8–12% of the construction cost. A bathroom refit does not.
What affects the result
- Specification. The difference between a laminate worktop and a stone one is thousands, on the same kitchen.
- Access. A terraced house with no side entrance costs more to work on than a detached one with a driveway.
- Condition. Work that starts by fixing something unexpected is the main reason final costs exceed quotes.
- Location. Labour and overhead costs are higher in Dublin and the commuter counties than in the west and midlands.
- Whether VAT is included. Most building services carry the reduced 13.5% rate, which is the largest single line people forget.
- Time of year and how busy the trade is. A builder with a full book prices accordingly.
What will this renovation cost?
Once you have a quote
Put it through the quote checker, which compares the total against the same benchmark ranges and flags what a domestic building quote should contain — itemisation, VAT, dates, warranty, deposit terms and insurance.
Work that attracts a grant
Insulation, heat pumps and solar all attract SEAI grants, which change the net figure substantially. The home energy upgrade tool ranks those measures by payback, and solar payback and heat pump savings cost the two largest ones properly.
Before you commit
Check whether the work needs planning permission. Confirm that gas work is being done by an RGI-registered installer and electrical work by a Safe Electric registered electrician — both registers are public and free to search. And never pay a large deposit up front: stage payments against completed work protect both sides.
Important assumptions
Every figure on this page rests on these. Where one does not match your situation, the answer moves — sometimes a great deal.
- Ranges are compiled from Irish market pricing rather than from any official price list — no such list exists — and are reviewed periodically. The review date is shown on the result.
- Figures assume a standard job to the specification described under each item. Where the assumption does not fit, the range does not either.
- VAT is treated as included at the reduced rate of 13.5%, which applies to most building and repair services supplied by a contractor where the two-thirds rule is met.
- Regional multipliers are broad adjustments, not measured differences.
- Professional fees are estimated at 8–12% of construction cost, applied only to extensions and attic conversions.
Official sources
Where this tool applies a published rule, this is where the rule comes from. Check the source before acting on anything that matters.
- Revenue — VAT rates for construction services
The VAT rate that applies to building work and the two-thirds rule that determines it.
- SEAI — home energy grants
Grant amounts available for insulation, heating and solar work, which reduce the net cost of several items here.
- Building Control Management System
The statutory commencement notice and certification requirements for extensions and material alterations.
- CCPC — home improvements and dealing with contractors
The state consumer body's guidance on quotes, contracts, deposits and your rights if work goes wrong.
Common questions
How much does a house extension cost in Ireland?
Single-storey extensions typically run to a few thousand euro per square metre to a finished standard, with two-storey work costing less per square metre because the foundations and roof are shared. Add professional fees and a contingency on top. The estimator applies a range rather than a single figure because the spread between a basic and a high-specification build on the same footprint is enormous.
Why is there VAT on building work?
Most construction and repair services supplied by a contractor are charged at the reduced 13.5% VAT rate, provided the materials do not exceed two thirds of the total. Materials bought separately are charged at the standard 23% rate. A quote that does not state VAT can grow by 13.5% at invoice stage.
Do I need planning permission?
Many extensions, attic conversions and garden rooms are exempted development within limits on size, height and position. The planning permission checker walks through the exemptions, and your local authority is the authority on your specific case.
How many quotes should I get?
Three, on the same written scope of works. The scope matters more than the number — three quotes for three different jobs cannot be compared, which is how most people end up choosing on price alone and getting a different job than they thought.
What to check next
Is this quote reasonable?
Break a trade quote into labour, materials and VAT and compare it to benchmark ranges.
Quote CheckerDo I need planning permission?
Exempted development rules for extensions, attics, garden rooms and more.
Planning Permission CheckerNewWhich energy upgrade is worth doing first?
Attic, walls, windows, heating and solar ranked by estimated saving against cost.
Home Energy UpgradeNewWhat are my rights on this purchase?
Answer six questions about what you bought and see the Irish rights that may apply.
Consumer Rights CheckerNext steps across CheckIreland
Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.
- Check the quote when it arrivesCompares the total against the same benchmark ranges, and checks what the quote is missing.
- Does it need permission?Many extensions, attics and garden rooms are exempt within limits. Finding out after is expensive.
- Grant-aided work worth folding inInsulation done while the walls are open costs a fraction of doing it later.
CheckIreland is independent and is not affiliated with the Irish Government or any public body. This tool is general information built on published rules and typical costs — it is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not account for your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that matters with the relevant body or a qualified adviser before acting on it.