External Wall Insulation Grant
Maximum grant, at the detached rate
€8,000
236 SEAI-registered contractors across 26 counties do this work.
Grant for external insulation cladding on solid or hollow block walls. The grant is worth up to €8,000, and is paid only when the work is carried out by a contractor on the SEAI register.
Eligibility
Available for homes built and occupied before 2011. The grant varies with dwelling type.
View official SEAI page →What you have to do to qualify
If you have already had a cavity or internal wall insulation grant, you can now apply for a second, different wall measure.
- The home needs an MPRN and must have been built and occupied before 2011.
- Traditional homes built before 1940 with solid masonry walls are not eligible for the individual wall insulation grants. The Traditional Homes Pilot covers those instead.
- You must have grant approval before the work starts, and a post-works BER afterwards. The full process, with every deadline.
Every rule above is SEAI's, read from their external wall insulation page on 17 August 2026. SEAI is the authority; where they and this page differ, they are right.
What the work costs
External wall insulation costs a median of €24,980 for a detached house, according to SEAI's own figures. After this grant, that leaves about €16,980 to pay.
You pay that in full first. SEAI refunds the grant 4 to 6 weeks after the paperwork, so the money has to be available up front unless you borrow it or use a One Stop Shop. The three ways to pay.
External wall insulation costs for every house type →If the house was built before 1940
Traditional homes and heritage buildings were generally constructed in Ireland before 1940. Under the Traditional Homes Pilot, they are eligible for home energy upgrades managed by a One Stop Shop provider.
SEAI recognises a traditional building by:
- Solid masonry walls with no cavity (brick or stone, often with a render finish)
- Single-glazed timber or metal windows
- Timber-framed roofs with slate or tiles, sometimes thatch or metal
- Flexible and breathable construction
- No damp-proof course
What the pilot requires
- You own a traditionally constructed home, typically pre-1940s.
- You engage a Traditional Building Professional to oversee the works.
- You carry out a whole house energy upgrade using a registered One Stop Shop.
- Your home has not previously received SEAI grant support for the measures.
Two things rule you out
- Your works have already started.
- You are doing a single measure, such as wall insulation on its own. The pilot is for whole house upgrades.
SEAI's order of steps
- Engage a Traditional Building Professional.
- Contact a registered One Stop Shop providing traditional homes services.
- Work with both to agree a whole house retrofit strategy.
The B2 target does not apply here
SEAI: “A post works BER rating of B or better is not a requirement of the scheme, however the home should receive energy upgrade measures appropriate to the building’s traditional construction and heritage value.”
Homeowners eligible for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme or Croí Cónaithe may also be eligible for SEAI home energy upgrade grants, but cannot receive funding for the same works from both.
16 of the One Stop Shops on the SEAI register offer traditional homes services. Only those can take this work, so the rest of the register is not an option for a pre-1940 house.
The Traditional Homes Pilot on seai.ie·Check what this house can claim
Every statement in this section is SEAI's, read from the page linked above on 20 August 2026. The checker sends a pre-1940 house only to providers on that list.
Could you claim this grant?
Answer a few questions about the property and see what it qualifies for, this grant and any others. We email you the contractor contacts to approach yourself, and we do not share your details with them.
External Wall Insulation contractors by county
Counties with nobody registered for this work are left out rather than linked to an empty page. A business covering several counties appears in each of them.
Common questions
How much is the SEAI External Wall Insulation grant?
The SEAI External Wall Insulation grant is worth up to €8,000. The exact amount depends on your property type and the work carried out.
Who qualifies for the External Wall Insulation grant?
Available for homes built and occupied before 2011. The grant varies with dwelling type.
Do I have to use an SEAI registered contractor?
Yes. SEAI grants are only paid when the work is carried out by a contractor on the SEAI register. 236 registered contractors on Qualified.ie do this type of work, across 26 counties.
Can I claim more than one SEAI grant?
Yes. You can apply for several measures at once, and some measures require others first. The checker adds up only what this house is actually eligible for, which is not the same as the list of grants that exist.
When do I actually get the external wall insulation grant money?
On the individual grant route you pay the contractor in full and SEAI refunds you 4 to 6 weeks after you submit correct paperwork, including a post-works BER. So you need the money available first. The alternatives are the state-backed Home Energy Upgrade Loan, or a One Stop Shop, which deducts the grant from the price before billing you but costs more overall.
Do I have to apply before the external wall insulation work starts?
Yes, and this is the rule that most often costs people the grant. SEAI will not pay for work carried out before you have grant approval, and there is no retrospective application. Once the offer arrives you have 30 days to accept it and eight months to finish the works, get the post-works BER and return the paperwork.
What else does my home need to qualify for the external wall insulation grant?
If you have already had a cavity or internal wall insulation grant, you can now apply for a second, different wall measure. Beyond that, the home must have an MPRN and have been built and occupied before 2011.