Sunrooms and conservatories in Dublin: planning, protected structures and builders

A note on words: in Ireland a sunroom usually means a builder’s extension with big windows and a solid, insulated roof; a conservatory is mostly glass; an orangery has solid piers and a roof lantern. Planning law treats all three alike. Our Irish costs guide explains how the choice changes the price.

The national rule: 45 m² to the rear, since 27 July 2026

Most single-storey sunrooms at the back of a house are exempted development under Class 1 of Schedule 2 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. 600 of 2001). For more than 20 years the limit was 40 m². The Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 338 of 2026) raised it to 45 m² from 27 July 2026. The main conditions are:

Sources: S.I. No. 338/2026 (irishstatutebook.ie); Planning permission for altering your house, updated 27 July 2026 (citizensinformation.ie); Circular PLR 02/2026 (gov.ie).

The exemption can be lost for a protected structure (works are exempt only if they would not materially affect its character), in an architectural conservation area (ACA), where exterior works are restricted, or where an earlier permission removed exempted development rights. For a written answer, ask the council for a Section 5 declaration (Section 57 for a protected structure). Our guide to planning permission in Ireland: existing extensions, boundaries and exemption checks walks through the questions.

Which council? Dublin has four

“Dublin” covers four planning authorities: Dublin City Council for the city itself, and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin county councils for the suburbs. The national exemption rules and fees are the same everywhere, but protected structures, conservation areas and development contributions are set by each council. This page uses Dublin City Council’s figures; if you live in, say, Swords, Tallaght or Dundrum, check your own council’s development plan.

Protected structures and conservation areas in Dublin City

Dublin City Council’s Record of Protected Structures lists more than 8,400 structures, and the current Record (Volume 4 of the Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028) came into effect on 14 December 2022. Protection covers the interior, the land around the building (the curtilage) and other structures on it, so a sunroom at the back of a protected Georgian or Victorian house needs care even though nobody sees it from the street. The owner can ask the council’s Conservation Section for a Section 57 declaration saying which works would or would not affect the character of the structure.

The city also has 24 architectural conservation areas. Three were added under the previous plan: Haddon Road/Victoria Road in Clontarf, Hollybrook Road, and North Great George’s Street. Inside an ACA, exterior works that would otherwise be exempt can need planning permission, so get a Section 5 declaration or pre-planning advice before you commit to a design.

Dublin has a third, wider layer: Z2 residential conservation areas, Z8 Georgian conservation areas and red-hatched conservation areas on the zoning maps. The council says these do not have a statutory basis in the same way as protected structures or ACAs, but development in them “must contribute positively” to their character. In practice they matter most when your sunroom needs planning permission, because the planner will judge it against that policy.

Dublin City fees and development contributions

Sources: Section 48 Development Contributions and the S48 Development Contribution Scheme 2026–2029 (dublincity.ie); Section 5 Declaration and Section 57 Declaration pages (dublincity.ie).

Building control, BCAR and fees

Exempt or not, every extension must meet the Building Regulations, including energy (Part L) and safe glazing. A commencement notice, filed on the Building Control Management System 14 to 28 days before work starts, is needed where the work needs planning permission; an exempt sunroom does not normally need one. From 27 July 2026 (S.I. 359 of 2026) the BCAR certification rules apply to extensions to a dwelling over 45 m² (40 m² before): compliance documents, a design certificate, an Assigned Certifier and a builder’s undertaking, unless the owner signs an opt-out declaration. The notice costs €30 per building. If you need planning permission, the national fee is €34 for a house extension, or €102 (or €2.50 per m², if greater) to retain one already built.

Sources: Building Control Regulations 1997, article 9 as revised (revisedacts.lawreform.ie); Commencement Notices FAQs (corkcoco.ie); Planning fees payable (clarecoco.ie). Some council pages still show the old 40 m² figure.

Typical private prices

We have not found a reliable sunroom price survey for Dublin alone, so use the national ranges in our Irish costs guide: Property Blueprint Co. (August 2026) puts an insulated warm-roof sunroom at €18,000–€35,000 and a basic uPVC conservatory at €8,000–€15,000, and Norman Pratt Conservatories uses €1,000–€2,000 per m² as a rule of thumb for a builder’s sunroom. Property Blueprint Co. says Dublin projects commonly run 15–20% above the national figure. Bases, electrics, heating and flooring are often extra; see what to include in a realistic budget.

How to choose a builder in Dublin

• Check the register. The Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) is becoming a statutory register under the Regulation of Providers of Building Works Act 2022, phased in from 2026 starting with larger housing builders, so a small extension builder may not be on it yet. Ask, and check the register.
• Electrics and gas. New circuits should be installed and certified by a Safe Electric registered electrical contractor, and any gas work done by a Registered Gas Installer.
• Who signs off? Over 45 m², ask who will be Assigned Certifier, or whether you are being asked to opt out, and whether the price includes VAT, the base, electrics, heating and flooring.
• Cooling-off. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 you generally have 14 days to cancel a contract signed away from the builder’s premises, for example at your kitchen table. The CCPC explains the exceptions.
• Pay in stages. Tie payments to finished stages rather than paying most of the price up front. Our guide to surveys, contracts and payment stages has a checklist.
• Protected or ACA house? Ask whether the builder has worked on protected structures before and who will prepare the conservation input for a Section 57 request or planning application.

Conservatory and sunroom firms serving Dublin

These businesses appear in public business listings for the Dublin area. We have not checked their work, prices, registrations or insurance, and they have not paid to appear.

You can also read our comparison of conservatory and sunroom options, our guide to comparing quotes, or request quotes.

FAQs

Sources

• S.I. No. 338/2026 Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026 (irishstatutebook.ie)
• Planning permission for altering your house (citizensinformation.ie)
• Building Control Regulations 1997, article 9, revised (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
• Planning fees payable (clarecoco.ie)
• How Much Does a Sunroom Cost in Ireland? (propertyblueprintco.com)
• How much will my conservatory cost? (normanprattconservatories.ie)
• CIRI goes mandatory (dwfgroup.com)
• 11.2 Achievements and 11.5 Policies and Objectives, Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 (dublincity.ie)
• Section 48 Development Contributions; S48 Development Contribution Scheme 2026–2029 (dublincity.ie)
• Section 5 Declaration; Section 57 Declaration (dublincity.ie)
• Commencement Notices FAQs (corkcoco.ie)

Last checked: September 2026. Planning and building control rules changed on 27 July 2026 and some council pages have not caught up yet, so confirm the current position with the council before you rely on it.

Compare Conservatories is a comparison and referral service, not a conservatory or sunroom builder. We do not design, build or approve extensions, and a listing here is not a recommendation.