Garage conversions in Ireland, priced for your county
Turn the garage into a bedroom, an office or a room for a parent. See the cost, the planning position for your kind of garage and the weeks on site before you give any details.
Free and no obligation. Your plan goes to one builder, not a list.
- €15,000–€25,000for a standard garage conversion, VAT in
- 6–10 weekson site for most single garages
- 45 m²the planning exemption an attached garage shares
- 67%of Irish homes are detached or semi-detached houses (Census 2022)
Plan your garage conversion
Four quick taps, and your plan fills in as you answer: the cost in your county, the planning position for your kind of garage and how many weeks it takes. Contact details come last, and only if you want a builder to price it.
An attached garage made into a bedroom, mid-range finish: €20,000 to €30,000, including VAT.
How the estimate is worked out
A garage conversion is priced as one job, because the walls, roof and floor slab are already standing: insulating the floor, walls and roof, building up the door opening with a window, wiring, heating, plastering and the finish. The range for your finish is adjusted to your county the same way building rates move between regions of Ireland, VAT at 13.5% included. A shower room, a small kitchen or a steel beam into the house go on top. Totals are rounded to the nearest €1,000. Use it to plan with. It isn't a quote: a builder prices your garage after seeing it.
What a garage can become
Rooms people make from a garage. Photos show the kind of room, not a particular job.
Your plan, one builder, your decision
1Tell us about the garageWhere it sits, what it will become, the finish and the county. The planner shows the cost, the planning position and the weeks on site before it asks for anything.- 2One builder sees itSend the plan and a single vetted builder for your area rings to arrange a look at the garage. Your number goes to that one builder and nobody else.
- 3You decideThe builder prices the job in writing after seeing it. No work is booked unless you accept, and you can still get other quotes.
Our price guide
For the whole conversion of a single garage, VAT at 13.5% included.
| Finish | Whole conversion, VAT in | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | €15,000–€25,000 | Insulated floor, walls and roof, the door opening built up with a window, sockets, lights, a radiator, plaster and paint |
| Mid-range | €20,000–€30,000 | Better windows and flooring, more lighting and sockets, a tidier finish where it meets the house |
| High spec | €30,000–€45,000 | Premium glazing and floors, underfloor heating, built-in storage, often a shower room |
On top: a shower room €4,000 to €8,000 at a basic finish or €10,000 to €18,000 mid-range, a small kitchen €5,000 to €10,000, and a steel beam into the house €2,000 to €4,000. Every item, county by county: garage conversion cost.
What a garage can become
Each has its own page: what it costs, the rules that apply to that room, and what to decide first.
Garage to bedroomA downstairs bedroom, with a shower room of its own if the drains allow.Garage to home officeA room with a door that shuts, away from the kitchen table.Garage to playroomSomewhere for the children and their things, off the hall.Garage to granny flatA bedroom, a shower room and a small kitchen for a parent.Garage to gymA warm, dry room with a floor that takes weights.Integral and front garagesBuilt into the house or facing the road: check before you start.Does your garage need planning permission?
It depends on where the garage is, more than on what it becomes.
- Attached at the side or back: exempt under Class 1 if the garage isn't made bigger and it fits within the 45 m² it shares with every extension since 1964.
- At the front, or built in facing the road: not clearly covered. Front garages have been ruled not exempt. Get a section 5 declaration (€80) first.
- Detached: not part of the house, so not Class 1. An office or gym can need no permission; a bedroom or somewhere to live needs it.
The detail, and what can take the exemption away: planning permission for a garage conversion. Insulation, fire escape windows and damp: building regulations.
Before you start
How much does a garage conversion cost in Ireland?
A garage conversion in Ireland costs €15,000 to €25,000 at a standard finish, €20,000 to €30,000 mid-range and €30,000 to €45,000 at a high spec, VAT included. Dublin and the commuter counties run up to a fifth higher. A shower room adds €4,000 to €8,000 at a basic finish or €10,000 to €18,000 mid-range, and opening it into the house with a steel beam €2,000 to €4,000. The full price guide.
Do I need planning permission to convert my garage?
An attached garage at the side or back of the house can be converted without planning permission under Class 1, as long as the garage isn't made bigger and the conversion, added to every extension built since 1 October 1964, stays within 45 m². A garage at the front, one built into the house facing the road, or a detached garage isn't covered by Class 1: get a section 5 declaration (€80) from the council first, and expect to apply for permission to make a detached garage somewhere to sleep or live.
Is converting the garage cheaper than an extension?
Converting the garage costs €20,000 to €30,000 at a mid-range finish. A 20 m² single-storey extension at the back, with drawings and engineer's fees, comes to €42,000 to €54,000, roughly twice as much, because the foundations, walls and roof of a garage are already built. Garage conversion or extension.
How long does a garage conversion take?
Most single garages take 6 to 10 weeks on site, once the drawings and the price are agreed. A section 5 declaration or a planning application comes before that: allow about 12 weeks for planning permission.
What building regulations apply?
Every garage conversion has to meet the Building Regulations, exempt from planning or not: walls, floor and roof insulated to today's standard, a damp-proof floor, ventilation, mains-wired smoke alarms and, in a bedroom, a window big enough to climb out of. An exempt conversion of 45 m² or less needs no commencement notice.
Can a garage be a bedroom?
Yes, if it is warm, dry and safe to sleep in: insulated to today's standard, with a damp-proof floor, ventilation, mains smoke alarms and a window you could climb out of in a fire. On an attached garage at the side or back, no planning application is needed for that.
Who rings me if I send my plan?
A single vetted builder for your area, who already has your answers and our estimate. Your details go nowhere else. The builder looks at the garage and prices the job in writing, and you decide whether to go ahead.
Can I keep part of the garage for storage?
Yes. Many people convert the back two thirds and keep the front as a store behind the old door. The wall between the store and the new room then needs to resist fire, with a fire door if there is a door through it.
Every guide and county page
Conversions
Costs, rules and help
The room you need is already built
Pick the kind of garage, what it becomes and the finish to see the cost in your county. When you want a firm price, your plan goes to a single vetted builder for your area.