Who qualifies for the cavity wall grant
The home must have an MPRN and have been built and first lived in before 2011, with no earlier SEAI wall grant on that MPRN. You must own it (owner-occupiers, landlords, holiday home owners and management companies can apply), every outside wall must be insulated, the installer must be SEAI-registered for cavity wall insulation, and you must have grant approval before any work starts.
Every rule, in the order SEAI checks them, with what to do if one rules you out.
Free, no obligation. One registered installer prices it, not five.
- Before 2011built and first lived in
- 11 digitsthe MPRN on your electricity bill
- Every wallall outside walls insulated
- Approval firstbefore any work or materials
The rules, in order
- An MPRN. The home needs its 11-digit electricity meter number, from your bill.
- Built and first lived in before 2011. Both the build and the first occupation. A home finished in 2010 but first lived in during 2011 doesn't qualify.
- You own it. Owner-occupiers, landlords, holiday home owners, companies (including owners' management companies), registered charities and approved housing bodies can apply.
- No earlier wall grant on the MPRN. A home that had a wall insulation grant can't get the cavity grant. A second wall measure may still be open.
- Every outside wall. SEAI calls it a whole-surface solution: one or two walls aren't eligible.
- An SEAI-registered installer, registered for cavity wall insulation, using new materials to SEAI's standards.
- Approval before anything starts, including buying materials. Then a post-works BER and the claim within 8 months.
The rules on seai.ie. Planning permission isn't needed for cavity wall insulation.
Check your cavity wall grant
Four quick taps. You see your grant as you go, then what the job typically costs after it, the BER and your next step. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want a price.
A semi-detached built before 2011, no earlier wall grant: a €1,300 grant, and the job typically costs €1,585, so about €285 is left to pay.
How this is worked out
SEAI pays a fixed cavity wall grant for each house type, and a higher fixed amount to homeowners on certain welfare payments and to landlords with a HAP or RAS tenant. The typical cost is the median price of cavity wall insulation for your house type across thousands of grant-funded jobs, and the post-works BER is its median price less its own grant. Your installer prices your walls after a look: it's a guide to plan with, never a quote. SEAI decides every grant.
If one rules you out
- Built from 2011: no wall grant. The home was built to later insulation rules.
- An earlier wall grant: the second wall measure may be open.
- Solid or hollow block walls: there's no cavity. Internal or external insulation have their own grants.
- Built before 1940: a conservation professional's advice may be needed first.
Cavity Wall Insulation Grants guides & price breakdowns
Straight answers to what people ask most: itemised costs, specifications, planning or grants, and what to check before you book.
More guides & resources: The BER after cavity wall insulation · Had a wall grant before? The second wall measure · All guides & calculator hub · Technical & trade glossary · Frequently asked questions · All areas covered
Questions people ask
Who qualifies for the cavity wall grant?
The home must have an MPRN and have been built and first lived in before 2011, with no earlier SEAI wall grant on that MPRN. You must own it (owner-occupiers, landlords, holiday home owners and management companies can apply), every outside wall must be insulated, the installer must be SEAI-registered for cavity wall insulation, and you must have grant approval before any work starts.
Does the house have to be built before 2011?
Built and first lived in before 2011.
Can a landlord apply?
Yes. Private and commercial landlords of let property can apply, and with a HAP or RAS tenant they get the higher rate.
Do I need planning permission?
No. SEAI says planning permission isn't needed for cavity or internal wall insulation.
Can I do some walls now and some later?
No. The grant needs every outside wall of the home insulated.
Cavity Wall Insulation Grants across all 26 counties
Requests from all 26 counties go to one vetted local specialist who covers your county — from Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick to Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Waterford and Donegal. Pick your county below for local prices, specifications and advice. Compare all areas covered →
Check your cavity wall grant
Four taps to your grant and what's left to pay, then one SEAI-registered installer who covers your county rings with a price.