Cavity wall grant questions, answered
The amounts, who qualifies, the routes, the order, the BER and the money.
Free, no obligation. One registered installer prices it, not five.
- €1,800detached grant
- €1,300semi-D or end of terrace
- Before 2011built and first lived in
- 8 monthsto finish and claim
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.
Your grant, by home and by route
The house type sets the grant. The route sets who applies and when you're paid.
Detached house€1,800, or €2,300 on the higher rate. The biggest grant, for the most wall.
Semi-D or end of terrace€1,300, or €1,700 on the higher rate, which covers the typical cost.
Mid-terrace house€850, or €1,100 on the higher rate. Two outside walls to fill.
Apartment€700, or €900 on the higher rate, and who applies in a block.
Landlords: HAP and RASThe higher rate for a let home with a HAP or RAS tenant, and the landlord deduction.
The higher rateMore for homeowners on certain welfare payments, without losing a place for free upgrades.
Free upgradesFully funded work for homes built before 2006 whose owners get certain payments.
One Stop Shop routeOne company applies, manages the work and takes the grant off your bill.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
Every question
How much is the cavity wall insulation grant?
SEAI pays a fixed cavity wall insulation grant: €1,800 for a detached house, €1,300 for a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house, €850 for a mid-terrace house, €700 for an apartment. Homeowners on certain welfare payments, and landlords with a HAP or RAS tenant, get the higher rate: €2,300, €1,700, €1,100 and €900.
Who qualifies?
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.
What does it cost after the grant?
Cavity wall insulation typically costs €2,350 for a detached house, €1,585 for a semi-detached or end of terrace, €1,250 for a mid-terrace and €1,036 for an apartment. After the SEAI grant about €550, €285, €400 and €336 are left to pay. On the higher rate, a semi-detached house's grant covers the typical cost.
Can work start before approval?
Work started before your grant is approved doesn't qualify, and neither do materials bought before it. SEAI pays nothing for that work, and there's no applying afterwards for the same job. Apply, get the offer, accept it, then book the installer.
How do I apply?
Online, with your MPRN and the installer's name and SEAI ID. Usually approved in minutes. Accept within 30 days, finish and claim within 8 months.
When is the grant paid?
Usually 4 to 6 weeks after SEAI has the signed Declaration of Works and the Request for Payment form.
Do I need a BER?
Yes, after the work, by a registered assessor. It typically costs €245 to €280 and SEAI pays €50 towards it.
Can I get the attic grant too?
Yes: €2,000 for a detached house, €1,500 for a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house, €1,400 for a mid-terrace house, €1,100 for an apartment. One application can include both.
Is there free cavity wall insulation?
Free upgrades are for homeowners who own and live in a home built and occupied before 2006 and get Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Carer's Allowance (living with the person you care for), or Jobseeker's Allowance or Disability Allowance for over 6 months with a child under 7. An SEAI surveyor visits and recommends what's done, which can include insulation. There's a waiting list.
What is the higher rate?
€2,300 for a detached house, €1,700 for a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house, €1,100 for a mid-terrace house, €900 for an apartment, for homeowners on Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Carer's Allowance (living with the person you care for), or Jobseeker's Allowance or Disability Allowance for over 6 months with a child under 7, and for landlords with a HAP or RAS tenant.
I had a wall grant before. Can I get another?
Not another cavity grant. Since 2 March 2026, a second wall measure: internal or external after a cavity grant, external after internal.
What is a One Stop Shop?
An SEAI-registered company that applies for the grants, manages the whole upgrade and takes the grants off your invoice. The home must go from B3 or lower to B2 or better.
Do I need planning permission?
No. SEAI says planning permission isn't needed for cavity or internal wall insulation.
Who gets my request?
One SEAI-registered installer who covers your county. cavitywallinsulationgrants.ie is not SEAI or a government body and does not award grants.
What happens after I send the grant check?
One SEAI-registered installer who covers your county gets your answers and rings you. They give you a written price, and nothing is agreed until you accept it.
Why must I apply for the SEAI grant before the pumping crew starts drilling?
SEAI scheme rules state that any work started prior to the formal Letter of Offer date is ineligible for funding. Online MPRN approval takes only a few minutes and stays open for eight months.
Can cavity wall bead be pumped if my house already has thin factory foam boards?
Many 1990s and early 2000s Irish homes were built with 25 mm to 40 mm rigid board clipped to the inner leaf, leaving a residual air gap. If the remaining clear gap measures at least 40 mm to 50 mm on borescope inspection, it can often be topped up with bonded bead.
Does bonded polystyrene bead let damp cross from the outer block to the inside wall?
No, provided the outer masonry leaf is free from structural cracks and the mortar bed is sound. The gaps between bonded spherical beads break capillary action, so rainwater running down the inside of the outer leaf drains down to the damp-proof course rather than crossing to the inner block.
What happens to my room wall vents when the cavity is pumped?
Under Irish Building Regulations Part F and SR 54, existing room vents must never be blocked with bead. Installers sleeve every open room vent and sub-floor vent with a rigid duct liner before injecting the surrounding wall.
How long does a standard semi-detached or detached cavity pump take on site?
Drilling the 22 mm injection pattern along the mortar joints, pumping the bonded graphite bead from cill to eaves, and repointing every hole with colour-matched mortar normally takes four to six hours on a semi-detached house and one full day on a detached bungalow.
Can I claim both the Cavity Wall Insulation grant and the Attic Insulation grant together?
Yes. Under the SEAI Individual Energy Upgrade scheme, homeowners can apply for both measures under the same MPRN and use a single post-works BER assessment at the end of the job to draw down both grants plus the €300 BER grant.
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.
What does cavity wall insulation cost after the grant?
Cavity wall insulation typically costs €2,350 for a detached house, €1,585 for a semi-detached or end of terrace, €1,250 for a mid-terrace and €1,036 for an apartment. After the SEAI grant about €550, €285, €400 and €336 are left to pay. On the higher rate, a semi-detached house's grant covers the typical cost. The full breakdown.
Can work start before the grant is approved?
Work started before your grant is approved doesn't qualify, and neither do materials bought before it. SEAI pays nothing for that work, and there's no applying afterwards for the same job. Apply, get the offer, accept it, then book the installer.
Can I get the attic grant as well?
Yes. The attic grant is separate: €2,000 for a detached house, €1,500 for a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house, €1,400 for a mid-terrace house, €1,100 for an apartment, more on the higher rate. One application can include more than one grant. Both together.
Are you SEAI?
No. We explain the grant and pass your request to one SEAI-registered installer who covers your county. cavitywallinsulationgrants.ie is not SEAI or a government body and does not award grants.
How much is the cavity wall grant in every county?
SEAI pays a fixed cavity wall insulation grant: €1,800 for a detached house, €1,300 for a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house, €850 for a mid-terrace house, €700 for an apartment. Homeowners on certain welfare payments, and landlords with a HAP or RAS tenant, get the higher rate: €2,300, €1,700, €1,100 and €900.
Do you cover all 26 counties?
Yes. Requests go to one SEAI-registered installer who covers your county.
Do I need a BER for the cavity wall grant?
Yes. Every claim needs a post-works BER by a registered assessor. See the ber after cavity wall insulation →
How much is a BER?
Typically €245 to €280, and SEAI pays €50 towards it. See the ber after cavity wall insulation →
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.