Started the work before the grant was 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.
What happens, why it can't be fixed afterwards, and what to do now.
Free, no obligation. One registered installer prices it, not five.
- €0for work before approval
- Minutesto get approval online, usually
- 30 daysto accept the offer
- Materialscount as starting
Why it's a hard rule
SEAI's grant pays for work it approved first. Work started, or materials bought, before approval doesn't qualify. Because online approval usually takes minutes, there's no reason to start early, and no way to fix it afterwards.
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 it's already happened
- Stop and check what was done. If the walls aren't filled yet, apply now, wait for the offer and accept it before any more work.
- If the walls are done, that job won't get the cavity grant. Other measures (the attic, heating controls) can still be grant-aided if you apply before they start.
- Talk to the installer. An SEAI-registered installer knows the rule. Ask why it started before your approval.
Get the order right
- Quote from an SEAI-registered installer
- Apply online
- Accept the offer within 30 days
- Then the work
- Then the BER and the claim
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
What happens if work starts 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.
Does buying the insulation count as starting?
Yes. Materials bought before approval don't qualify either.
Can I still get the attic grant?
Yes, if you apply and get approval before the attic work starts. Each measure follows the same rule.
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.