SEAI grant · checked 28 October 2026
House wrap grant
SEAI pays €6,000 towards wrapping a semi-D and €8,000 for a detached house. Here are the rules, step by step.
Figures checked against seai.ie and citizensinformation.ie on 28 October 2026.
SEAI pays €8,000 for a detached house, €6,000 for a semi-D or end of terrace, €3,500 for a mid-terrace and €3,000 for an apartment (checked 28 October 2026). The home must be built and occupied before 31 December 2010, and every external wall must be fully insulated.
It's paid after the work, unless a One Stop Shop takes it off your price. You need an SEAI-registered contractor and a grant offer before work starts (seai.ie wall insulation page, checked 28 October 2026).
SEAI external wall insulation grant amounts 2026
SEAI calls this measure "External wall insulation (the wrap)". It pays a fixed amount by home type, whatever your contractor charges.
| Home type | External wall insulation grant |
|---|---|
| Detached house | €8,000 |
| Semi-D or end of terrace | €6,000 |
| Mid-terrace | €3,500 |
| Apartment | €3,000 |
seai.ie wall insulation page, checked 28 October 2026. Citizens Information shows the same amounts.
Who can get it
- The home was built and occupied before 31 December 2010, and has an MPRN.
- You use a contractor on SEAI's register, and get the grant offer before any work starts.
- All external walls of the home are fully insulated. It must be a whole-surface solution: partial insulation is not eligible.
- If the work alters more than 25% of the home's surface area, the home must reach at least a B2 BER, or have its heating system and attic insulation brought up to Building Regulation standard.
- You may need an ESB Networks service alteration, depending on how the electricity cable reaches the house. Check with your contractor and ESB Networks before work starts.
seai.ie wall insulation page, checked 28 October 2026.
Whole-surface only
SEAI's rule is clear: all external walls of the home must be fully insulated. Doing the front and leaving the back, or wrapping one gable, isn't eligible. Some homes mix wall types: say, a cavity block house with a later timber-frame extension. Ask the contractor how they'll treat every wall before you apply.
Two ways to claim it
There are two routes. Apply yourself, and SEAI pays you the grant after the work. Or use a One Stop Shop, which manages the job and takes the grant off your price up front. See One Stop Shop in the glossary.
How the grant works, step by step
- Find a registered contractor and get quotes.Use a contractor on SEAI's register for external wall insulation. Get written prices with VAT.
- Get the grant offer.Apply to SEAI, or let a One Stop Shop apply for you. Accept the offer before any work starts.
- The work is done.Every external wall, fully insulated.
- Post-works BER.A BER assessor rates the home after the work. See post-works BER.
- Submit your evidence.Send SEAI the completed paperwork from the contractor and the BER.
- SEAI pays the grant.After the work, to you, unless a One Stop Shop took it off your price. SEAI may inspect the work.
Citizens Information adds that once approved, you have 8 months to get the works done and claim the grant, and that work started before approval doesn't qualify (Citizens Information, page edited 22 October 2026).
What changed in 2026
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3 February 2026 | SEAI increased its cavity wall insulation grants. | seai.ie |
| 2 March 2026 | SEAI introduced a higher fixed cavity grant for homeowners on qualifying welfare payments. The second wall measure, which lets a home that had cavity or internal insulation apply for the wrap, dates from the same day. | seai.ie, ShamFix (19 July 2026) |
| 27 July 2026 | Class 63 came into force: external wall insulation to a house is exempted development within a 150 mm limit (S.I. No. 341 of 2026). | irishstatutebook.ie |
| 6 October 2026 | The Better Energy Homes Scheme was expanded: higher attic and cavity grants for HAP and RAS landlords, a home battery grant, and a €2,000 boiler scrappage grant for switching to a heat pump. | Citizens Information |
| 28 October 2026 | External wall insulation grants checked on seai.ie: €8,000 detached, €6,000 semi-D or end of terrace, €3,500 mid-terrace, €3,000 apartment. | seai.ie |
Homes that had a wall grant before
A home that had a cavity or internal wall grant can apply for external insulation as a second wall measure. A home that had an external grant can't get a second one. See second wall grant.
Older, traditional homes
Traditional homes, typically pre-1940 solid masonry walls of brick or stone without a cavity, can't get wall insulation grants under Better Energy Homes. SEAI directs them to its Traditional Homes Pilot Scheme (SEAI homeowner application guide, checked October 2026). The pilot works through a One Stop Shop and a Traditional Building Professional, with a whole-house upgrade to at least a B2 BER (Meath County Council).
What the grant leaves you to pay
On SEAI's own median costs, the wrap is still a big bill after the grant: about €10,000 for a mid-terrace, €17,333 for a semi-D and €16,000 for a detached house. See the cost guide.
Questions people ask
How much is the SEAI house wrap grant?
SEAI pays €8,000 for a detached house, €6,000 for a semi-D or end of terrace, €3,500 for a mid-terrace and €3,000 for an apartment (checked 28 October 2026). The home must be built and occupied before 31 December 2010, and every external wall must be fully insulated.
Do I need approval before the work?
Yes. Get the SEAI grant offer before any work starts. Work started before approval isn't funded.
Can I insulate just the front of the house?
Not with the grant. SEAI says all external walls must be fully insulated: partial insulation isn't eligible.
Is there a higher welfare rate for external insulation?
SEAI's higher welfare rates are for attic and cavity wall insulation, and solar. External wall insulation is paid at the standard amounts.
Can a One Stop Shop take the grant off my price?
Yes. With a One Stop Shop, the grant is deducted up front. If you apply yourself, SEAI pays you after the work.
Does my old stone cottage qualify?
Traditional solid-wall homes can't get wall insulation grants under Better Energy Homes. SEAI points them to the Traditional Homes Pilot Scheme.
Sources (1)
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.
- ShamFix: shamfix.ie
See your grant, then get a price
Three taps show the SEAI grant for your home. Or call 087 162 1846 between 8am and 8pm and we pass you to one SEAI-registered external insulation contractor who covers your area.