Irish planning data · council schemes
Development contributions for a one-off house, by council
A development contribution is the charge your council adds as a condition of planning permission, normally paid before you start building. It varies far more by county than most budgets allow for.
Read from each council’s own scheme · last checked
A 200 m² house, cheapest to dearest
€1,900 to €26,934
Monaghan County Council to Fingal County Council. The middle council charges €5,100.
The dearest figures are Dublin and city councils, where one-off houses are rare. In the five counties with the most one-off houses, the range is €3,000 (Donegal) to €7,500 (Meath), and Cork’s documents do not settle its charge.
Check your own site’s charge with the council before you budget. The temporary waiver closed to new starts at the end of 2024.
Charge for a 200 m² house, by council
Euro, from zero. † marks a council’s published base rate that it adjusts every year, so today’s charge is higher. Cork County is left out because its documents conflict.
Every council, with its scheme and source
Each charge is for a 200 m² house, before any reduction. “How it is charged” shows the scheme’s own rate. Each row links to the council’s document.
| Council | 200 m² house | How it is charged | Reduction | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow County Council | €4,800 | Rural housing policy class, house of 126 to 200 m²: €24 per m². The table does not say whether a band rate applies to the whole floor area, and this page reads it that way. Development Contribution Scheme 2025-2029 (2025-07-14). In effect from 1 August 2025. | 50% refund for a certified passive house. | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Cavan County Council | €5,000 | Dwelling house: €23 per m², with a minimum payment of €5,000. 200 m² × €23 is €4,600, so the minimum applies. Development Contribution Scheme 2026-2030 (2025-12-08). In effect from 1 January 2026. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Clare County Council | €5,549 † | €5,549 per unit up to 200 m² (outside rural villages), plus €20 per m² above 200 m². Development Contribution Scheme 2025-2029 (2025-07-14). Rates are indexed each year. | 25% off a new single rural house outside settlements if paid in one lump sum before development starts (€4,162 on this figure). | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Cork City Council | €9,974 † | €49.87 per m² of gross internal floor area, the council's base rate before indexation. Development Contribution Scheme 2023-2029 (2023-02-14). The council adjusts the rate by CPI each quarter, so today's charge is higher. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Cork County Council | Unclear | The published rates give €19.04 per m² (North and West Cork) or €24.49 (Cork Area Strategic Plan area) on all but the first 40 m², about €3,046 to €3,918 for 200 m². A newer area scheme lists €11.22 per m². The documents do not settle which applies today. Rates from 1 January 2014; Water-Rock area scheme from 26 April 2021 (2014-01-01). Ask the council to confirm the charge for your site: planning@corkcoco.ie. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Donegal County Council | €3,000 † | Flat sum by size: €2,000 under 150 m², €3,000 from 150 to 200 m², €4,000 above 200 m². Development Contribution Scheme 2026-2030 (2026-03-01). Indexed from 1 March each year. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Dublin City Council | €24,570 | Residential: €122.85 per m², for applications received on or after 1 July 2026. Section 48 Development Contribution Scheme 2026-2029 (2026-07-01). A city site: one-off houses are rare here. The figure is for comparison. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council | €13,876.24 | Residential unit: €13,876.24 countywide, charged per unit rather than per m². Development Contribution Scheme 2023-2028 (2023-10-09). Cherrywood and some other areas have higher specific charges. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Fingal County Council | €26,934 † | Residential: €134.67 per m² in total, from 1 January 2026. Development Contribution Scheme 2026-2030 (2025-12-08). Fingal indexes its rates each year. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Galway City Council | €18,000 | Residential: a flat €90 per m². Development Contribution Scheme 2020-2026 (2020). A city site: one-off houses are rare here. The figure is for comparison. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Galway County Council | €3,652 † | Sub-area 1: €2,152 plus €7.50 per m² (sub-area 2 is €1,076 plus €5.50 per m², €2,176 for 200 m²). Development Contribution Scheme 2016, revised 1 August 2019 (2019-08-01). The scheme says rates are adjusted every 1 April, so today's charge is probably higher. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Kerry County Council | €3,000 | Residential: €1,500 per unit plus €20 per m² above 125 m². Development Contributions Scheme 2017 (2017-07-25). Whole county, one rate. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Kildare County Council | €12,400 | Residential development: €62 per m² of floor area, with no separate rural rate. Development Contribution Scheme 2023-2029 (2022-12-19). In effect from 1 January 2023. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Kilkenny County Council | €7,000 | Rural housing policy, house of 126 to 200 m²: €35 per m². The scheme says the band rate applies to the full floor area. Development Contribution Scheme 2026-2030 (2025-12). | The scheme says a waiver for first-time buyers of houses up to 200 m² would be presented separately; ask the council whether it applies. | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Laois County Council | €2,000 | Rural residential outside local area plans: €2,000 base charge for a house up to 200 m², then €12 to €20 per m² above 200 m². Development Contribution Scheme 2023-2029 (2023-10-20). Urban houses pay a flat €4,000. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Leitrim County Council | €2,000 | Rural house of 0 to 200 m²: €2,000. Above 200 m² it is €15 per m² (201 to 250 m²) or €17.50 (over 250 m²). Development Contribution Scheme 2023 (2023). | 100% exemption for a house on the family farm for the inheritor of that farm, on the scheme's conditions. | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Limerick City and County Council | €5,200 | One-off rural house: €25 per m² up to 180 m² and €35 per m² over 180 m². On 200 m² that is 180 × €25 + 20 × €35 = €5,200, reading the rate as marginal. Development Contribution Scheme 2025-2031 (2025-09-22). | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Longford County Council | €2,140 | Residential unit outside the development envelope: €530 rural facilities plus €1,610 roads, €2,140 a unit. Development Contribution Scheme 2023-2027, reviewed June 2026 (2023). The council is preparing a supplementary scheme; check for a newer one. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Louth County Council | €11,646 † | Residential: €11,646 per dwelling unit, with no separate rural rate in the notice. Development Contribution Scheme 2023 (2023-09-18). Rates are adjusted each 1 January using the CSO wholesale price index, so today's charge is higher. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Mayo County Council | €4,000 | Residential unit: €3,000 or €20 per m², whichever is greater. 200 m² × €20 is €4,000. Development Contribution Scheme 2023-2029 (2023). | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Meath County Council | €7,500 | Flat sum by size: €7,500 for a house of 141 to 200 m², with 10% off if paid within 28 days of the invoice. Development Contribution Scheme 2024-2029 (2024). | 10% if paid within 28 days of the invoice. | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Monaghan County Council | €1,900 † | Residential outside defined settlements: €840 roads per unit plus €1,060 community and amenity per unit up to 200 m² (€1,900). General Development Contribution Scheme 2021-2026 (2021-09-06). These are 2021 base rates. The council indexes them each January and publishes an indexed table, which this page has not seen. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Offaly County Council | €3,010 | All areas outside the nine listed towns: €3,010 per residential unit (€4,010 inside them). Development Contribution Scheme 2021-2025 (2021-01-18). The scheme period has ended; the council has not published a replacement that this page found. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Roscommon County Council | €3,600 † | Rural residential unit: €3,600 (urban €4,400). Development Contribution Scheme 2014, as amended 24 February 2020 (2020-02-24). The scheme has an indexation clause, so today's charge may be higher. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Sligo County Council | €4,000 | House of 151 to 200 m²: €20 per m². The table does not say whether a band rate applies to the whole floor area, and this page reads it that way. Development Contribution Scheme 2018-2024 (2018-06-11). The scheme period has ended; the council page does not show a replacement. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| South Dublin County Council | €25,290 | Residential development: €126.45 per m². Development Contribution Scheme 2026-2028 (2026). | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Tipperary County Council | €6,200 | Class 1, a house in the open countryside: €31 per m². Development Contribution Scheme 2020 (2019-12-09). In effect from 1 January 2020. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Waterford City and County Council | €5,750 | €3,500 per unit up to 125 m², plus €30 per m² above that. Development Contribution Scheme 2023-2029 (2023-02-09). The scheme text has no one-off-house reduction. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Westmeath County Council | €3,000 † | Residential unit of 90 to 200 m²: €3,000 (under 90 m² €2,000; over 200 m² €3,500 plus €25 per m²). Development Contribution Scheme 2022 (2022-02-01). Rates are adjusted each 1 January using the CSO wholesale price index. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Wexford County Council | €5,000 | €25 per m² of residential floor area, from 1 January 2026. Development Contribution Scheme 2026-2029 (2025-12-08). | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
| Wicklow County Council | €5,200 † | Rural residential: €2,700 per unit up to 150 m², plus €50 per m² above 150 m². Development Contribution Scheme 2015 (2015-10-05). These are 2015 base rates. The council says it updated the scheme in July 2025 and is reviewing it, so today's charge is higher. | None found in the scheme | Council document Checked 2026-10-22 |
Cite these figures
For a 200 m² house, Irish councils’ own development contribution schemes give charges from €1,900 (Monaghan County Council) to €26,934 (Fingal County Council), with a median of €5,100 across 30 councils. 1 could not be settled from the council’s documents.
Source: each council’s development contribution scheme, linked in the table, last checked 22 October 2026. Compiled by SelfBuildGuide.ie.
How we worked these out
We took the residential rate in each council’s current published scheme and worked out the charge for a new 200 m² house on rural land, using the one-off or rural rate where the scheme has one and the general residential rate where it does not. Charges are before reductions, waivers and the payment discounts some councils give.
Councils index their rates, mostly each January, April or quarter, so the amount on your permission can be higher than the base figure in a scheme. Where we could only read a base rate we say so (†). Some schemes have expired but remain in force until the council adopts a new one.
Where a scheme lists a rate for a size band, such as 126 to 200 m², we apply it to the whole floor area unless the scheme says the rate is marginal (Limerick). Planning conditions can differ on appeal, for retention and for sites in a special area, so the council’s calculation on your permission is the one that counts.
Not settled: Cork County Council. The published rates give €19.04 per m² (North and West Cork) or €24.49 (Cork Area Strategic Plan area) on all but the first 40 m², about €3,046 to €3,918 for 200 m². A newer area scheme lists €11.22 per m². The documents do not settle which applies today.
Spot a charge that is out of date? See our editorial policy for corrections. For one-off house rules and charges in the five counties with the most completions, see the county pages, and for how the whole process fits together, applying for planning permission for a one-off house.