What could your self-build cost?

See what to allow for the house, site and other costs. Change the example to suit your build.

How big will the house be?

Use the floor area on your drawings.

What is the build price per m²?

Example before VAT (the tax on the price); 13.5% is added. Change this below if your quote includes VAT.

What will buying the site cost?

Include legal fees and stamp duty. Enter 0 if you already own it.

Use these fields for fees, connections, site works, finishes, insurance and living costs, then choose money for unexpected costs. Enter costs outside the build quote with VAT included. Leave out anything already included in your build quote.

The build price range

Higher build price per m² (optional)

Does the build price include VAT?

Is the build price a quote or an estimate?

Ask whoever supplied your build price which VAT rate applies before choosing 13.5% or 23%. See VAT on a self-build.

Costs outside the build quote

These start as example amounts. Replace them with prices for your site. Blank lines add nothing. “From” and “To” let you allow for a range. “How firm” records whether you have a quote, an estimate or an amount you are unsure of.

Site purchase, legal fees and stamp duty

The site price above is the “From” amount. Add a “To” amount if you need a range. No money for unexpected costs is added to the site purchase.

To (optional)

How firm

Professional fees, including VAT

Include your architect, engineer, the person certifying building compliance and any quantity surveyor (a building cost specialist). Check what each fee covers.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Planning, contributions and certification

The planning application fee for a house is €65. Also allow for the council’s charge towards local infrastructure (the development contribution), building compliance paperwork and the notice you submit before starting work (the commencement notice).

From

To (optional)

How firm

Electricity connection

The €3,776 here is an example allowance. Replace it with your ESB Networks connection offer, including any extra works and VAT.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Water connection or well

Uisce Éireann’s standard water connection charge is €2,272 for one home with up to 10 metres of connection pipe. Extra work can cost more; use your offer. For a private well, enter its quoted cost instead.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Wastewater system and works

Include either a public sewer connection or a private treatment system, the ground area that filters its outflow and any registration fee. Ask your engineer what your site needs.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Entrance, drainage, boundaries and landscaping

Check whether your build quote includes these works. Difficult ground or access can make them more expensive.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Kitchen, floors, bathroom fittings and other finishes

Include only costs outside your build quote. If it includes a set amount for a kitchen or fittings, enter only what you expect to pay above that amount.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Insurance, finance and somewhere to live during the build

Include insurance for building damage and injury claims, interest on mortgage money already paid by the bank, and rent while you build.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Anything else

Furniture, moving, a garage or outbuilding, solar electricity panels — if not already in your build quote.

From

To (optional)

How firm

Money for unexpected costs

How much extra should you allow?

This reserve is called a contingency. Choose it with your architect or cost specialist based on what is still uncertain, and check your lender’s requirements. See sizing the contingency.

Example: change the numbers to see yours.

Your estimated project cost

€634,113 to €685,813

For the costs entered, including money for surprises. Check this against your mortgage and savings.

Based on

How the costs add up
Cost	Lower	Higher
House, before VAT200 m² × €1,800	€360,000	€360,000
VAT added (13.5%)	€48,600	€48,600
Site purchaseWith legal fees and tax	€90,000	€90,000
Other costsFees, connections, finishes and more; VAT included	€86,048	€133,048
For surprises (10%)On everything except the site purchase	€49,465	€54,165
Total	€634,113	€685,813

The lower total adds the lower prices; the higher total adds the higher prices. The higher total is not a cap on what you could spend.

Replace remaining examples under “Adjust the details” with your own prices. Check what your builder includes so you count each cost once.

What to do next

Budget for building damage and injury cover before work starts.

See what cover I need

This is an estimate from the figures you enter; have your architect or building cost specialist check it before you commit.

Every cost and a copy of your budget

How this is worked out

House price = floor area × price per m². VAT is added only if your price excludes it. Other costs must include VAT. The contingency (money for surprises) is a percentage of all costs except the site purchase, rounded to the nearest euro.
For a price range, fill in both boxes. A line with just one figure uses it for both totals; two blank boxes add nothing. The “By amount” percentages show how much money you marked “Quoted”, “Estimate” or “Unknown”, not the number of items. They use the middle of each price range, before the reserve for surprises.
The estimate does not subtract grants, mortgage payments or savings, and entering a zero site purchase does not count the site’s value as cash.
Sources: Revenue’s construction VAT rules, Uisce Éireann’s connection charges and planning application fees. Get an electricity connection offer for your site. The starting build price and other allowances are invented examples, not national averages.