The stages of building a house in Ireland

Not sure what comes first? Read where to start. Start by checking the site and your budget, then get planning permission, arrange finance and prepare the detailed design before building. Plan inspections and completion paperwork from the outset so you can draw down the mortgage and move in when the house is ready.

The stages at a glance

#	Stage	Before moving on	Payment or paperwork
1	Find and check a site	Site can get planning, a wastewater solution and a safe access	Deposit, solicitor, site survey
2	Design and planning permission	Final grant of permission, after the appeal process	Planning fee, design fees
3	Arrange finance and budget	Mortgage offer, detailed design and priced tender	Budget, construction drawings, appointments
4	Insure the build	Agreed cover starts by the first day on site	First premium, lender’s insurance evidence
5	Notify Building Control	Commencement notice lodged and valid	Notice fee, certificates or opt-out declaration
6	Build	Each stage inspected	Staged drawdowns
7	Completion and handover	Completion evidence, final Building Energy Rating (BER), utilities and home cover	Check final drawdown and contract payment conditions

Stages overlap in practice. Utility applications start during stage 2 or 3, and tender often runs alongside the mortgage application in stage 3. Before starting, obtain the final planning grant and meet its pre-start conditions. Lodge the Building Control notice within the legal time limit and confirm the submission requirements with your local authority. Your design team and lender may need additional steps, so agree who will provide each document. The notice and certification duties come from the Building Control Regulations 1997, as amended.

Find and check a site

Find a site, then test it before you commit. Check local housing need rules, access, services, and whether a wastewater system will work using a site suitability assessment. Set a first budget with contingency at this point, because it decides what you can design.

Make your offer on the site conditional where you can, for example on planning permission or on a satisfactory site suitability assessment for wastewater. A site that cannot take a house is worth much less than the price of a site that can.

Design and planning permission

Appoint a designer, agree a brief, and apply for permission. Use the planning permission guide to check the site and prepare the application. Allow for conditions, and for the possibility of objections and appeals. Permission lasts a fixed period, so note the expiry date: see permission duration.

Start the utility conversations now. Send a pre-connection enquiry to Uisce Éireann early if you need mains water or wastewater services. Its answer can affect the planning submission. Apply for the connection itself once planning permission is secured. If you are in a rural area with a private well and treatment system, this does not apply and the wastewater guide is the relevant one.

Arrange finance and budget

Discuss the self-build mortgage early, then supply permission and costings as your lender requires. Understand staged drawdown before you sign. Price the detailed design and check how you will fund costs between mortgage releases.

Detailed design, tender and appointments

Have your designer prepare construction drawings and a specification, then ask builders to price the same work. Decide whether you will project-manage or hire a main contractor, and see choosing a builder and contracts and architect or engineer for the appointments.

If you use statutory certification, agree who will take each of these roles before submitting the Building Control forms:

• Owner. You are responsible for lodging the notice.
• Builder. The person or company who undertakes to build in compliance with the Building Regulations. A self-builder who manages the trades still needs a named builder on the form.
• Assigned certifier. An eligible registered architect, registered building surveyor or chartered engineer, competent for the project, who coordinates inspections, prepares an inspection plan and signs the certificate on completion with the builder. The Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works sets out how.

Do not leave these appointments until the week before you start. Appoint the builder before submitting the notice. If you use statutory certification, appoint the assigned certifier too. The opt-out route is explained below.

Insure the build

Arrange insurance before work starts. Check the insurance your lender requires before the first drawdown. If you plan to project-manage yourself, read insurance when you project-manage first.

Notify Building Control

Before work starts, a commencement notice is lodged with the local authority’s building control section. Submit it through the Building Control Management System (BCMS), or on the prescribed form, as required by article 9 of the Building Control Regulations 1997. Each party to the notice, including the owner, designer, builder and assigned certifier, needs to register on the system first.

Timing. Article 8 requires notice not less than 14 and not more than 28 days before commencement. That window is measured from giving notice, not a fresh 28-day period starting at validation. Confirm that your notice is valid and your intended start date fits the window; ask Building Control what to do if the date changes. The separate seven-day-notice procedure concerns work requiring a fire safety certificate; it is not a shortcut for an ordinary one-off house.

What goes with it. For a new dwelling using statutory certification, include the following documents under article 9(1):

• plans, calculations and specifications showing compliance, including general arrangement drawings and a schedule of documents;
• the certificate of compliance (design), signed by the designer;
• the notice of assignment of the assigned certifier, and of the builder;
• the undertakings of the assigned certifier and of the builder;
• the preliminary inspection plan from the assigned certifier; and
• the fee required under Part V of the Regulations.

The opt-out route. If you are building one new house on a development containing only that house, or extending a dwelling, article 9(5) allows you to submit a Declaration of Intention to Opt Out of Statutory Certification. This replaces the statutory design certificate, assigned-certifier notices and undertakings, and preliminary inspection plan. The notice of assignment of the builder is still needed. The other compliance plans, particulars, builder assignment and fee remain required. A valid declaration entered on the register removes the Article 20F statutory completion-certificate requirement. The owner still has to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations and should arrange competent design and inspections. Ask your lender, solicitor and insurer whether they will accept it before you choose it: a lender or a later buyer may not. See also structural defects cover, which depends on independent inspection.

Changes after lodging are time-limited: article 9(3) requires the owner to tell the council within 14 days if the assigned certifier or builder changes, and article 9(4) says the same of a change of owner before completion.

Build

Most houses follow this sequence:

1. Site set-up and foundations. Clearing, marking out the house position, excavation and foundations. Check the agreed lender stage before relying on a drawdown to fund this work. See site setup and foundations.
2. Substructure and floor slab. Work below ground-floor level: drains, protection against radon gas and damp, insulation and the concrete floor base (slab). See substructure and floor slab.
3. Walls. Build the walls and any upper floor up to the level where the roof sits. See walls to wall plate.
4. Roof and weathertight shell. Roof structure, covering, windows and external doors, which keep rain out and make the house weathertight. See roof and weathertight shell.
5. First fix. Electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation routes before they are covered. See first fix.
6. Insulation and airtightness. Insulation, the layer that prevents air leaks and a test for those leaks, before plasterboard. Inspection matters most here because the work disappears. See insulation and airtightness.
7. Plaster, screed and drying out. Drylining (lining the walls with plasterboard) or plastering, then screed (a level layer over the floor base) where used, then time to dry. See plastering, screed and drying out.
8. Second fix and finishing. Doors and other woodwork, kitchen, bathroom and electrical fittings, painting and flooring, then have installers test and set up the heating, ventilation and other systems (commissioning), and check for defects (snagging). See second fix and finishes.
9. External works and services. Wastewater system, driveway, connections and landscaping. See site works and services.

Construction stages, contractor payment dates and mortgage releases need to be coordinated; they are not automatically the same points. The assigned certifier works from the inspection plan lodged with the notice. If you ask for a change that affects it, have the plan updated, so that the completion certificate describes what was built.

Utilities during construction. Allow time for water connections: Uisce Éireann’s average is 16 weeks from application to a connection offer, followed by an average of 12 weeks from securing a road opening licence to completing the connection. These are separate stages, and neither time is guaranteed. Apply early rather than waiting for the finished house. Apply to ESB Networks for the electricity connection through its online new-connections process, and arrange the validated electrical completion certificate through your registered electrical contractor and their regulatory body before connection work begins. Keep your own copy.

Completion and handover

At the end, the assigned certifier and the builder sign the certificate of compliance on completion, and the certifier lodges it with the council. Under article 20F:

• it must be accompanied by plans and particulars showing how the completed works differ from those submitted, and by the inspection plan as implemented;
• the council records the date of receipt and has 21 days to decide whether the certificate is valid, or to reject it or ask for a revised certificate or further documents;
• if it is valid, the council enters it on the register within 21 days of receipt and notifies the person who submitted it; and
• the certificate must be submitted, and its particulars on the register, before the house is opened, occupied or used.

That last point is the one self-builders miss. Moving in before the certificate is registered breaks the Regulations, whatever your lender or insurer says. Where you used the opt-out declaration, article 20F does not apply, but the practical issues at sale and mortgage stage remain.

Walk the house with your certifier and list defects before you pay the last of the contractor’s money. The snagging guide has a checklist. Confirm the lender’s final-drawdown evidence separately from the contract’s final-payment conditions, including retention (money held back under the contract until the agreed conditions are met). A certificate does not by itself settle every snag or trigger every payment.

Moving in

Connect utilities and, for a new dwelling within the BER rules, get the final Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate and advisory report before first occupation. A provisional BER assesses an unfinished design; it is not limited to homes sold off plans. A final certificate normally lasts 10 years unless a material change affects energy performance. See the BER guide for exemptions and details. Check that your insurance changes from contract works cover to a standard home policy at the point agreed in writing with your insurer, avoiding any gap, and tell your lender the house is complete.

Who does what

Person	Role in the process	What you should have from them
Owner (you)	Lodges the commencement notice, pays fees, holds the finance	Copies of the notice, the council’s validation and every certificate
Designer	Signs the certificate of compliance (design)	Construction drawings and a specification that match the planning grant
Assigned certifier	Writes the inspection plan, inspects, signs on completion	The inspection plan, stage inspection records, and the completion certificate
Builder	Undertakes to build in compliance and signs the completion certificate	A contract, schedule and the stage dates your lender needs
Lender’s valuer or engineer	Confirms each stage before a drawdown	A stage report you can send to the bank
Council	Validates the notice, registers the completion certificate	Written confirmation of both

The same professional may report to your lender and act as assigned certifier if appropriately appointed. These remain separate jobs. The roles in this table describe the statutory route; agree suitable independent evidence and inspections if opting out. The lender’s inspection protects the lender’s money, while your certifier is responsible under the Regulations for the inspection and certification of the works. Do not assume one replaces the other.

What gets inspected, and when

The inspection plan lodged with the commencement notice decides this, so ask for it in advance and read it. Discuss the following examples of work that may need inspection before it is covered. Your team must set the inspection stages and responsibilities for your particular house. There is no statutory minimum number of visits in this checklist:

1. Foundations before concrete is poured. Depth, ground strength, steel reinforcement and any radon or damp barriers. Once concrete is poured there is no second look.
2. Floor insulation and damp-proofing before the slab or screed covers them.
3. Wall build and structural openings, including supports over doors and windows (lintels), trays that guide water out of wall cavities, and connectors between the inner and outer wall layers (wall ties).
4. Roof structure before the covering goes on, including the straps and fixings that secure it.
5. Airtightness and insulation layers before first fix is covered, and the openings through them for pipes, cables and ventilation ducts.
6. Fire safety and escape routes, such as stairs, smoke alarms, and the protection of escape routes.
7. Drainage and wastewater system before trenches are filled back in.
8. Final walk-through against the drawings and the inspection plan, which feeds the completion certificate.

Keep dated photographs of each hidden element yourself. They cost nothing and are useful if a defect appears years later, or if a buyer’s engineer asks questions. A claim under structural defects cover is also easier to make when the stage records exist.

How might the stages fit into a schedule?

This example follows a house built by a main contractor using statutory certification. The construction and appointment dates are invented to show how a schedule fits around the legal notice periods; they are not typical durations or a promised completion date. Allow more time if a certificate is invalid or the council raises a query. For your own schedule, consider how long a self-build takes.

Week	Event
0	Planning decision issued. Four-week appeal period begins.
4	No appeal assumed; wait for the final grant. Apply to Uisce Éireann (if connecting to mains water) and to the lender.
10	Mortgage offer received. Builder, designer and assigned certifier confirmed.
20	Commencement notice lodged, 14 to 28 days before the planned start.
24	Notice assumed valid. Foundations begin within 28 days of giving notice.
24 to 60	Construction, with inspections and drawdowns at each stage.
60	Certifier and builder sign the certificate on completion. Lodged with the council.
63	Assume valid certificate registered within the ordinary 21-day period. Final BER issued.
64	Final drawdown, move in.

Apply to Uisce Éireann at week 4. Based on the current 16-week average, you might receive a water connection offer around week 20. Allow for a longer wait.

Common mistakes

• Lodging the commencement notice too early or too late. The window is 14 to 28 days before work starts, measured from giving notice. Confirm revised arrangements with Building Control if the start slips.
• Leaving the certifier appointment until the notice is due. The inspection plan comes first, not last.
• Moving in before the certificate is registered. Where Article 20F applies, registration must precede occupation; a valid registered opt-out is the exception described above.
• Choosing the opt-out declaration to save fees without asking the lender. It can create a problem at drawdown, at sale, or when you remortgage.
• Applying for utilities after the shell is up. A 16-week average offer period plus on-site works can leave you with a finished house and no water.
• Forgetting the BER. Selling or letting a new dwelling needs it, and so does occupation.
• Not updating the council when the builder or certifier changes. Article 9(3) gives you 14 days.

Questions to ask

• Your certifier: “What does your inspection plan include, and at which stages will you be on site?”
• Your lender: “Do you accept the opt-out declaration? What do you need to release the final payment?”
• Your builder: “When can you start after the notice is validated, within the 14–28-day notice window?”
• Your solicitor: “What documents will you need from me for the completion certificate and the BER at sale?”

Self-build checklist

Keep a copy with a person responsible and a due date beside each task. Your professionals, lender and council will have requirements specific to your house.

Before buying and designing

• Check wastewater suitability, rural housing policy, access and services.
• Have your solicitor check title, boundaries, rights of way and ownership of any land needed to give drivers a clear view when leaving the site.
• Set the whole-project budget, including VAT, fees, connections, rent and a separate contingency.
• Agree how to fund the site and the work before each mortgage release; check Help to Buy timing if relevant.
• Choose the build route and agree the designer’s and inspecting professionals’ scopes in writing.

Before work starts

• Obtain the final planning grant, read its conditions and complete the pre-start requirements.
• Record the permission expiry date and the lender’s drawdown deadlines.
• Sign the building contract and agree payment dates, how changes to the agreed work are priced, and any money held back until defects are fixed.
• Arrange insurance to cover the agreed activities from the first site access, work or materials delivery that creates a risk.
• Check any structural defects policy’s registration and inspection requirements before starting.
• Appoint the builder and certification team, or record an eligible opt-out with professional inspections and lender requirements agreed.
• Register the parties on the Building Control Management System (BCMS) and lodge the commencement notice 14–28 days before the start date.
• Apply for water and electricity connections and arrange any temporary supplies.

During construction

• Follow the inspection plan before work is covered; photograph hidden services and insulation.
• Check work and payment conditions before each drawdown request; a lender report is not necessarily a contract payment certificate.
• Price and agree changes to the contract work in writing before they are done, and review the budget monthly.
• Keep invoices, stage reports, commissioning records and renewed trade insurance certificates together.

Before moving in

• Follow the agreed snagging and retention process before final payment falls due.
• Register the completion certificate before occupation where required, or have the valid registered opt-out and agreed alternative evidence in place.
• Collect the final BER, wiring and commissioning certificates, manuals and warranties.
• Confirm final lender sign-off, working utilities and the agreed switch to home insurance without a gap.