Stage 2 of 7
Design and planning permission checklist
Hire a designer, prepare the application and get a grant of permission from your local authority.
Need the full explanation? Read about this stage in the self-build stages guide.
Your checklist
Stage complete
What happens
- You appoint an architect or engineer and agree a design that fits the site and the local policy.
- You lodge the application with the notices and fees, and neighbours have five weeks to make submissions.
- The authority decides, normally within eight weeks unless it asks for further information.
Typical time: About 4 to 9 months to lodge and decide, longer with further information or an appeal.
Put this stage into practice
- Planning decision date tracker
Use the date the council received your application to estimate public comment, council decision and appeal deadlines. Open calculator →
Guides for this stage
Start with the first guide, or choose the part you need help with.
Preparing the application
- Planning permission for a one-off house in Ireland: what to expect
How planning works for a one-off house in Ireland: what the council looks at, the pre-planning meeting, the 8-week decision period and what to prepare first. Planning permission · 20 min read
- Architect, architectural technologist or engineer: who do you need?
Choose a self-build designer and certifier in Ireland. Check registration and compare roles, inspections, fees and responsibilities before hiring. The build · 7 min read
- Planning application fee for a new house in Ireland
Budget for the €65 house planning fee, notices, drawings and site assessments. Check retention charges, appeal fees and separate development contributions. Planning permission · 6 min read
The decision and what follows
- Planning conditions for your house
Read your planning conditions before booking a builder. Agree required details, check contributions and meet pre-start conditions before work begins. Planning permission · 6 min read
- Planning objections and appeals in Ireland
Who can object to a planning application, who can appeal the council's decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála, and how the four-week appeal deadline is calculated. Planning permission · 7 min read
- How long does planning permission last in Ireland?
Planning permission normally lasts five years from the grant. Check your expiry date, what unfinished work means and when to apply for an extension. Planning permission · 8 min read
Other permissions and charges
- When do you need retention permission?
Check whether work built without permission needs retention, what it costs and when the council must refuse to consider an application. Planning permission · 6 min read
- Development contribution waiver: meet the completion deadline
Have a council levy waiver? Arrange completion evidence before 31 December 2026. New starts cannot qualify; budget for the contribution in your permission. Costs and grants · 6 min read