Residential Site Development in Dublin

A development contribution is a charge paid to the local authority towards public infrastructure, calculated per square metre of the new home. In the Dublin area it is currently around €117 to €126 per square metre, depending on the council and the scheme. It is separate from, and much larger than, the €65 planning application fee. Rates are set by each council under its development contribution scheme and are updated periodically, always check the current rate for your local authority.

Site investigation, planning compliance, site clearance and excavation, foul and surface water drainage, utility connections (ESB, Irish Water, gas, broadband where applicable), site access and entrance, boundary walls or fencing. The site is handed over clean, level, drained and serviced, ready for the main contractor to begin the build.

For a standard site with reasonable ground, site preparation work takes around three to six months from start on site to handover. Planning delays before that, or unforeseen ground issues during excavation, can extend this. We give a realistic programme as part of the written quote.

Yes. A site investigation is the most valuable few hundred euro you can spend before finalising the budget. It reveals soil type, water table, contamination and rock issues that all dramatically change the cost. Far cheaper to find them on paper than mid-excavation.

Site development is the broader package: investigation, planning compliance, clearance, drainage, utilities, access. Groundwork is the foundational construction stage within that, excavation, foundations and sub-base. We deliver both, and most self-builders need both.

We co-ordinate the trench work, ducting and site preparation for ESB Networks, Irish Water, Gas Networks Ireland and Open Eir connections, and we work with your architect and the utility providers to keep the timeline aligned with the build. The connection application fees themselves are paid directly to the utility provider in each case.

Energy efficiency upgrades such as wall insulation and heat pumps may qualify for SEAI grants under the Better Energy Homes scheme on completed homes built before 2011, and there are separate schemes for self-builders to consider. Site development itself does not generally attract grants, but the Help to Buy incentive helps qualifying first-time buyers building a new home recover income tax already paid. Check the current eligibility rules before relying on either.

A small set of works fall under exempted development, mainly minor internal alterations, certain boundary repairs, and very small ancillary structures within strict size and location limits. Building a new house, an extension above the exempt thresholds, a new entrance onto a public road, or installing a wastewater treatment system on a new site all need planning permission. Always confirm with your local authority before assuming any site work is exempt. Citizens Information’s planning permission overview covers the rules.

Yes. BER is set by the design and build of the finished home, but several site-stage decisions affect the final rating: house orientation (south-facing glazing performs best), foundation insulation specification, and provision for any heat pump or solar PV system the design calls for. We flag these alongside the structural and drainage work at the site assessment stage so they are not retrofitted later.