Planning Permission

Allowable Size of Garden Rooms Without Planning Permission

We have good news! You can build a garden room up to 25 sq. metres (270 sq. ft.) without needing planning permission Ireland regulations, as long as you leave 25 sq. metres of free space in your garden. If you plan to add a house extension in the future, ensure you maintain this free space even after both the garden room and extension are built. The 25 sq. metre free space requirement can be combined between the side and rear of your house.

Keep Your Neighbours Happy

While you don’t need permission from your neighbours to build a garden room within the 25 sq. metre exemption, it’s a good idea to inform them out of courtesy. Notifying them can ease any concerns about the structure you’re planning to build and help maintain good relationships.

Restricted Garden Room Height

You are permitted to build a mono pitch or single pitch roof up to 3m in height or for a slated or tiled pitched roof up to 4m in height, following planning permission Ireland guidelines. Whether you choose a mono pitch or pitched roof, it’s important to keep these height limits in mind to ensure your garden room remains within the legal exemption and doesn’t require additional planning approval.

Requirements for Windows

You are not allowed to put a window within 1m of your neighbour’s boundary when building your garden room or outdoor structure. By ensuring that windows are positioned at least 1 meter away from the boundary, you can maintain good relations with your neighbours while still enjoying natural light in your garden room. 

Building on the Side of Your Property

If you decide to build your Garden Room to the side rather than to the rear of your property it is a requirement that you either screen the building with fencing, bushes or trees, or you are required to make it compatible with the front of the existing building, to meet the  exemption rules.

Existing Structures and How They Affect Your Planning Permission

If you have an existing timber or block shed, it may use up some of your 25 sq. metre exemption. However, if you have a garage or shed that was included in the initial house planning permission granted when your house was built, you will still be eligible for the exemption of the 25 sq. metres for your Garden Room structure.