Sheds and garden rooms, Ireland
Fill this in before you ring a shed supplier.
An independent Irish guide. We don't sell sheds. Check the planning rules, write one specification, then get quotes you can compare like for like.
Shed specification
Give every supplier the same sheet.
- 01SiteBehind the front wall?Behind the front wall?
- 02DimensionsExternal, not nominalExternal, not nominal
- 03UseStorage, workshop, officeStorage, workshop, office
- 04MaterialSteel or timberSteel or timber
- 05BaseWho lays it, to what levelWho lays it, to what level
- 06RoofForm and heightForm and height
- 07DeliveryAccess and dateAccess and date
- 08InstallationIncluded or extraIncluded or extra
Planning: Class 3 in five lines
Most garden sheds are exempted development if they meet every condition below. If one fails, you may need planning permission.
Maximum total area of garden structures, including any already there.
Private open space that must remain to the rear or side of the house.
Maximum height with a tiled or slated pitched roof.
Maximum height in any other case.
The structure must not be forward of the front wall of the house.
Not sure? Ask your planning authority about a Section 5 declaration before you order.
Source: Planning and Development Regulations, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class 3.
The order of work
A supplier quote cannot settle planning. A headline price cannot show whether two sheds have the same floor, roof, base or installation. Work in this order.
Check the site
The location, the total area of garden structures already there, the private open space left, roof form, height and what the shed is for.
Planning guideWrite one specification
The same dimensions, material, floor, roof, base, access, delivery and installation for every business you ask.
Buyer's guideKeep a record
The written quote, contract, deposit terms, drawings, warranty wording, delivery date and any letters from the planning authority.
Cost guideGuides, by the decision in front of you
Checklists and routes to the official sources. Not supplier rankings, price promises or planning decisions.
Planning and exempted development
The current Class 3 conditions, common reasons to pause, and the Section 5 route when you're unsure.
Official rules D2Steel or timber
Maintenance, condensation, corrosion, treatment, security and changes later. Neither is better for every garden.
Specification D3Compare total cost
A like-for-like quote sheet: structure, base, floor, delivery, installation, treatment and extras.
Quote record D4Check a business
CRO CORE, written references, a detailed contract and CCPC guidance before you pay a deposit.
Due diligence D5Record dimensions
Nominal size versus external size, door clearance, base size and the space you can actually use inside.
Measurements D6Specify the base
Who designs, prepares and checks the base, and what happens if it is outside the maker's tolerances.
Site preparation D7Garden office conversion
Insulation, electrics and planning questions to settle before a shed becomes a place to work.
Garden roomsOfficial sources worth opening
Your planning authority and your written contract are the records that count for your project.
Planning regulations, Class 3
Schedule 2, Part 1, Class 3 sets the conditions for domestic garden structures. Read the current text.
ccpc.ieCCPC: buying goods
Product descriptions, total price information, faulty goods and your remedies.
cro.ieCRO CORE search
Check the company you will actually contract with. A trading name may not be the legal entity.
Reviewed 25 July 2026. General information, not legal, planning, engineering or product safety advice.
One sheet in. Quotes you can compare out.
The free quote form asks for the same fields as the specification sheet, plus a budget band. Ask every business to reply in writing, with VAT and deposit terms.
Budget band Tick one on the form
- Under €1,000
- €1,000–€1,800
- €1,800–€2,800
- €2,800–€4,500
- €4,500+