Cost guide · External wall insulation · SEAI prices Jan–Jun 2026 · grants read 10 Oct 2026
Wrapping a semi-detached house costs about €23,200; the grant pays €6,000
SEAI's median external wall insulation job on a semi-detached house cost €23,219 in January to June 2026, up 8% since 2023 (SEAI median costs). Published prices run about €123 to €143 a square metre. The grant is €6,000 on a semi, so about €17,200 is left. A detached house costs more; a mid-terrace, less.
Insulation boards on the outside walls of a row of bungalows, before the render goes on. Photographed in England; the system is the same in Ireland.
Garrick Close, Kingston upon Hull: bungalow renovations, November 2023 · Hullian111 · CC BY-SA 4.0
See your grants for wall insulation, and what you’d pay
About 10 seconds. See your numbers first, then get quotes if you want them.
€23,219
SEAI's median price, semi-detached house
SEAI median costs · Jan–Jun 2026 · read 10 Oct 2026
Published figure€17,219
Left after the €6,000 grant
€23,219 − €6,000 · SEAI wall insulation page read 10 Oct 2026
Published figure€123–€143/m²
Middle half of published prices a square metre
8 prices from installers and guides · read to 26 Sep 2026
Our reading+8%
Rise in SEAI's median since 2023
€21,560 → €23,219 · to Dec 2023 → H1 2026
Published figureUpdated · grants checked · prices SEAI H1 2026 · How we know · Corrections
Where this sits · the heat chain
Most heat leaves through the walls, roof, floor and windows. Fix these first and the heating has less to replace.
- Fabricwalls, roof, floor, windows
- Airdraughts and ventilation
- Heatheat pump or boiler, radiators, controls
- Usebills, comfort, the BER
- The idea behind itFollow the heat
- You are hereWhat external wall insulation costs
- Next questionDo I need planning permission to wrap the outside?
What it costs, by type of home
SEAI's median price for the whole job, from grant claims, January to June 2026. Published figure
A detached house costs €26,500 to wrap; a mid-terrace €14,000
The grant covers 26% of the median semi-detached job, the lowest share of any insulation grant.
| Home | SEAI median price | Grant | Left to pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | €26,500 | €8,000 | €18,500 |
| Semi-detached | €23,219 | €6,000 | €17,219 |
| Mid-terrace | €14,000 | €3,500 | €10,500 |
| Apartment (5 homes) | €11,300 | €3,000 | €8,300 |
Each price is SEAI's median for an external wall insulation job on that kind of home, from the costs registered contractors submitted when the grant was paid. The grant is a fixed amount for each type of home, paid after the work. The apartment figure rests on five homes, so treat it as a rough guide.
Sources: SEAI, Median costs of individual energy upgrades, Jan–Jun 2026, 10 Oct 2026 · SEAI wall insulation grant page, 10 Oct 2026
SEAI flags the apartment figure itself. SEAI rule
Apartment data for external wall insulation is based on five completed homes for January-June 2026.
SEAI's median cost table, 10 Oct 2026
The grant is for the whole house, not one wall. SEAI rule
To receive the grant, all external walls of your home must be fully insulated.
SEAI wall insulation page, 10 Oct 2026
What moves the price
The wall area, and the extras that some quotes leave out. Our reading
Most published prices run €123 to €143 a square metre
At those rates the wall area decides most of the price, so ask for it on the quote.
The bars are 8 prices per square metre of wall published by installers, guide sites and homeowners, read up to 26 September 2026. Some include scaffolding and finishing; some don't, which is why a whole-job price is the safer comparison.
EstimateThe spread is fixmyber's reading of 8 published prices, not SEAI's figure.
Sources: fixmyber price research, 720 sourced prices, read to 26 Sep 2026
Extras to look for on a quote
| Extra | Published price |
|---|---|
| Scaffolding | €1,000–€3,000 |
| Repairing the wall first | €500–€2,500 |
| Sills, flashings, gutters and fascia | €1,000–€3,000 |
| Moving the ESB cable | €400 |
One published price each, read to 26 Sep 2026: an installer's breakdown (scaffold, repairs), a guide site (ancillaries), a homeowner's forum post (ESB) · fixmyber price research
Book ESB Networks early if the cable runs along the wall. SEAI rule
You may need an ESB Networks Service Alteration as part of external wall insulation works.
SEAI wall insulation page, 10 Oct 2026
The price is up 8% since 2023
SEAI's median for a semi-detached house in four editions of its table. Published figure
SEAI's median job went from €21,560 to €23,219
It has held at about €23,200 since early 2025, while the grant stayed at €6,000.
Each bar is SEAI's median price for external wall insulation on a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house, in one edition of its median-cost table. Three editions were read from the Internet Archive and the newest from SEAI directly.
Sources: SEAI, Median costs of individual energy upgrades: editions to Dec 2023, H1 2025 and FY 2025 via the Internet Archive; H1 2026 direct, read 10 Oct 2026
The numbers
| Edition | Median, semi-detached |
|---|---|
| to Dec 2023 | €21,560 |
| H1 2025 | €23,333 |
| FY 2025 | €23,247 |
| H1 2026 | €23,219 |
Before you sign. Ask whether the price includes scaffolding, sills and flashings, moving the ESB cable, and any repairs to the wall underneath. Those are the lines that separate a cheap quote from a complete one.
Questions people ask
- How much is external wall insulation per square metre?
- The middle half of 8 published per-square-metre prices runs €123 to €143, finished. Scaffolding, sills and repairs are often extra, so compare whole-job prices.
- Is external wall insulation worth it?
- It tackles the biggest leak. In a typical 1970s semi-detached house about 32% of the heat lost goes through the walls, more than through the windows or the roof. Whether it pays back depends on your fuel and how the walls are built.
- Do I need planning permission to wrap the outside?
- Since 27 July 2026 a house can usually be wrapped without planning permission, up to 150mm thick, if the work keeps the house in character with its neighbours and stays off the public road.
- Does the grant need every wall done?
- Yes. SEAI pays only when every external wall of the home is fully insulated.
How we know
- Prices: SEAI's median costs of individual energy upgrades, January to June 2026, read 10 Oct 2026, and three earlier editions from the Internet Archive.
- Per square metre and extras: Published prices from installers, guide sites and forums, each saved with its quote. The ranges are our reading, not SEAI's.
- Grants and rules: SEAI's wall insulation page, read 10 Oct 2026, quoted word for word.
- Heat loss: SEAI's BER file of 8 September 2026: 4,498 certificates for 1970s semi-detached houses sold or let since 2022. A BER is a standard calculation.
Sources
SEAI median costs, Jan–Jun 2026, 10 Oct 2026 · SEAI wall insulation grant, 10 Oct 2026 · S.I. 341/2026, 10 Oct 2026
Found a mistake? Every fix is dated on Corrections. Method in full: How we know.
See your grants and what you’d pay
Four questions about your home, then your numbers. Get quotes from registered contractors if you want them.
Updated · grants checked · prices SEAI H1 2026 · How we know · Corrections