What changed on 27 July 2026
Until this summer, a heat pump on the front of a house needed planning permission. The rule said so in plain words:
Condition 4 as it stood, quoted in S.I. 342/2026: "No such structure shall be erected on, or forward of, the front wall or roof of the house."
A new law, S.I. 342 of 2026, swapped that line for this one:
S.I. 342/2026, Class 2(d), condition 4, now: "No such structure shall encroach onto a public road."
So the front of the house is no longer ruled out. The pump just cannot stick out onto a public road. The law started on 27 July 2026:
S.I. 342/2026: "These Regulations shall come into operation on the 27th day of July 2026."
This matters most for terraces and semis with small back gardens, where the front wall was often the only sensible place for the outdoor unit.
The conditions that still apply
A heat pump needs no planning permission only when it meets every condition in the law. Four of them did not change:
Size. All the heat pumps at the house, added together:
S.I. 342/2026: "The total area of such a heat pump, taken together with any other such pump previously erected, shall not exceed 2.5 square metres."
Distance from the edge. On a wall or roof:
S.I. 342/2026: "The heat pump shall be a minimum of 50cm from any edge of the wall or roof on which it is mounted."
Noise. Measured at the nearest neighbour's home:
S.I. 342/2026: "Noise levels must not exceed 43db(A) during normal operation, or in excess of 5db(A) above the background noise, whichever is greater, as measured from the nearest neighbouring inhabited dwelling."
Ground level. For a ground source system:
S.I. 342/2026: "The level of the ground shall not be altered by more than 1 metre above or below the level of the adjoining ground."
Your installer should be able to show you the pump's size and noise figures before you sign. Ask for them in writing.
Protected structures and conservation areas
These exemptions are for an ordinary house. If yours is a protected structure, ask the council first. Fingal County Council puts it like this:
Fingal County Council: "Planning permission is also needed for all works that affect the character of a protected structure."
It also says how to find out for your own house:
Fingal County Council: "You can obtain a list of the works for your property that do or do not require planning permission by asking for a Section 57 Declaration from the Fingal Conservation Officer. This service is free."
Other councils offer the same declaration. A planning rule is the council's to apply, not ours, so when in doubt, ask them.
The grant has not changed
The planning change does not change the SEAI grant. The heat pump grant is up to €10,500 for the unit in a house, plus the €2,000 boiler scrappage grant when it replaces an oil or gas boiler, storage heaters or solid fuel. SEAI also asks about heat loss before it pays:
SEAI, heat pump systems: "Homes built before 2007: A Technical Assessment is required if you do not have a valid BER assessment or if your BER Assessment indicates your dwelling has a high heat loss."
The heat pump grant page has the full list of what SEAI pays and asks for. Check my home puts the heat pump in the right order with the rest of the work, with every grant for your home.