Attic Insulation Grants in Ireland (SEAI) for Roof Work

I’m Michael Casey, founder of Keystone Roofing, on Cork roofs since 2000. If you’re re-roofing, or just fighting a cold house in Ballincollig or Douglas, you’ve probably seen that SEAI grant-aids attic insulation. The common confusion: does it cover the roof itself? It doesn’t — but the insulation underneath is grant-aided, and a re-roof is the best moment to get it right.

Here’s a plain-English rundown of what SEAI covers, the current grant amounts, and how it fits with roof work in Cork. Grant figures below are SEAI-published typical amounts — they change, so always confirm the latest on SEAI.ie before you apply.

What does the SEAI attic insulation grant cover?

The grant covers insulation — usually laying or topping up insulation at attic-floor (joist) level, or insulating at rafter level where the attic is a habitable room. It does not cover the roof covering, tiles, felt, membrane or structural roof work. SEAI reports that a home loses an average of 20–30% of its heat through the roof, which is why attic insulation is one of the cheapest, highest-impact upgrades you can make on an older Cork house.A lot of Cork’s pre-2000 semi-detached and terraced homes off the N20, N22 and N40 have little or no attic insulation, or a thin layer laid decades ago that has slumped — exactly the stock these grants are designed for.

How much is the attic insulation grant in 2026?

SEAI sets fixed attic-insulation grant amounts by property type. The typical SEAI-published figures are:

Property type	Typical attic insulation grant (SEAI)
Detached house	€2,000
Semi-detached / end of terrace	€1,300
Mid-terrace house	€1,200
Apartment	€800

From 2 March 2026, first-time buyers and people on a qualifying welfare payment can claim a flat €2,500 attic-insulation grant regardless of house type. Standard amounts and eligibility change periodically — always confirm the current figure on seai.ie before you budget. All figures are the grant value, not the job cost.

Source: SEAI. These are typical published amounts and change periodically — confirm the current figures before you apply.

The figures above are for the individual grant route, where you pick your own SEAI-registered contractor and claim the grant back. There is also a fully-funded / One Stop Shop route where SEAI-approved providers manage a deeper whole-home upgrade and the support levels can be considerably higher (in some cases fully or heavily funded for eligible households). If you’re doing several measures at once — insulation, ventilation, windows — it’s worth asking SEAI which route gives you the better overall value.

Who is eligible for the grant?

The main conditions are straightforward. Your home must have been built and occupied before the SEAI cut-off date (an older-home requirement — check the current date on SEAI.ie, as it has moved over the years). The work must be carried out by an SEAI-registered contractor, and you must apply for grant approval before the work begins. A BER (Building Energy Rating) assessment is required after the work so SEAI can confirm the upgrade. Full terms are on SEAI’s grants page.

How do you apply for the attic insulation grant?

The individual-grant process runs in a set order — do it out of sequence and you can lose the grant:

1. Apply to SEAI first and get grant approval before any work starts.
2. Choose an SEAI-registered contractor from SEAI’s list and agree the work and price.
3. Have the insulation installed to SEAI’s technical standard, including any required ventilation.
4. Get a post-works BER assessment from a registered assessor.
5. Submit your claim with the invoice and BER, and SEAI pays the grant.

Which type of attic insulation suits your roof?

The right material depends on whether you’re insulating the attic floor or the roof slope itself:

• Mineral wool rolls (quilt) — the standard, cost-effective option laid between and over the ceiling joists in a cold-roof attic. Easy to top up to the recommended depth, and by far the most common choice on Cork semi-detached and terraced stock.
• Rigid insulation boards on the rafters (warm roof) — used when the attic is a converted room or you want the loft space kept warm. Boards fit between and under the rafters to insulate the roof slope. This pairs naturally with a re-roof, when the rafters are exposed.
• Spray foam — approach with caution. Sprayed foam onto the underside of the roof can trap moisture, hide defects and interfere with roof ventilation. Just as important, many lenders and surveyors flag spray-foamed roofs during a sale or mortgage, which can complicate or block a transaction. Most reputable roofers, us included, steer clients away from it.

Why does attic insulation need proper roof ventilation?

Insulation and ventilation are two halves of the same job. Pile insulation into a cold roof without maintaining airflow at the eaves and ridge and you push the dew point into the timbers — warm, moist household air hits cold surfaces and condenses, leading to damp, mould and eventually rot. Cork’s damp, Atlantic-exposed climate makes this worse than most. That’s why roof ventilation matters as much as the insulation itself, and why good roof insulation is always specified with airflow in mind.

When the roof covering is off for a full re-roof, the attic and rafters are more accessible than they’ll ever be again — the ideal moment to add a breathable membrane and get insulation and ventilation right together, rather than paying twice for access. If you’re budgeting, our cost of a new roof in Cork 2026 guide breaks down the numbers.