Our free planning guides explain how the Irish planning system works in plain English, written for homeowners, landowners, businesses and investors. Each guide is a detailed, 13-page PDF covering the current rules, including the July 2026 changes to exempted development and the move to the Planning and Development Act 2024. There is no sign-up and no email required. Simply download the guide you need.
The guides are prepared by Ireland Planning, led by Patrick O’Reilly, Director and Senior Planning Consultant and a Full Corporate Member of the Irish Planning Institute (MIPI). We advise across all 26 counties and all 31 local planning authorities.
Download our free Irish planning guides
House Extensions & Exempted Development in Ireland
The 45 m² rear extension rules introduced in July 2026, the 25 m² private open space rule, height, window and boundary limits, front and side works, attic conversions and the new Class 1B dormer exemption, garden rooms and Class 3A auxiliary dwellings, Protected Structures and ACAs, and why a Section 5 Declaration gives formal certainty for a sale or mortgage.
13 pages · PDF · November 2026 edition · Republic of Ireland
Change of Use & Commercial-to-Residential Planning in Ireland
Material change of use, the classes of use and exempt changes, the Article 10(6) commercial-to-residential exemption (extended to 31 December 2028), cafés, restaurants and takeaways, medical and dental clinics, the 2026 short-term letting rules, zoning objectives, traffic and parking.
13 pages · PDF · November 2026 edition · Republic of Ireland
Retention Planning Permission & Unauthorised Works in Ireland
When retention is needed, how councils assess it on the normal planning merits, Warning Letters and Enforcement Notices, what the 7-year rule does and does not do, and why solicitors and lenders still ask for retention or a Section 5 Declaration on a sale or remortgage.
13 pages · PDF · November 2026 edition · Republic of Ireland
Rural One-Off Housing, Local Needs & the Irish Planning Process
County Development Plan rural housing and Local Needs policies, ribbon development, sightlines and road safety, EPA wastewater and percolation testing, and the full planning process: Section 247 pre-planning, notices, 5-week submissions, the 8-week decision, Further Information, revised applications and appeals to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
13 pages · PDF · November 2026 edition · Republic of Ireland
What the guides cover
- Exempted development under the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended), including the 45 m² extension limit, Class 1B dormers, the 30 m² garden structure limit and the new Class 1A and Class 3A exemptions.
- Section 5 Declarations for formal certainty on whether works are exempt, and how they help on a sale or remortgage.
- Change of use, the classes of use and the commercial-to-residential exemption for vacant shops, offices and pubs.
- Retention planning permission, planning enforcement and the 7-year rule.
- Rural housing, Local Needs policies, sightlines, EPA wastewater requirements and the full planning process from Section 247 pre-planning to a final grant.
Planning law in transition: the remaining parts of the Planning and Development Act 2024 come into operation on 26 November 2026. Applications lodged before midnight on 25 November 2026 continue under the Planning and Development Act 2000. Each guide explains the main changes. The guides are general information, not legal advice about any particular property.
Tell us your Eircode and proposal for an initial feasibility review
Every site is different. Send us the Eircode, the current use and what you would like to build or change, and we will review the planning history, the development plan and the likely route to permission.
Call 01 223 2496 or email info@irelandplanning.ie, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.