Wraparound extensions
A wraparound is an L-shaped extension that turns the back corner of the house and takes in the side passage. Expect €2,200 to €3,200 per m² across Ireland and €2,500 to €3,500 per m² in Dublin, VAT included. The side part nearly always needs planning permission. Downstairs it gives one big family room, with a corner left for a utility, a toilet or a playroom.
One L-shaped extension round the back and the side: what it costs, why the corner costs more, and the planning.
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- €2,200–€3,200per m², VAT in, across Ireland
- €2,500–€3,500per m², Dublin
- 45 m²exempt limit for the part behind the house
- €142,000–€172,00045 m² in Kildare, opened into the house
What it does to the house
A wraparound takes the back of the house and the strip down the side and makes them one room. The old kitchen, the dining room and the side passage become a single space with the garden along two sides, and the corner left over takes a utility, a downstairs toilet or a playroom you can close the door on.
Why the corner costs more
Per m², a wraparound runs at €2,200 to €3,200, where a straight extension behind the house is €1,500 to €2,200. The extra goes on the structure: with the back and the side of the house opened up, a frame of steel holds up the corner, not a single beam. The glass usually turns the corner too, and the roof needs a valley where its two parts meet.
- 30 m² in Limerick, mid-range: €85,000 to €102,000
- 40 m² in Meath, mid-range: €125,000 to €150,000
- 50 m² in Dublin, mid-range: €155,000 to €185,000
Each one includes VAT and fees. The steel into the old house, and anything you fit out, go on top in the planner.
Plan your house extension
Four quick taps, and your plan fills in as you answer: what it costs, whether it needs planning permission and how long it takes. Contact details come last, and only if you want a builder to price it.
40 m² wraparound, mid-range finish: €113,000 to €138,000, including VAT and fees.
How the estimate is worked out
Every kind of extension has a build rate per m² for each region of Ireland, VAT at 13.5% included. A standard finish uses the lower half of that range and mid-range the upper half; high spec or a wall of glass moves the build to the glazed rate. Design, engineer and BER fees go on top, with anything you tick (an en-suite, a kitchen, a steel beam into the house) priced at your finish. A garage conversion gets one price for the whole job, since the walls and roof are already standing. Totals are rounded to the nearest €1,000. Use it to plan with. It isn't a quote: a builder prices your house after seeing it.
Planning
The part behind the house can be exempt within the 45 m². The side part sits beside the house rather than behind it, and Class 1 doesn't reach it, so a wraparound usually needs planning permission. If the side part is an attached garage being converted, it can be exempt too, within the same 45 m².
An application means drawings, notices, €34 to the council and about 12 weeks before the permission is final.
Other ways to extend
Each has its own page: costs by size, the planning rules that apply and the weeks of building.
Single-storey rearOne new room behind the house at ground level: a family room, a playroom or a bedroom for a parent.
Two-storeyTwo new floors in one build: more living space downstairs and an extra bedroom over it.
Side extensionThe strip beside a semi or detached house, built on at one level or two.
Garage conversionThe garage you already have becomes a bedroom, an office or a playroom.
Bedroom and en-suiteOne more bedroom, downstairs or up, with a shower room of its own.Questions before you build
What does a wraparound extension cost in Ireland?
A wraparound is an L-shaped extension that turns the back corner of the house and takes in the side passage. Expect €2,200 to €3,200 per m² across Ireland and €2,500 to €3,500 per m² in Dublin, VAT included. The side part nearly always needs planning permission. Downstairs it gives one big family room, with a corner left for a utility, a toilet or a playroom.
Does a wraparound need planning permission?
In most cases, because the side part isn't behind the house. If the side part is an attached garage being converted, it can be exempt within the 45 m².
Wraparound or rear extension: which suits?
Where the side passage does nothing and you want one large room, the L uses the ground better. If the space behind the house is enough, a rear extension costs less per m² and usually needs no planning application.
What's the timeline for a wraparound?
Plan on 8 to 16 weeks of design and pricing, about 12 weeks for planning permission, then 8 to 14 weeks of building for one storey.
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