Attic insulation is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make to an Irish house, and it is one of the few jobs the State will pay for in part or even in full. The SEAI grants changed again this autumn, and Budget 2027 means more households now qualify for free insulation. Here is what the grants are worth in 2026, who can get them, how the process works, and one thing that often gets skipped: making sure the roof above the insulation is sound first.
How much is the SEAI attic insulation grant in 2026?
The standard grant under the SEAI’s Better Energy Homes scheme is a fixed amount that depends on the type of house:
- Apartment: €1,100
- Mid-terrace house: €1,400
- Semi-detached or end-of-terrace house: €1,500
- Detached house: €2,000
A higher rate applies if you get a qualifying social welfare payment, or if you are a first-time buyer living in a second-hand home you bought from 1 January 2025. It runs from €1,400 for an apartment up to €2,500 for a detached house. From October 2026 the SEAI is also extending higher attic grants of between €1,400 and €2,500 to homes rented under HAP or RAS.
For most houses in Kerry, Cork and Limerick, that covers a large share of the cost of bringing the attic up to around 300 mm of insulation. You can see what the job involves and rough prices on our attic and roof insulation page.
Who qualifies, and how the grant works
- The house must have been built and lived in before 2011. Newer homes were built to a higher insulation standard and are not covered.
- You need grant approval before any work starts. If you buy materials or start the job before your approval comes through, you lose the grant. This catches people out every year.
- The work must be done by a contractor on the SEAI’s register, or arranged through an SEAI One Stop Shop.
- You have eight months from approval to finish the work and claim the grant.
- You need a BER assessment after the work, carried out by a registered BER assessor. There is a small separate grant towards its cost.
Applications are made online at seai.ie. Amounts and conditions change from time to time, so check the current figures there before you plan the job.
Free attic insulation under the Warmer Homes Scheme
If you own and live in a house built before 2006 and get Fuel Allowance, or certain other payments such as Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Carer’s Allowance, you may be able to get attic insulation for free under the SEAI’s Warmer Homes Scheme. Depending on the house, it can also include wall insulation, draught proofing and other upgrades.
Budget 2027 raised the income limit for Fuel Allowance for pensioners, so more older people in the south west will now qualify for the scheme. Two things to know before you apply:
- The wait is long. The SEAI’s own estimate is that it can be two years or more from application to finished works, although older homes with poor energy ratings may be prioritised.
- You do not pick the contractor. The SEAI sends a surveyor and allocates the work to one of its appointed contractors.
If you think you might qualify, it is worth applying now, even if the work will not happen this winter.
Check the roof before you insulate
This is the part the grant does not cover, and it is where we come in. Insulation works by keeping the heat in the house. That makes the attic above it colder than it was before. A cold attic is fine if the roof is dry and well ventilated. If it is not, the new insulation can make an existing problem worse.
Leaks soak the new insulation
Mineral wool that gets wet stops insulating and takes a long time to dry out. A slipped slate, cracked ridge or failed flashing that only drips in heavy rain can soak a strip of brand new insulation in a single winter, and you may not notice until a stain shows on the ceiling. If you have seen damp patches upstairs, read our guide to a roof leaking in heavy rain and get the cause fixed before anyone lays a roll of insulation.
Ventilation keeps the timbers dry
A roof needs air moving through it, in at the eaves and out higher up. When insulation is packed tight into the eaves it blocks that air path, and moist air from the house condenses on the cold underside of the felt. The result is drips onto the insulation, black mould on the timbers and, over time, rot. A good insulation job leaves a clear gap at the eaves, using trays or vents where needed. On older roofs with no ventilation at all, it may be worth adding eaves or tile vents at the same time.
Old felt and tired slates
If the underlay is torn or brittle, or a lot of slates are slipping, the roof may be close to needing re-covering. In that case it makes sense to plan the two jobs together. When a roof is stripped for re-roofing, the attic is open anyway, the ventilation can be designed in properly, and a breathable membrane goes under the new slates.
A damp attic is not only a building problem. Our article on why a dry home is a healthy home explains how leaks and mould affect the people living below.
Grant or no grant: which way to go?
AltRoofing is not on the SEAI contractor register, so we cannot carry out grant-funded insulation. What we can do is make sure the roof is ready for it. A sensible order for most houses is:
- Get the roof checked for leaks, slipped slates, flashings and ventilation, and have any repairs done first.
- Apply for the grant and wait for approval before any insulation work starts.
- Have the insulation fitted by an SEAI-registered contractor, with the eaves left clear.
- Book the BER assessment and claim the grant.
If you are re-roofing anyway, or you do not qualify for a grant, we can fit attic or rafter-level insulation as part of the roofing work, while the roof is open and the labour costs least.
SEAI attic insulation grant: common questions
How much is the SEAI attic insulation grant in 2026?
The standard grant is €1,100 for an apartment, €1,400 for a mid-terrace house, €1,500 for a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house and €2,000 for a detached house. Higher amounts, up to €2,500, apply to people on qualifying welfare payments, first-time buyers of second-hand homes and homes rented under HAP or RAS.
Can I claim the grant after the insulation is done?
No. You must have grant approval from the SEAI before you buy materials or start any work. Work that has already started does not qualify.
Who can get attic insulation for free?
Homeowners who live in a house built before 2006 and receive Fuel Allowance or certain other welfare payments can apply for free upgrades under the SEAI’s Warmer Homes Scheme. Waiting times are long, often two years or more.
Does AltRoofing do grant-funded attic insulation?
No. Grant-funded work has to be done by an SEAI-registered contractor, and we are not on that register. We repair roofs and sort out ventilation before insulation goes in, and we fit insulation without a grant as part of re-roofing work.
Should I fix my roof before insulating the attic?
Yes. New insulation makes the attic colder, so any leak or lack of ventilation shows up faster as wet insulation, condensation and mould. Fixing the roof first protects the money you spend on insulation.
Getting your roof ready for winter and insulation
If you are planning to insulate this winter and want the roof checked first, ring 085 220 1422 or send a photo on WhatsApp. We carry out roof repairs, leak repairs and full re-roofing across Kerry, Cork and Limerick, with a free survey, a written fixed price and a written guarantee on our work. Or get in touch here.