If you’re a homeowner in County Kildare, Ireland, planning to build a new house or renovate your existing home, several grants can assist in funding your project.
In this article we cover:
- 10+ grants for renovations
- Grants for new builds
- Other measures only available in Kildare
Below is a summary of available grants:
1. Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant:
- Provides up to €50,000 to renovate vacant properties for use as a principal private residence or for rental purposes.
- An additional top-up grant of €20,000 is available for properties deemed derelict, bringing the total potential funding to €70,000.
- Eligible properties must have been vacant for at least two years and built before 2008.
- Administered by Kildare County Council.
- More information: Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant – Kildare County Council
2. Conservation Advice Grant Scheme for Vacant Traditional Farmhouses:
- Offers up to €5,000 (excluding VAT) to cover the cost of expert conservation advice for owners of vacant traditional farmhouses.
- Aims to assist those availing of or considering the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.
- More information: Conservation Advice Scheme – Kildare County Council
3. Housing Adaptation Grants:
- Three types of grants are available to assist older persons or individuals with disabilities in making necessary alterations to their homes.
- Aims to improve accessibility and living conditions, provide mobility aids and carry out urgent repairs.
- Administered by Kildare County Council.
- Further details: Housing Grants – Kildare County Council
4. Thatching Grant:
- Supports the repair and rethatching of traditional thatched roofs, to preserve the county’s architectural heritage.
- The grant covers full or partial rethatching, thatch repair and maintenance and structural works related to preserving the thatch.
- You must hire a qualified and experienced thatcher to qualify.
- Funding amount varies based on the extent and cost of the work; applicants must submit a quote from a qualified thatcher for assessment.
- All owners of thatched properties located in County Kildare can apply.
- More information: Kildare Thatching Grant Page
5. Lead Remediation Grant:
- Fully funds the replacement of lead piping located within the internal distribution system connected to a domestic water supply that serves a house.
- You will need to supply proof that there are lead pipes in your home; you can get up to €200 in grants for laboratory tests or professional assessments.
- Individuals who own and reside in the property, and those who rent the property on a long-term basis, with the owner’s permission, can apply. Holiday homes do not qualify.
- The maximum grant amount is €5,000, minimum €750 (works costing less than €750 are ineligible).
- More information: Kildare County Council Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme page.
6. Domestic Well Grant:
- This grant is aimed at both the rehabilitation of existing wells (deepening, relining, or removing silt to restore functionality) and the provision of a new well (drilling a new well where existing supply is inadequate).
- The grant also covers water quality treatment, e.g. the installation of filtration or UV systems to meet water quality standards.
- Individuals who own and reside in the property and long-term tenants, with owner consent, can apply. Holiday homes are not eligible.
- For rehabilitation works and a new well you can get 85 per cent of approved costs: up to a maximum of €3,000 for rehabilitation and maximum of €5,000 (if deemed the most appropriate solution) for a new well.
- For water treatment you can get up to 100 per cent of approved costs, up to a maximum of €1,000.
- The minimum grant threshold is €750; works costing less than this are ineligible.
- More information: Kildare County Council Domestic Well Grants page.
7. Septic Tank Grant:
- Assists homeowners with the cost of remediation, repair, upgrading, or replacement of domestic wastewater treatment systems (DWWTS), commonly known as septic tanks.
- Includes necessary improvements identified through inspections under the National Inspection Plan, or in Prioritised Areas for Action or High Status Objective Catchment Areas.
- Routine maintenance, servicing, or de-sludging of the system are not covered.
- To qualify, homeowners whose properties are served by a DWWTS must have received an advisory notice following an inspection under the National Inspection Plan or be located in a designated area (Prioritised Area for Action or High Status Objective Catchment Area).
- Holiday homes do not qualify.
- The grant covers 85 per cent of the approved cost of the eligible works to a maxmimum of €12,000. A minimum of €750 on eligible works required to process the application.
- More information: Is there a grant available to upgrade my septic tank system – Kildare County Council and News – Kildare County Council
8. Energy grants from the SEAI:
- Warmer Homes Scheme (Free Upgrades for Eligible Households): Homeowners receiving qualifying social welfare payments (e.g., Fuel Allowance, Disability Allowance, Working Family Payment) qualify; homes must be built and occupied before 2006 with a Building Energy Rating (BER) of C or lower. The free energy upgrades include insulation, energy-efficient lighting, and, in some cases, heating systems or windows. An SEAI surveyor will assess the home’s suitability. If the home is sold within five years, the homeowner may be required to repay some or all of the grant.
- Individual Energy Upgrade Grants (Better Energy Homes): Grants offered for individual upgrades, allowing homeowners to manage their own energy upgrades step by step. Grants for windows and doors are not available under this scheme, neither are grants for ventilation systems. They only cover insulation (from €1,500 for attic to €8,00 for external wall insulation), heating systems (heat pumps up to €6,500, solar panels (both thermal and PV, up to €1,800).
- One Stop Shop (National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme): Provides a complete energy upgrade solution, including assessment, planning, and implementation. It’s a whole house solution including insulation and airtightness, ventilation, heating, windows and doors. Higher grant amounts are available than the individual upgrades but you must carry out all the work in one go. The grants are deducted from the cost of works upfront by the One Stop Shop. Some providers offer access to the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme for costs not covered by grants.
- Applications are made online. More information: SEAI
9. Electric vehicle home charger grant
- Up to €300 towards the purchase and installation of a home EV charger.
- Applicants must have off-street parking at their residence.
- The property must not have previously received an EV home charger grant or availed of the free ESB Ecars home charger before 2018.
- The charger must be connected to the home’s electricity supply.
- Apply before commencing any installation work. Starting work prior to receiving the Letter of Offer will render the grant ineligible.
- Once approved, you have 6 months to complete the installation and submit the necessary documentation.
- For more information: Electric Vehicle home charger grant
10. Protected Structures Grants
- If your house is on Kildare County Council’s Record of Protected Structures (RPS) or is in the process of being added to the list, you can avail of a number of grants including:
- The Historic Structures Fund which offers €50,000 to €200,000 for major renovation work. You must cover half of the costs yourself.
- The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) which offers between €2,500 and €50,000 for up to 80 per cent of the total project cost and can apply to routing maintenance and minor repairs.
Other measures:
- The Green Kilometre Scheme: This initiative encourages individuals and groups to adopt and maintain a 1 km stretch of rural road, focusing on activities like litter collection and enhancing native hedgerows. Kildare County Council provides native trees and shrubs to participants free of charge, which can be planted back into the hedgerow with the landowner’s permission. The scheme aims to foster community engagement and environmental stewardship. There is no cost or payment to participate in the scheme. More information: Green Kilometre Scheme – Kildare County Council
For more details and to explore other schemes that might suit your project, visit the Kildare County Council website. More information on conservation grants: Bringing Back Homes Manual and the Conservation grants page, email conservation@kildarecoco.ie
