Kitchen and house extensions in Cork
A single-storey kitchen extension in Cork costs €1,500 to €2,100 per m² to build, including VAT. A 25 m² extension with a new kitchen and fees comes to €48,000 to €88,000 all in, standard to mid-range. Up to 45 m² at the back needs no planning permission if it meets the conditions.
Builders covering Cork city, Ballincollig, Carrigaline, Cobh, Midleton, Mallow. What it costs here, the housing, and the council.
Free, no obligation. One local builder prices it, not five.
- €1,500–€2,100per m² in Cork, incl. VAT
- €48,000–€88,00025 m² with a kitchen, all in
- 73 m²average extension given permission in Cork and Kerry, 2025
- 210,918households in Cork (Census 2022)
Extending a house in Cork
Cork has the oldest housing of these counties: 18% of homes were built before 1946, against 15% nationally (Census 2022). Older houses with solid walls and small back kitchens need more care where new meets old: damp, levels and the steel into the old wall.
44% of Cork households live in a detached house, 23% semi-detached and 23% terraced, the city's terraces against the county's one-off houses.
In 2025, councils in Cork and Kerry granted 978 planning permissions to extend homes, averaging 73 m² (CSO), well above Dublin's average: bigger plots allow bigger extensions.
Since 31 May 2019, Ballincollig, Blarney, Glanmire and the area around Cork Airport have been in Cork City Council's area rather than the county's, so check which council covers your address. Building costs in Munster are €1,500 to €2,100 per m² for a single-storey extension, including VAT.
- 44%detached
- 23%semi-detached
- 23%terraced
- 26%built 1946 to 1980
What an extension costs in Cork
| Type | Build cost in Cork |
|---|---|
| Single-storey rear | €1,500 to €2,100 per m² |
| Side return | €1,800 to €2,300 per m² |
| Wraparound | €2,200 to €3,050 per m² |
| Two-storey | €2,000 to €2,400 per m² |
| High spec or glazed | €2,800 to €3,350 per m² |
- 20 m² single-storey rear, mid-range, with a kitchen: €51,000 to €77,000
- 30 m² single-storey rear, mid-range, with a kitchen: €69,000 to €98,000
- 40 m² wraparound, mid-range, with a kitchen: €121,000 to €157,000
All in means build, design and engineer's fees, and a mid-range kitchen, including VAT. Keep 12% to 15% aside.
Plan your extension and see the cost
Nine quick taps. You see your plan build up as you go: the price range, what moves it, the planning position and the build time. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want a real price.
A 25 m² single-storey rear extension in Cork, mid-range, with wide glass doors and a new kitchen: €60,000 to €88,000 all in, including VAT and fees.
How this is worked out
We start from what single-storey extensions cost to build per square metre in each part of Ireland, including VAT at 13.5%, and the rates for side, wraparound, two-storey and heavily glazed extensions. Standard finishes take the lower half of the range, mid-range the upper half, and high spec or a wall of glass the glazed rate. Then we add professional fees (design, engineer, BER) and, if you want one, a new kitchen at your level of finish. Totals are rounded to the nearest €1,000. It's an estimate to plan with, never a quote: the builder prices your house after seeing it.
Planning in Cork
The rules are national: up to 45 m² at the back with no planning permission, if it meets the conditions, since 27 July 2026. Planning applications in Cork go to Cork City Council and Cork County Council. The fee for a house extension is €34, and a section 5 declaration on whether your extension is exempt is €80.
The exemption doesn't apply if the house's own planning permission has a condition that takes exempted development away (common on newer estates), if the house is a protected structure and the work would affect its character, or if the extension would obstruct a public right of way or a road. The full rules.
Every kind of kitchen extension
The costs, the rules and what to ask for, a page each.
Single-storey rearAcross the back of the house, usually with roof windows and wide glass to the garden.
Side returnThe narrow passage beside a terrace's back return, filled in and lit from above.
WraparoundAn L round the back and down the side, for one big kitchen, dining and living room.
Two-storeyA bigger kitchen below and a bedroom above, on one set of foundations.
Roof windows and lanternsFlat with roof windows, pitched, or a glazed lantern over the middle of the room.
Bifold or sliding doorsThe back wall opens to the garden. Which opens better, which seals better.Kitchen extensions by county
Each county page has its own housing figures, council and costs.
Cork questions
How much does a kitchen extension cost in Cork?
A single-storey kitchen extension in Cork costs €1,500 to €2,100 per m² to build, including VAT. A 25 m² extension with a new kitchen and fees comes to €48,000 to €88,000 all in, standard to mid-range. Up to 45 m² at the back needs no planning permission if it meets the conditions.
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Cork?
No planning permission is needed for a rear extension of up to 45 m², counting any earlier extensions built since 1964, if it meets the conditions: no higher than the house, at least 25 m² of private open space left, ground-floor windows at least 1 m from the boundary they face, and upstairs no more than 12 m² on a semi or terrace (20 m² detached). The limit rose from 40 m² on 27 July 2026. Applications go to Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
Do you cover all of Cork?
Yes. Your request goes to one vetted builder who covers your county, including Cork city, Ballincollig, Carrigaline, Cobh, Midleton, Mallow.
How big are extensions in Cork?
Those that needed planning permission in Cork and Kerry averaged 73 m² in 2025 (CSO). Exempt extensions are up to 45 m².
Who will ring me?
One vetted builder who covers Cork. Not a list. Nothing is agreed until you accept a written price.
Get a free quote for your extension
Plan it in under a minute, see the cost, and one vetted builder who covers your county rings you with a proper price.