Kitchen and house extensions in Galway
A single-storey kitchen extension in Galway costs €1,400 to €2,000 per m² to build, including VAT. A 25 m² extension with a new kitchen and fees comes to €45,000 to €85,000 all in, standard to mid-range. Up to 45 m² at the back needs no planning permission if it meets the conditions.
Builders covering Galway city, Oranmore, Athenry, Tuam, Loughrea, Ballinasloe. What it costs here, the housing, and the council.
Free, no obligation. One local builder prices it, not five.
- €1,400–€2,000per m² in Galway, incl. VAT
- €45,000–€85,00025 m² with a kitchen, all in
- 82 m²average extension given permission in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, 2025
- 98,654households in Galway (Census 2022)
Extending a house in Galway
Galway is a county of detached houses: 59% of households, the highest share of these seven counties, and only 9% terraced (Census 2022). On a detached house the upstairs limit under the exemption is 20 m², not 12 m², and there's usually room down the side.
It's young housing too: 30% of homes were built between 2001 and 2010, against 25% nationally. Check the planning permission for your house or estate for a condition removing exempted development rights.
Extensions here are bigger. In 2025, councils in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon granted 602 permissions to extend homes, averaging 82 m² (CSO), against 66 m² nationally.
Galway city has its own council, Galway City Council; the rest of the county is Galway County Council. Building costs in Connacht are the lowest in the country: €1,400 to €2,000 per m² for a single-storey extension, including VAT.
- 59%detached
- 21%semi-detached
- 9%terraced
- 23%built 1946 to 1980
What an extension costs in Galway
| Type | Build cost in Galway |
|---|---|
| Single-storey rear | €1,400 to €2,000 per m² |
| Side return | €1,700 to €2,200 per m² |
| Wraparound | €2,050 to €2,900 per m² |
| Two-storey | €1,850 to €2,250 per m² |
| High spec or glazed | €2,600 to €3,200 per m² |
- 20 m² single-storey rear, mid-range, with a kitchen: €49,000 to €75,000
- 30 m² single-storey rear, mid-range, with a kitchen: €66,000 to €95,000
- 40 m² wraparound, mid-range, with a kitchen: €115,000 to €151,000
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 Galway, mid-range, with wide glass doors and a new kitchen: €58,000 to €85,000 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 Galway
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 Galway go to Galway City Council and Galway 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.
Galway questions
How much does a kitchen extension cost in Galway?
A single-storey kitchen extension in Galway costs €1,400 to €2,000 per m² to build, including VAT. A 25 m² extension with a new kitchen and fees comes to €45,000 to €85,000 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 Galway?
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 Galway City Council and Galway County Council.
Do you cover all of Galway?
Yes. Your request goes to one vetted builder who covers your county, including Galway city, Oranmore, Athenry, Tuam, Loughrea, Ballinasloe.
How big are extensions in Galway?
Those that needed planning permission in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon averaged 82 m² in 2025 (CSO). Exempt extensions are up to 45 m².
Who will ring me?
One vetted builder who covers Galway. 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.