HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a builder in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A builder in Ireland costs €200–€450 per day, typically around €300. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a builder in five steps

  1. Are you on the Construction Industry Register Ireland, and what is your number?A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — outdoor Work — builders can also assist with outdoor projects such as patios, driveways, and garden walls.
  2. Will I get a Certificate of Compliance on Completion, and when?On the day the work is finished and tested, not posted on later — structural Repairs — builders are skilled in handling structural repairs, including fixing foundations, walls, and roofs.
  3. How does project size change the price?Every extra metre adds both labour and materials. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does materials used change the price?The quantity needed is worked out before the quote is given. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. How does condition of the existing structure change the price?Problems hidden underneath are found once the work begins. — ask before the quote rather than after.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI)

CIRI is a VOLUNTARY register today. The Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 was signed on 5 July 2022 and S.I. 429/2022 commenced parts of it on 29 August 2022; the Construction Industry Federation was appointed registration body on 16 January 2023. Registration is NOT yet mandatory: the divisions regulations had not been drafted as of a May 2025 Dáil answer, and CIRI itself projects mandatory registration from 2027. So being absent from CIRI breaks no law in 2026 — and being on it is still the only independent check of a builder that exists here.

Search the Construction Industry Register Ireland for the name or the registration number before you agree a price. ciri.ie →

a Certificate of Compliance on Completion

Issued by the assigned certifier and the builder, where the work needed a commencement notice on completion, before the building is occupied. It matters because it is lodged on the statutory register and is what a buyer's solicitor looks for; work done without one surfaces on sale.

Agree before the work starts that you will be handed a certificate of compliance on completion, and keep it with the house papers.

Insurance

Expect public liability and, for anything structural, professional indemnity from whoever designed it. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

VAT

VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you on the Construction Industry Register Ireland, and what is your number?”

A good answer: A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — outdoor Work — builders can also assist with outdoor projects such as patios, driveways, and garden walls.

“Will I get a Certificate of Compliance on Completion, and when?”

A good answer: On the day the work is finished and tested, not posted on later — structural Repairs — builders are skilled in handling structural repairs, including fixing foundations, walls, and roofs.

“How does project size change the price?”

A good answer: Every extra metre adds both labour and materials. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does materials used change the price?”

A good answer: The quantity needed is worked out before the quote is given. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does condition of the existing structure change the price?”

A good answer: Problems hidden underneath are found once the work begins. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Renovations and Refurbishments — whether it's a complete home renovation or a simple refurbishment, builders can transform your space — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a builder job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect public liability and, for anything structural, professional indemnity from whoever designed it — home Extensions — builders can help you create additional living space by constructing home extensions.

Getting the quote right

  • Project size — every extra metre adds both labour and materials.
  • Materials used — the quantity needed is worked out before the quote is given.
  • Condition of the existing structure — problems hidden underneath are found once the work begins.
  • Access to the site — scaffolding or a tower adds a cost of its own.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They are not on the Construction Industry Register Ireland, or the number does not resolve to the name on the quote
  • No a Certificate of Compliance on Completion is offered, or you are told you do not need one for work of this kind
  • They will not talk about it: project size — every extra metre adds both labour and materials
  • They will not talk about it: materials used — the quantity needed is worked out before the quote is given
  • They will not talk about it: condition of the existing structure — problems hidden underneath are found once the work begins
  • A price for the builder before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
LOW
€200
TYPICAL
€300
HIGH
€450

What a builder costs: €200–€450 per day

The figures are for the job, per day, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. New build construction and Home renovation each carry their own band. Builder price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Builders near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstProject size — every extra metre adds both labour and materials — that is what the builder is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneMaterials used — the quantity needed is worked out before the quote is given — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfCondition of the existing structure — problems hidden underneath are found once the work begins — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherAccess to the site — scaffolding or a tower adds a cost of its own — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the builder is still there.
  5. What you are handedA Certificate of Compliance on Completion, the invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, safety standards must be adhered to throughout the construction process to protect workers and residents.

Home Extensions
Builders can help you create additional living space by constructing home extensions.
Renovations and Refurbishments
Whether it's a complete home renovation or a simple refurbishment, builders can transform your space.
Structural Repairs
Builders are skilled in handling structural repairs, including fixing foundations, walls, and roofs.
Outdoor Work
Builders can also assist with outdoor projects such as patios, driveways, and garden walls.
New Build Construction
Involves the complete construction of a new property from the ground up, including planning, foundation work, and finishing touches.
Home Renovation
Focuses on updating and improving existing structures, whether through cosmetic changes or structural modifications.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep a Certificate of Compliance on CompletionA Certificate of Compliance on Completion is issued by the trader, not asked for later — outdoor Work — builders can also assist with outdoor projects such as patios, driveways, and garden walls, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the builder has gone.
Test what was doneStructural Repairs — builders are skilled in handling structural repairs, including fixing foundations, walls, and roofs — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. renovations and Refurbishments — whether it's a complete home renovation or a simple refurbishment, builders can transform your space — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a builder's card means something — home Extensions — builders can help you create additional living space by constructing home extensions.

MONEY BACK

Grants that may apply

GOV.IE · CROÍ CÓNAITHE · ADMINISTERED BY YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY · GRANTVerified 18 August 2026

Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

Up to €50,000 to refurbish a vacant property, or up to €70,000 if it is derelict (higher again for multi-unit conversions of former commercial/public buildings).

Who: The named owner turning a property that has been vacant for at least two years (and built before 2008) into their permanent home or a rental. Not available to companies.

Official details on gov.ie →

Schemes change. The amounts above were checked on the dates shown; the official page is the one that counts.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itReport it to Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI).
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring a builder: questions people ask

The cost of hiring a builder can vary based on project size, complexity, and materials used. Additional factors include location, builder experience, and any necessary permits or inspections.

The duration of a building project can vary significantly, ranging from a few weeks for minor renovations to several months for larger extensions or structural changes. A detailed timeline can be established during the initial consultation.

While some builders may offer emergency services, availability can vary. It's advisable to contact builders directly to inquire about urgent needs, as response times depend on their current workload.

Yes, many builders can accommodate multiple related jobs, which can sometimes lead to cost savings. Discussing your project scope with the builder can help them provide a comprehensive quote.

Builders generally do not handle tasks outside their expertise, such as plumbing and electrical work unless they have the appropriate qualifications. It's important to clarify the scope of work during the initial discussions.

Search the name or the registration number. If the number does not resolve to the name on the quote, stop there.