County Donegal · SEAI wall grants
Wall insulation grants in Donegal
The SEAI wall grants are the same in Donegal as everywhere: for a semi-D, €1,300 to fill a cavity, €3,500 to dry-line and €6,000 to wrap the outside. What differs is the walls: of 23,844 BER certificates for Donegal homes built before 2011 with a known wall type, 85% are cavity walls and 11% solid or hollow block.
Cavity, internal and external wall insulation across Donegal, including Letterkenny, Buncrana, Ballybofey, Carndonagh, Donegal and Bundoran. Send 4 answers and it goes to one SEAI-registered insulation contractor who covers your area.
Free, no obligation. One SEAI-registered contractor prices it, not five.
- 85%of Donegal's older homes have cavity walls
- 7%still show an empty cavity
- 11%have solid or hollow block walls
- 17%show no wall insulation at all
Donegal's walls
How Donegal's homes are built
- Cavity (filled or not)
- Solid or hollow block
- Timber frame
| Main wall on the BER | Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Cavity wall, any | 85% | 67% |
| Cavity with no insulation (empty) | 7% | 6% |
| Cavity recorded as filled | 33% | 22% |
| Solid or hollow block | 11% | 24% |
| Solid or hollow block, no insulation | 10% | 15% |
| Timber frame | 4% | 9% |
| No wall insulation recorded | 17% | 21% |
More Donegal homes have bare solid or hollow block walls (10%) than empty cavities (7%), so internal or external insulation is the commonest wall job here. Donegal has one of the lowest shares of solid and hollow block walls in the country, 1st lowest of 26. The other cavity walls have some insulation in the cavity, usually fitted when the house was built.
23,844 certificates for Donegal homes built before 2011 where the main wall type is recorded, grant BERs left out. Each shows the home on the day it was rated. Shares are our sums.
The jobs
Which grant Donegal's walls need
- Empty cavity: 1,686 certificates. The cavity grant, €1,300 on a semi-D, and typically €300 to €600 left to pay. Usually done in a day.
- Bare solid or hollow block: 2,367 certificates. Internal (dry lining, €3,500 on a semi-D) or external (€6,000). Internal vs external.
- Timber frame: 874 certificates. Usually insulated when built: the contractor checks before quoting anything.
Wall area
How much wall a Donegal home has
| Home type | Median wall area, Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 121 m² | 128 m² |
| Semi-D | 90 m² | 91 m² |
| End of terrace | 85 m² | 85 m² |
| Mid-terrace | 53 m² | 48 m² |
| Apartment | 51 m² | 43 m² |
Median outer wall area on BER certificates for Donegal homes built before 2011. External insulation and dry lining are priced by the square metre, so more wall means a bigger price, while the grant stays fixed.
Homes and heating
Homes, heating and weather in Donegal
Census 2022 households by year built and central heating, our sums. Degree days measure how much heating a place needs; ours are worked out from Met Éireann's 1991 to 2020 grid.
Grant and cost
The grants and the cost in Donegal
| Wall job | Typical cost | SEAI grant | Typically pay after the grant | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavity wall | €1,000 to €2,400 | €700 to €1,800 | €300 to €600 | House size, wall height, access |
| Internal (dry lining) | €5,700 to €9,800 | €1,500 to €4,500 | €4,100 to €7,800 | How many rooms, sockets, radiators and sills |
| External (the wrap) | €11,300 to €26,500 | €3,000 to €8,000 | €8,300 to €18,500 | Wall area, the finish, sills and downpipes |
SEAI's grants and median costs are national: there's no Donegal rate. Typical cost is SEAI's own median from grant-funded jobs, from an apartment to a detached house. VAT isn't stated, so ask for a written price with VAT shown.
Grant check
Your wall grant and what's left to pay
Three taps: the wall job, your home, and which rate fits you. The answer is SEAI's fixed grant and its own median cost for the job.
Your SEAI wall insulation grant
€3,500
- SEAI median cost, Jan to Jun 2026
- €9,843
- Left to pay at the median
- €6,343
SEAI's fixed internal (dry lining) grant for a semi-d or end of terrace at the standard rate is €3,500. SEAI's median cost for that job on a semi-d or end of terrace, January to June 2026, was €9,843. €9,843 less €3,500 leaves about €6,343. Our sum; your quote can be higher or lower.
Send this for a real priceHow this is worked out
The grant is SEAI's fixed amount for that wall job and home type, as SEAI's wall insulation page and Citizens Information list it. The higher rate applies to cavity walls only. The median cost is SEAI's own figure from grant-funded jobs completed between January and June 2026; the PDF doesn't say whether VAT is in. Left to pay is the median less the grant, our sum. The home must have been built and lived in before 2011, every external wall must be done, the contractor must be on SEAI's register, and SEAI must approve the grant before work starts. It's an estimate, never a quote.
Your grant
Your wall grant and a price, in 4 taps
Tap your home, which wall job you think it needs, when it was built and which rate fits you. Then leave your number and one SEAI-registered insulation contractor who covers your area rings you to look at the walls and price it in writing.
FAQ
Donegal questions
How much is the wall insulation grant in Donegal?
The same as everywhere in Ireland. For a semi-D: €1,300 for cavity, €3,500 internal and €6,000 external; for a detached house up to €8,000.
Can Donegal homes get cavity wall insulation?
85% of Donegal's older homes with a known wall type have cavity walls, and 7% still show an empty cavity: those can get the cavity grant. Solid and hollow block walls (11%) can't be filled; they need internal or external insulation.
What does wall insulation cost in Donegal?
After the grant, typically cavity wall €300 to €600; internal (dry lining) €4,100 to €7,800; external (the wrap) €8,300 to €18,500. A bigger wall than Donegal's median costs more.
Do you cover all of Donegal?
Yes. Requests from Letterkenny, Buncrana, Ballybofey and the rest of Donegal go to one SEAI-registered insulation contractor who covers your area.
Nearby figures