Planning application drawings
A complete set of documents, including structural, electrical, water, heating and fire safety. We handle every discipline in-house, so you don't have to chase five different people.
from €2,400Design and planning services since 2008
We handle the paperwork, you get building.
Designs for houses, business premises and extensions, site surveys, BER certificates and the whole planning process. We deal with the council for you — and we know what each planner wants to see.
17years in design
540+planning permissions secured
6 weekstypical house design
€0first consultation
What we do
The whole way from site to completion
Most people come to us with a site and the question: what now? We guide you through the whole process — and do most of the steps for you.
Site surveys
Topographical and level surveys, setting out the building, an as-built survey for completion, and measured surveys of older houses.
from €320Planning applications
We deal with the council, the utilities and the neighbours. You sign, we do the legwork. We know which consultation takes longest, and we start with that one.
from €480BER certificates
For completion, for selling and for renting. Issued within three working days of receiving the details — for a new build, straight from our design.
from €180Extensions and renovations
Our most common job, and the most treacherous — an old house rarely matches its original drawings. We survey what's actually there and design from that.
from €1,200Site inspections
Checking that the build follows the design, and signing off contractors' work. For a self-build it's a building control requirement.
from €90 per inspectionGuide
What you actually need
Choose what you're building and your situation. You'll get a list of documents, including who provides each one — and an estimate of how long it will all take.
What are you building?
Services at the site
Other circumstances
Prices
The prices we start from
A design is priced exactly according to its size and complexity. These are the rates we work from. Prices exclude VAT.
| Item | Basis | Price |
|---|---|---|
| House designall disciplines, planning application stage | per design | from €2,400 |
| Extension designincluding a measured survey | per design | from €1,200 |
| Garage or shed designup to 25 m² footprint | per design | from €620 |
| Business premises or unit designdepending on the use and floor area | per design | from €3,800 |
| Construction drawingsdetail for the builder beyond the planning stage | extra | +45% |
| Topographical surveybase for the design, sites up to 1,000 m² | per survey | €320 |
| Setting outmarking the building on site before digging | per call-out | €260 |
| As-built surveyfor completion | per survey | €290 |
| BER certificatehouse | per certificate | from €180 |
| Handling the planning applicationcouncil, utilities, lodging the application | per job | from €480 |
| Site inspectionan inspection visit on site | per inspection | €90 |
| Consultationthe first one is free, even if you don't go ahead | per hour | €0 / €45 |
How it works
Five steps from site to permission
Consultation
Free of charge. We check the development plan and tell you what can actually be built on the site — sometimes it's less than the owner thought.
Survey
A surveyor measures the site and any existing buildings. Without that, the design can't be drawn.
Design and sign-off
We draw the layout and go through it with you. Anything can change until we start on the application drawings — after that, changes cost time and money.
Drawings and consultations
We draw the design and gather the consultations at the same time. We do both at once so the waiting doesn't add up.
Application and decision
We lodge the application with the council and keep track of the deadlines. If the council asks for further information, we provide it — you don't have to go in.
FAQ
What you ask us most often
How long does planning permission take?
We draw the design itself in four to six weeks. The rest takes longer, and it's the part we can't control: the council has eight weeks to decide, and then there's a four-week window in which anyone can appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. Realistically, allow three to five months from signing the contract to the final grant of permission. If someone promises six weeks, they're only counting their own work.
Can I use an off-the-shelf house plan?
You can, and it's usually cheaper. But a catalogue design always has to be fitted to your site and have its connections added, which is a separate set of drawings. Once you add it all up, the difference compared with a bespoke design is smaller than it looks — and you end up with the house someone else wanted.
Do I need planning permission for a carport?
A garage or shed of up to 25 m² behind the house is usually exempted development, but it depends on its height, its position and whether it's used for anything more than parking and storage. Call before you build — retention permission costs more than the proper one.
What if I've already started building without permission?
It's dealt with through retention permission. It isn't a lost cause, but it's dearer and slower: you need a measured survey of what's been built and a structural assessment, and the retention fee is higher. We do this work, but we'll tell you straight: if the building breaches the development plan or the required distances, it can't be retained.
Do you do designs for grants?
Yes — insulation, home energy upgrades and solar panels. With SEAI grants the order of steps matters, because some schemes don't cover costs incurred before your grant is approved. We go through this with you at the start.
Do I need an assigned certifier?
For a new house or an extension over 40 m², building control rules require one, although an owner self-building a single house can opt out. Even where it isn't required, we recommend independent inspections — your own inspector is the only person on site who represents you rather than the builder. It costs less than one badly done piece of insulation.
Contact
Get in touch
The first consultation is free, even if you don't end up building. Tell us what you want to build, and we'll tell you what it means in paperwork.
- Office12 Castle Street, Anytown
- Office hoursMon – Fri 8:00 – 16:30
The business's phone and email are left out on purpose — this is an example website of a made-up business and we don't want anyone calling or writing to a stranger's number. A real website would show your contact details here. If you'd like a website like this, write to apoliak@apoliak.online.