Planning
Do I need planning permission for a new roof?
Usually not, to re-roof a house in the same or a similar material. Works for maintenance or improvement that don't materially affect the external appearance are exempted development under section 4(1)(h) of the Planning and Development Act 2000. A protected structure, an architectural conservation area, or a change that alters how the house looks, is different.
- €9,000 to €14,000a new concrete tile roof on a two-storey semi, incl. VAT (RoofQuote.ie)
- €16,000 to €24,000the same house in natural slate (RoofQuote.ie)
- 3 to 10 daysfor most house roofs, weather allowing (BookMyRoofer.ie)
- 13.5% VATon roofing work on a house, not 23% (Revenue)
FreeNo obligationOne company rings you, not fiveNothing agreed until you accept a written price
The rule
What the law says
Section 4(1)(h) exempts works for the maintenance, improvement or other alteration of a structure that affect only the interior, or that don't materially affect its external appearance so as to make it inconsistent with its own character or its neighbours' (Planning and Development Act 2000). Replacing worn slates with new slates, or old concrete tiles with new ones, normally fits.
When to ask
When to ask the council first
- A protected structure: on the council's Record of Protected Structures. Works that would materially affect its character need permission. Ask for a section 57 declaration.
- An architectural conservation area: works to the outside are exempt only if they wouldn't materially affect the character of the area (section 82).
- A change of material or look: slate to concrete tile, tile to metal, a new colour that stands out on a terrace.
- A change of shape: raising the ridge, a new dormer at the front, changing a hip to a gable.
Two real decisions
What councils have decided
Cork, 2025. Cork County Council declared that replacing a thatched roof with slate on an outbuilding was exempted development under section 4(1)(h), because the house and most buildings on the site were already slated.
Offaly, 2024. For a protected structure, Offaly County Council declared that removing and replacing the original quarry slate, with new battens, timbers and felt where needed, didn't need permission, on conditions: the old slates stored and re-used on the front, the ridge tiles kept, and the cast iron gutters repaired.
Each was decided on its own facts. They show how a council looks at it: the material, the look, and whether it's a protected structure.
Getting certainty
A section 5 declaration
If you're unsure, ask the council for a declaration under section 5 of the Act on whether your roof work is development and whether it's exempted. You send drawings or photos and a description, and the council decides. Do it before you sign with a roofer.
See it first
A new roof on your own photo
Take a photo of the house from the road, pick natural slate, fibre cement slate or concrete tile, and see it finished before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer 4 questions.
- We pass it to one company that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture and isn't kept.
A photo that works
- Daylight, from the footpath or the garden.
- The whole roof in the shot, ridge to gutter.
- Straight on to the front, not up close.
- Never go up on the roof to take it.
Free quote
Get a price in 4 taps
Tap what you need and leave your number. It goes to one roofing company that covers your county, and they ring you back to arrange a look and a written price.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Can I change from slate to tiles without planning permission?
Sometimes. It depends on whether the change materially affects how the house looks against its own character and its neighbours. On a protected structure or in an architectural conservation area, ask the council first.
Do I need planning permission to replace roof tiles like for like?
Not usually: it's maintenance that doesn't materially change the external appearance (Planning and Development Act 2000).
Do I need permission for roof windows?
Rooflights at the back are commonly treated as exempt; at the front, in a conservation area or on a protected structure, ask the council.
Who checks this?
Your county or city council's planning department. A section 5 declaration gives you its answer in writing.
Keep reading
Related guides
Where these numbers come from (6 public sources, checked 3 November 2026)
- Planning and Development Act 2000, section 4
- Planning and Development Act 2000, section 82 (architectural conservation areas)
- Cork County Council, section 5 declaration D/277/25: thatch to slate (2025)
- Offaly County Council, section 57 declaration DEC/24/001: re-slating a protected structure (2024)
- Planning and Development Act 2000, section 5 (declarations)
- Revenue, VAT on construction services (reviewed Aug 2026)
Sources (2)
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.
- RoofQuote.ie: roofquote.ie
- BookMyRoofer.ie: bookmyroofer.ie