Applying for an SEAI grant follows a fixed order: pick your measure, line up a registered contractor, apply and get written approval before any work starts, complete the works, get a post-works BER, then submit your claim for payment. Skip the approval step and you forfeit the grant entirely.
This guide walks through each stage for the individual grant pathway and notes where the One Stop Shop route differs.
Step 1: Choose your measure
Decide which upgrade you want funded. SEAI grants cover insulation, heat pumps, solar PV, heating controls, windows, external doors, and EV chargers. Each has its own grant value and rules, so start with the SEAI grants guide to compare options and confirm your home qualifies.
A sensible order of works matters. Insulation and heating controls usually come before a heat pump, because a well-sealed home lets a smaller, cheaper heat pump do the job.
Step 2: Check eligibility
Before you spend anything, confirm the basics: you own the home, it was built before the relevant cut-off year, and you have not already claimed that specific measure for this property. The full rules are on our SEAI grant eligibility page.
Step 3: Pick a registered contractor
You must use a contractor from SEAI’s registered list. Using an unregistered installer voids the grant, no exceptions. Get at least two or three quotes so you can compare price and lead time. The contractor will often help with the paperwork, but the grant application is in your name.
Step 4: Apply before works start
This is the step people get wrong. Submit your application through SEAI’s online portal and wait for the written grant offer before signing off any work.
| Stage | Who acts | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Online application | Homeowner | Application reference |
| Grant offer | SEAI | Written approval, valid for a set period |
| Works | Registered contractor | Completed measure |
| Claim | Homeowner | Payment |
Your grant offer has an expiry date, so do not apply months before you are ready to proceed.
Step 5: Assessments and BER
Some measures need an assessment up front. A heat pump requires a technical assessment, funded by the heat-pump-technical-assessment grant, to confirm your home is suitable.
If you go through a One Stop Shop, a pre-works home energy assessment is built in. SEAI part-funds this with the home energy assessment grant of €350 ( Source: SEAI, 12 June 2026 ), and the One Stop Shop manages the whole project end to end. See One Stop Shop vs individual grants to decide which suits you.
For the individual grant route, you generally fund your own standalone Building Energy Rating. SEAI supports this with the BER assessment grant of €50 ( Source: SEAI, 12 June 2026 ) once your upgrade works are complete. Learn what the rating means on our BER ratings page, and see typical BER cert cost.
Step 6: Complete the works
Your registered contractor carries out the upgrade to SEAI’s technical standards. Keep all invoices and the contractor declaration form, which confirms the work met those standards. You will need both for your claim.
Step 7: Post-works BER
After the works, a registered BER assessor inspects the home and lodges a new BER cert. This proves the energy improvement actually happened. The post-works BER is mandatory for most individual grants; without it, SEAI will not pay.
Step 8: Submit your claim and get paid
Log back into the portal, upload your post-works BER, contractor declaration, and proof of payment, then submit the claim. SEAI reviews it and, once everything checks out, pays the grant directly to you.
| Document | Needed for claim? |
|---|---|
| Grant offer reference | Yes |
| Contractor declaration | Yes |
| Post-works BER | Yes (most measures) |
| Proof of payment / invoice | Yes |
Payment typically lands within four to six weeks of a clean claim. Missing paperwork is the most common cause of delay, so double-check the file before submitting.
Common pitfalls
- Starting work before approval — the single biggest reason claims are rejected.
- Using an unregistered contractor — instantly voids the grant.
- Letting the grant offer expire — apply only when you are ready to go.
- Forgetting the post-works BER — no BER, no payment for most measures.
Ready to apply?
Confirm exactly which grants your home can claim, and how much you could get back, before you contact a contractor.