SEAI window and door grants in 2026: amounts, rules and how to claim

Published 13 September 2026 · Updated 13 September 2026 · The Home Upgrade Co.

Yes, there is a grant for new windows in Ireland. SEAI's windows and doors grant pays a fixed amount by house type, from €1,500 for an apartment to €4,000 for a detached house, as long as your home and the new windows meet its rules.

This guide from The Home Upgrade Co. sets out SEAI's rules as published on 13 September 2026, in plain terms, for homeowners in Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Grant rules can change, so confirm every detail on SEAI's own page before you apply.

How much is the SEAI window grant in 2026?

SEAI pays a fixed windows grant by house type: €1,500 for an apartment, €1,800 mid-terrace, €3,000 semi-detached or end of terrace, €4,000 detached.

These amounts come straight from the SEAI windows and doors grant page. They are set by the type of home, not by how much you spend, so a bigger job does not raise the grant.

You can apply for windows, doors or both. The windows grant is paid once per property, which matters if you plan to do the job in stages.

Is there an SEAI grant for replacing external doors?

Yes. SEAI pays €800 per external door, up to two doors, and you can claim it with the windows grant or on its own.

The SEAI door grant is for replacing inefficient external doors, the ones between your home and the outside. The same standards apply as for windows: the home has to qualify, and the new doors need a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or lower.

If a draughty front or back door is on your list anyway, it is worth having it priced on the same quote as the windows so you can weigh the whole job at once.

Who can apply for the SEAI windows and doors grant?

Homeowners, landlords, holiday home owners, companies and owner management companies, registered charities and Approved Housing Bodies can all apply, if the home qualifies.

SEAI lists all of these groups as eligible applicants. So a landlord replacing windows in a rented house, or an owner management company looking after an apartment building, is not shut out.

What decides the outcome is the property itself: when it was built, how well it is insulated, and the windows going in.

Is my house eligible for the SEAI window grant?

Your home must be built and occupied before 2011, with good attic and wall insulation, and you must be replacing existing single or double glazing.

Under SEAI's eligibility rules, the house has to have been built and lived in before 2011. The new windows must be high performing units replacing existing single or double glazed windows, and doors must be replacing inefficient ones.

Extensions follow the same line. An extension built before 1 January 2011 qualifies, and one built after that date does not. If part of your house was added more recently, check with SEAI how that affects the windows in that part before you count them in.

How do I know if my insulation is good enough?

Check your BER advisory report for attic and walls rated Good or Very Good, look for previous SEAI insulation grants, or ask a BER assessor.

SEAI accepts three kinds of evidence of good insulation: an earlier SEAI grant for attic or wall insulation on the property, a BER advisory report that rates the attic and walls as Good or Very Good, or advice from a BER assessor.

If your home already has a BER, you can find it on SEAI's national BER register using the number on the certificate. If the insulation is not up to standard, that is not the end of the road. SEAI also runs insulation grants, and the two can be done as one project, as explained below.

What do new windows need to achieve for the grant?

A U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or lower, restrictors where there is a big drop outside, safe emergency escape, adequate ventilation, and a post works BER.

SEAI's payment criteria for windows and doors are specific. Before the grant is paid, the job needs:

• Windows and doors with a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or lower, confirmed on the declaration of works that the contractor and the homeowner both sign.
• Restrictors on any window with an exterior drop of more than 1.4m.
• Emergency escape requirements met.
• Adequate ventilation, including a permanent vent in any room with an open flued appliance, meaning a fire or stove that draws its air from the room.
• A post works BER. SEAI grant aids this, and a combined pre and post works BER is possible.
• Either a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 or lower, or attic and walls rated Good or Very Good.

The U-value is the one to ask about at quote stage. It measures how much heat escapes through the window, and lower is better. Ask every installer to put the U-value of the windows they are quoting in writing, so nothing comes as a surprise when the declaration of works is signed.

Do I have to replace every window to get the grant?

No. You can replace some windows, but SEAI pays the grant once per property and your home must still meet the heat loss requirement.

SEAI's answers to common questions confirm you do not have to do the whole house. Two things follow from that.

First, the grant is fixed by house type and paid once, so doing three windows this year and five next year still means one grant. Second, the Heat Loss Indicator requirement still applies, however many windows you replace. If you are staging the job, plan the stages before you apply, so you know which stage the grant will go towards.

How to apply for the windows and doors grant, step by step

Get registered contractor quotes, apply for the windows and doors grant, wait for your offer, do the works, get a post works BER, then claim.

This is the order SEAI sets out if you apply yourself:

1. Check your home qualifies: built and occupied before 2011, with good attic and wall insulation.
2. Get quotes from SEAI registered contractors.
3. Apply to SEAI for the grant.
4. Wait for your grant offer. Do not start any works before it arrives.
5. Have the windows and doors fitted by your registered contractor.
6. Get your post works BER.
7. Submit your documents, including the declaration of works signed by you and the contractor.
8. SEAI pays the grant. An inspection may apply.

Step four is the one that catches people out. The grant is not backdated, so do not let anyone book a fitting date ahead of your offer. SEAI also publishes a leaflet on upgrading windows and doors if you would like the details on paper, and its page is the place to confirm the current rules before you apply.

Applying yourself or through a One Stop Shop

Apply yourself and SEAI pays the grant to you after the works. Use a One Stop Shop and the grant is deducted upfront instead.

SEAI offers two routes to the windows and doors grant. On the first, you apply, hire an SEAI registered contractor, pay for the work and receive the grant once everything is submitted. On the second, you go through a One Stop Shop and the grant comes off the cost at the start.

The difference is mostly cash flow. If you apply yourself, you need to be able to pay for the job in full before the grant comes back to you.

Can I combine the window grant with attic or wall insulation?

Yes. SEAI lets you do windows and doors alongside attic or wall insulation as one project, with the grants paid together.

This is confirmed in SEAI's windows and doors questions. It helps if your BER advisory report shows the attic or walls below Good, because the insulation that brings them up to standard can go into the same project as the windows.

The Home Upgrade Co. does not carry out insulation work, so that part would need an insulation contractor.

What if my windows are already ordered or installed?

Windows already installed cannot get the grant, because SEAI does not backdate. Windows ordered since 27 January 2026 may qualify if every rule is met.

SEAI's questions page is clear that there is no backdating for windows that are already in. Homeowners who have ordered windows since the government announcement on 27 January 2026 can apply, as long as they meet the eligibility rules and use SEAI registered contractors.

If you ordered before that date, or you are not sure your installer is registered, check with SEAI directly before you count on the grant.

How do I check a window contractor is SEAI registered?

Search the company on SEAI's registered contractor search, and ask for their registration details before you sign a quote or pay a deposit.

SEAI keeps a public search of registered contractors, so you can look a company up before you go any further.

Ask early, before you sign anything. The grant is only paid when the work is done by an SEAI registered contractor or through a One Stop Shop, and it is the contractor who signs the declaration of works confirming the U-value. Finding out after the windows are in that your installer was not registered is too late to fix.

How the grant changes which window jobs are worth doing together

Because the grant is fixed by house type and paid once, it usually makes sense to plan every window and door you want together.

Our guide to what decides the cost of new windows explains why quotes differ so much. The grant adds a second question: which openings belong on the same job?

Start with the worst windows, then look at what else is close to the end of its life. The grant will not grow if you add more windows, but the fixed costs of a survey, delivery and fitting crew spread further across a bigger job. Doors are worth pricing at the same time, because they have their own grant.

Then choose the frame and glass. uPVC windows and thermally broken aluminium windows are both options, and triple glazing suits you if you want to keep as much heat in as possible. Whatever you choose, the grant depends on the U-value on the paperwork, so ask for it on every option you are quoted.

We measure and fit windows across Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. The quote lists every opening separately, so you can see what each window and door would cost and decide which ones to include.

Questions people ask about the SEAI window grant

Does the SEAI window grant cover the full cost of new windows?

No, the grant is a fixed amount set by house type, not a share of your quote. You pay the balance, and that balance depends on the openings, frames and glazing you choose.

Do I need a BER to get the window grant?

Yes, a post works BER is needed before the grant is paid, and SEAI grant aids it. A combined pre and post works BER is possible, and a BER advisory report is one way to show your insulation is good enough.

Can I get the window grant for a house built after 2011?

No, the home must have been built and occupied before 2011. Extensions follow the same line, so an extension built on or after 1 January 2011 does not qualify.

Can a landlord get the SEAI window grant?

Yes, landlords are on SEAI's list of eligible applicants. The property and the new windows still have to meet the same rules as any other home.