Conservation Advice Grant Scheme for Traditional Houses
Two thirds (67%) of the cost of a conservation expert's survey and report on your traditional house, up to €5,000. You pay the rest.
Last checked September 2026
What it is
Pays 67% of the cost, up to €5,000, of having a conservation expert visit an old or traditional house, survey it and write a tailored report on its condition and on how to repair, restore and upgrade it, including its energy efficiency, before you start work or apply for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. Two streams. Stream 1 is for a traditional house in a village, town or city that is a protected structure or a historic structure in an Architectural Conservation Area, including a former shop or commercial building being turned into a home or homes above the shop. Stream 2 is for a traditional farmhouse, which includes a vernacular farmhouse with no statutory protection at all, the kind the Department describes as a cottage, a modest house built by ordinary people from local materials such as thatch, stone, slate, earth, wattle or unsawn timber. Since 2026 the house no longer has to be vacant, so an owner living in a period or heritage home can use it to plan an energy upgrade, and it now also covers fire safety advice for multiple-occupancy units in traditional houses. It is for individual owners, not companies or developers. THE 2026 ROUND IS CLOSED: applications closed at 5pm on 8 May 2026 and, subject to funding, it is expected to reopen in 2027, so this is one to get ready for rather than apply to today. Applications go to the National Built Heritage Service by email to conservationadvicegrants@housing.gov.ie, with the subject line CAS26_1 for Stream 1 or CAS26_2 for Stream 2 in 2026, or by post to CAS application, Rm G.59, National Built Heritage Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6X0, with photographs of the building. They are assessed for heritage value and value for money and the best are funded. Your expert then writes the report on the Department's template and submits it by the deadline you are given, which was 28 August in 2026, and the grant is paid once the report is approved. The report can support an application for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, which pays up to €50,000, or €70,000 for a derelict property. Questions to builtheritage@housing.gov.ie.
Who can get it
- You personally own a traditional house, not through a company or as a developer, and have a bank account in the State
- Stream 1: the house is in a village, town or city and is a protected structure or a historic structure in an Architectural Conservation Area, or a former commercial building becoming a home or homes above the shop
- Stream 2: it is a traditional farmhouse, whether a protected structure, in a conservation area, or a vernacular farmhouse with no statutory protection
- It funds the advice, not the building work: two thirds of the cost of a registered architect, engineer or building surveyor with conservation experience visiting, surveying and writing the report, up to €5,000.
- From 2026 the house does not have to be vacant, and people on the SEAI's Traditional Homes Pilot can use it towards a pre-works risk assessment for an energy upgrade.
- The 2026 round closed on 8 May 2026 and funded 69 reports, 30 in Stream 1 and 39 in Stream 2, for €288,136 in total. Subject to funding it is expected to reopen in 2027, so have your photographs and your expert lined up.
How to apply
Applications go through Dept of Housing (National Built Heritage Service). The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 9 September 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
How much is the Conservation Advice Grant?
Two thirds (67%) of the cost of a conservation expert's survey and report, up to a maximum of €5,000.
Does my house have to be a protected structure?
For Stream 1 in a village, town or city, yes, or a historic structure in an Architectural Conservation Area. For Stream 2, a vernacular farmhouse with no statutory protection also qualifies.
Is the Conservation Advice Grant open?
Not at the moment. The 2026 round closed on 8 May 2026 and it is expected to reopen in 2027, subject to funding.
Related guides
- Vacant / Derelict Property Grant
- Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan
- Ready to Build sites
- Living City Initiative
- Pyrite Remediation Scheme
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