Pre-Planning Consultation in Ireland — A Free 30 Minutes That Can Save a Refusal
On this page
Most local authorities offer a free pre-planning consultation. Cheap, voluntary, and can save you a refused application.
Most Irish local authorities offer a pre-planning consultation: 30 minutes with a planner, no commitment, no record on the file. Free in most counties, although some charge €100–€300 for a more detailed pre-app meeting with a written response. Use it before you lodge drawings. A planner will tell you the obvious red flags: siting, design statement, rural housing local needs, septic tank design, overlooking of neighbours, access. A pre-app meeting can save a refused application, which would cost 4 weeks of appeal time and €220 to ABP, plus 18 weeks of appeal decision time. On a complex site (rural, sloping, near a SAC, in a designated area), the €300 pre-app meeting is the cheapest €300 you will spend on the planning process.
TL;DR
Most local authorities offer a free pre-planning consultation: 30 minutes with a planner, no commitment, no record on the file.
Use it before you lodge drawings. A planner will tell you the obvious red flags: siting, design statement, rural housing local needs, septic tank design.
Some authorities charge €100–€300 for a more detailed pre-app meeting with a written response. Worth it on any complex site.
When this matters most
You have drawings and a site and are about to lodge planning.
When this doesn't apply
You've already lodged planning or are on site.
Frequently asked questions
Is pre-planning consultation free in Ireland?
Free in most counties for a 30-minute meeting. Some charge €100–€300 for a more detailed pre-app meeting with a written response. Worth it on complex sites.
What is a pre-app meeting?
An informal meeting with a planning officer before you lodge a planning application. Discusses the proposal, the site, the policy fit, and any obvious red flags. No commitment, no record on the planning file.
Can a planner refuse at pre-app?
No. A pre-app meeting is informal. The planner can flag concerns but cannot refuse or approve. The decision happens when you lodge the formal application.
Sources
Citizens Information, Planning permission for a house. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/planning-permission/planning-permission/
Frequently asked questions
Is pre-planning consultation free in Ireland?
Free in most counties for a 30-minute meeting. Some charge €100–€300 for a more detailed pre-app meeting with a written response. Worth it on complex sites.
What is a pre-app meeting?
An informal meeting with a planning officer before you lodge a planning application. Discusses the proposal, the site, the policy fit, and any obvious red flags. No commitment, no record on the planning file.
Can a planner refuse at pre-app?
No. A pre-app meeting is informal. The planner can flag concerns but cannot refuse or approve. The decision happens when you lodge the formal application.
When this matters most
You have drawings and a site and are about to lodge planning.
When this doesn't apply
You've already lodged planning or are on site.
Where to go next
Next decision
The next step in your build sequence.