Co. Dublin · South Dublin County Council area
Granny Flats & Garden Homes in Lucan, Co. Dublin
Nua Living designs and builds ICF granny flats and garden homes in Lucan, on the River Liffey in west County Dublin, and in nearby Clondalkin, Leixlip and Castleknock. A garden home gives a parent or a grown-up child a place of their own, close by. Every size has a fixed price, and the on-site structural build takes 5–10 days once your foundations are ready.
- Granny flats from
- €93,900 + VAT
- On-site build
- 5–10 days
- Exempt home sizes
- 32–45 m²
- Council to notify
- South Dublin County Council
S.I. No. 340/2026 · Class 3A
Building a garden home in Lucan: local planning notes
Lucan Village is an Architectural Conservation Area in the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022–2028: on the banks of the Griffeen and the Liffey, with a main street dating from 1800 to 1830, a village green, limestone paving, mature tree-lined streets and stone buildings and walls. The plan counts 155 protected structures in the Lucan, Palmerstown and Adamstown neighbourhood, among them Weirview Cottages and The Mall and Sarsfield Terrace on Main Street. South Dublin’s plan says exterior works in an ACA can be exempt only where they would not materially affect its character, and that works materially affecting a protected structure need permission; a section 57 declaration can confirm what is allowed. If your house is in the village or is protected, we confirm the position with South Dublin County Council first.
The plan describes Lucan as an historic village core surrounded by generally low-density suburban neighbourhoods, with Adamstown, under its own Strategic Development Zone planning scheme, a major expansion of the town. The Liffey Valley Special Amenity Area Order of 1990 runs from Lucan Bridge to Chapelizod and limits development within it; article 9 of the 2001 Planning Regulations takes some exemptions away inside such an area, so a garden near the river is one we check with the council.
Lucan drains through the 9B sewer to the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant, which Uisce Éireann’s April 2026 register shows as green, with a project planned or under way; the county plan says the strategic sewer serving the area needs capacity upgrades. Class 3A allows no separate connection, so a garden home links into the main house’s existing services.
Lucan to Chapelizod is an OPW CFRAM Area for Further Assessment, and the OPW is progressing a flood relief scheme there that might include about 3 km of walls and 2.1 km of embankments, designed for the 1% annual chance river flood; the council’s plan supports it. Weston Aerodrome is nearby: the plan prohibits new development adding human occupancy in its inner public safety zones. Lucan is in the Lucan local electoral area, and South Dublin County Council is at County Hall, Tallaght.
Sources for Lucan
- South Dublin County Development Plan 2022–2028 — written statement ↗
- South Dublin County Development Plan — Appendix 12, Our Neighbourhoods ↗
- South Dublin County Development Plan — Appendix 3A, Record of Protected Structures ↗
- Planning and Development Act 2000, section 57 (works to protected structures) ↗
- Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 600/2001), article 9 — restrictions on exemption ↗
- Uisce Éireann — Dublin North agglomeration licence application, non-technical summary (EPA) ↗
- Uisce Éireann — Wastewater treatment capacity register: Dublin (April 2026) ↗
- OPW floodinfo.ie — Flood relief scheme information ↗
- OPW floodinfo.ie — County Dublin summary ↗
- South Dublin County Council — Local elections 2024 ↗
Checked 21 October 2026. Plans and designations change; we confirm what applies to your site at the free site visit.
The national conditions, which apply in Lucan too
The national Class 3A exemption applies in Lucan as it does across Ireland. A garden home of 32–45 m² can go ahead without planning permission when all of these hold:
- It is a detached home of 32–45 m², measured on the external footprint, in the rear garden of your main house — counted together with any earlier Class 3 garden structures.
- At least 25 m² of private garden remains for the main house.
- It sits at least 0.6 m from every boundary, and its windows are at least 0.6 m from the boundary they face.
- It has its own pedestrian access within the garden, with no new entrance onto the road.
- It is no higher than 3 m (4 m with a tiled or slated pitched roof).
- You live in the main house as your sole or main residence, and the garden home is never sold separately or let short-term.
- South Dublin County Council is notified at least 14 days before work starts, with the location and Eircode of the property.
- Work starts and finishes by 31 December 2030.
We check your site against every condition at the free site visit. Sizes above 45 m² need standard planning permission from South Dublin County Council, which we apply for on your behalf.
How the S.I. No. 340/2026 exemption works →Fixed prices nationwide
Granny flat sizes & fixed prices in Lucan
A build in Lucan costs the same as anywhere we work: one fixed price per size, including design, build and full project management. Prices exclude site works, connections and professional fees. We quote those after your free site visit.
| Size & model | Fixed price | Bedrooms / use | Planning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 m²1 Bed Granny Flat | €106,577incl. 13.5% VAT€93,900 + VAT | 1 bedroom | Can be exempt* |
| 45 m²1 or 2 Bed Granny Flat | €143,578incl. 13.5% VAT€126,500 + VAT | 1 bed (2 bed possible) | Can be exempt* |
| 48 m²2 Bed Granny Flat | €152,658incl. 13.5% VAT€134,500 + VAT | 2 bedroom | Standard permission |
| 25 m²Garden Studio | €78,315incl. 13.5% VAT€69,000 + VAT | Garden room · not for sleeping in | Exempt as garden room† |
The 25 m² Garden Studio is a Class 3 garden room, not a home. It is for use with your home — an office, studio, gym or hobby room — and cannot be lived in or slept in without planning permission.
*Subject to site eligibility under S.I. No. 340/2026, Class 3A (32–45 m² in the rear garden, owner living in the main house, at least 25 m² of garden remaining, own access within the garden, 14-day notice to the council) — confirmed at your free site visit. Build time refers to the on-site structural build once foundations are ready; excludes design, planning and connections lead-time. Prices exclude site works, connections and professional fees. †Garden Studio: Class 3, Part 1, Schedule 2, Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as substituted by S.I. No. 338/2026. Not forward of the front wall; finishes to match the house if built to the side; not for human habitation. May not apply where planning conditions restrict exempt development. Counts towards the 45 m² Class 3A limit if you later add a garden home. Confirmed at your free site visit.
Full price list & what each price includes →Concept floor plans
Layouts for Lucan gardens
Our 10 concept floor plans run from 32 to 45 m², each drawn to scale so you can print it and mark it out in your garden. Every home is custom designed, so a plan is a starting point, not a limit.
For a long, narrow garden
Lucan FAQ
Garden homes in Lucan: your questions
Do I need planning permission for a granny flat in Lucan?+
In most cases, not for a garden home of 32–45 m². Lucan follows the same national rules as everywhere else: under S.I. No. 340/2026 (Class 3A), a detached home of 32–45 m² in the rear garden of your main house is exempt from planning permission if at least 25 m² of garden remains, it sits 0.6 m from every boundary, it has its own access within the garden, you live in the main house, and South Dublin County Council is notified 14 days before work starts. The 33 m² 1 Bed Granny Flat and the 45 m² 1 or 2 Bed Granny Flat fit the band; the 48 m² 2 Bed Granny Flat needs standard permission, which we handle. The exemption runs until 31 December 2030, and we check your site free of charge.
Which council do I notify for a garden home in Lucan?+
Lucan is in the South Dublin County Council area, so that is the planning authority you notify. The Class 3A notification must reach the council at least 14 days before work starts, giving the location and Eircode of your property. Email planningdept@sdublincoco.ie, or post to County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24. South Dublin County Council publishes its own notification form, linked on this page, and we prepare and file it for you as part of every exempt build. It is separate from the building control Commencement Notice, which goes on BCMS because a garden home is a new dwelling. If your home is near a county boundary, we confirm which council to notify at your free site visit.
How much does a garden home cost in Lucan?+
Our prices are fixed nationwide, so a build in Lucan costs the same as anywhere else: €93,900 (€106,577 incl. 13.5% VAT) for the 33 m² 1 Bed Granny Flat, €126,500 (€143,578 incl. 13.5% VAT) for the 45 m² 1 or 2 Bed Granny Flat and €134,500 (€152,658 incl. 13.5% VAT) for the 48 m² 2 Bed Granny Flat (+ VAT @ 13.5%), including design, build and full project management. The 25 m² Garden Studio, a garden room rather than a home, is €69,000 + VAT @ 13.5% (€78,315 incl. 13.5% VAT). Prices exclude site works, connections and professional fees. We quote those after your free site visit in Lucan.
How long does a garden home build take in Lucan?+
Once your foundations are ready, the on-site structural build takes 5–10 days. Primestructures’ own crew builds every home, with 10 years of ICF construction behind them. Design, planning and connections come before that: for an exempt size, the 14-day notification to South Dublin County Council and the building control Commencement Notice have to go in before work starts, and a larger size needs planning permission first. We give you a full timeline at your free site visit.
Around Lucan
Guides & nearby areas
Garden home guides
- Granny flat side access: what to measure before a site visitPrepare a simple access sketch, useful photographs and a list of restrictions before a garden-home site visit. Keep site suitability for assessment.
- Section 5 declaration or Class 3A notification?Understand the different purposes of a Section 5 declaration and a Class 3A notification, and prepare the right questions before garden-home work starts.
- Mobile homes in gardens: what Class 3A excludesCheck the distinction between a temporary mobile home and a permanent garden dwelling before buying, arranging site work or relying on Class 3A.
- Questions to ask a granny flat builder before you commitUse a meeting checklist to record scope, responsibilities, specification and unresolved questions before choosing a garden-home builder.
Free, no-obligation quote
Get a fixed price for your site
Start with your name and number so we can get back to you. Then check your garden and add any site details you know for your quote — the extra questions are optional. You deal with Nua Living throughout: one point of contact from your first call to handover. Primestructures’ own crew builds every home, with 10 years of ICF construction behind them.
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