The Class 3A notification and Commencement Notice, step by step

No. They are two separate processes, and both are mandatory. At least 14 days before work starts, the planning authority must be notified that you are using Class 3A, with the location and Eircode, confirmation that the site meets every condition, and the reason for the garden home. It is free, and it is a notification, not an approval — the council keeps a record but does not decide anything. Separately, a Class 3A garden home is a new dwelling, so full building control applies: a Commencement Notice with compliance documents is lodged on the Building Control Management System (BCMS) 14–28 days before work starts, with a design certifier, an assigned certifier and a competent builder, and a Certificate of Compliance on Completion must be registered before anyone moves in.

At least 14 days. The Commencement Notice has its own window: 14–28 days before work starts. Lodge the Commencement Notice first (Kildare asks for its BCMS number on the notification), then send the council notification the same day. Work can start at least 14 days after both, and within 28 days of the Commencement Notice.

No. It is a notification, not an approval, and there is no fee. The council keeps a record of every notification and reports the numbers to the Minister each year. Your site still has to meet every Class 3A condition: the notification confirms that it does.

The council forms include a declaration (sole or main residence, no sale or short-term letting) that only the owner can make, so the owner signs; an agent can prepare and lodge it. The owner registers on BCMS and signs the Commencement Notice. Wicklow and Louth have no signature box on the form, so the notification goes with a cover letter the owner signs. We prepare and lodge both for you; you sign them as the owner.

It depends on the council. Some councils ask for a site location map (an Ordnance Survey map with the site outlined in red) or a site layout plan. Official maps come from Tailte Éireann (formerly Ordnance Survey Ireland). Dublin City and Meath ask for an OS site location map. Kildare asks for a site layout plan. Tailte Éireann’s Planning Pack costs about €59.66 incl. VAT.

A Class 3A garden home is a new dwelling, so full building control applies: a Commencement Notice with compliance documents is lodged on the Building Control Management System (BCMS) 14–28 days before work starts, with a design certifier, an assigned certifier and a competent builder, and a Certificate of Compliance on Completion must be registered before anyone moves in. The BCMS fee is €30.

Not by law. The Department’s guidance says a BER is not legally required for a standalone building under 50 m². Nua Living homes are designed to BER A0, the top of SEAI’s new scale: a design target, not a certificate. We can arrange a BER assessment if you want one.

No. The Garden Studio is a Class 3 garden room, not a dwelling. It is not built under Class 3A, so neither the Class 3A notification nor the new-dwelling building control process (Commencement Notice, certifiers and completion certificate) applies to it. 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.

Yes. We prepare and lodge both for you; you sign them as the owner. We confirm your council’s address, form and map requirements at your free site visit.