Certification, compliance and the paperwork
Compliance for a garden building in Ireland is split between several parties. Knowing who signs for what is the fastest way to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the end of a project.
Quality management and product standards
Our production and delivery processes follow ISO 9001 quality management standards, which is about consistency: the same procedures, checks and records for every cabin rather than a good one and a bad one.
The timber systems and structural components we supply meet CE marking requirements for performance, fire safety and durability. CE marking is a product-level declaration about what a component does — it is not the same thing as planning permission or building regulations compliance for your particular building, and those are covered further down.
Worth knowing: If you need certificate copies for a planning application, a mortgage, an insurer or your own records, ask us when you order and we will provide the current documentation rather than leaving you to chase it later.
What we are responsible for
Our scope is the building we manufacture and assemble: the structure, the roof, the joinery, the standard insulation, the foundation blocks and the assembly workmanship. That is what the 10-year structural warranty covers, and it is what the handover walkthrough is about.
Where the turnkey version is supplied, it also covers the hot, cold and drainage pre-installation for the bathroom and the fitting of the shower, toilet and sink kit.
Electrical work: certified by a registered electrician
Electrical installation is not included in our price and we do not quote a figure for it. It is priced and carried out separately by the electrical contractor we work with.
That separation is not a way of trimming the headline price — it reflects how electrical work is regulated in Ireland. The installation has to be carried out and certified by a registered electrician, and the scope depends entirely on your existing supply, the distance from the house, the load you need and the site itself. A single figure quoted in advance would be a guess, and the certification is what matters to your insurer.
Planning exemption is not the same as building regulations
These two get conflated constantly, and the distinction matters. Planning permission is about whether you may put the building there. Building regulations are about how a building must be constructed and apply according to the use of the building, not according to whether planning permission was needed.
A garden room within the 30 m² exemption is a comparatively simple case. A building used as living accommodation — an auxiliary dwelling under the 32–45 m² exemption, or anything larger that needs permission — brings in the wider regulatory framework, and on a permission-route project the statutory certification sits with your own architect and assigned certifier rather than with us.
- Garden structure up to 30 m², not used as a dwelling: exemption route, subject to conditions on siting and remaining open space.
- Detached auxiliary dwelling of 32–45 m² to the rear of the main house: exemption route with 14 days' notice to the council, and further conditions.
- Anything outside those: planning permission, with drawings and specifications which we supply for your application.
- Local designations — scenic amenity, architectural conservation areas, protected structures — can change what is allowed regardless of size.
Where to get the authoritative answer
For your specific site, the only reliable source is your local authority, and a planning professional if the case is not straightforward. We give you accurate general information and the drawings for an application; we are not in a position to certify that your particular garden qualifies for an exemption, and any supplier who tells you otherwise over the phone is guessing.
An architect licensing service is available as an option on our models, which is the practical route where a project needs stamped drawings.
Frequently asked
Do you provide a certificate for the building?
We provide the documentation for what we supply and assemble, and every cabin is handed over with a 10-year structural warranty. Ask us for current certificate copies at order stage if you need them for an application, a lender or an insurer.
Who certifies the electrics?
A registered electrician — in practice the electrical contractor we work with, who quotes the work separately after reviewing your site and supply. The certification is theirs, which is exactly what your insurer will want to see.
Does an exempt garden room still have to meet building regulations?
Planning exemption and building regulations are separate questions. Exemption addresses whether you need permission to put the building there; the regulations relate to how a building is constructed and apply according to its use. For anything used as living accommodation, take advice specific to your project.
Keep reading
Not sure which route your project takes?
Describe the site and the intended use. We will tell you which route it looks like and what documentation you will need — then point you to your council to confirm.
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