Garden rooms in Galway
The short answer
Garden rooms in Galway up to 30 m² behind the house are usually exempt from planning permission, under the same national rules as everywhere else. Galway has two councils, Galway City and Galway County, so check which covers your address. About 30% of Galway workers worked from home at least one day a week in Census 2022.
On this page
Garden room companies serving Galway
We list 5 companies that say they serve Galway. Details come from each company's own website. A listing is not a recommendation, so check reviews and see finished work before you choose.
Nationwide suppliers
These companies deliver and install across Ireland.
- Boom Garden Room
Designs and builds bespoke garden rooms and garden offices, including electrics and interior finishing. Offers a free site visit and design consultation.
Serves: Dublin and across Ireland
- CG Garden Rooms (CG Joinery)
A family-run joinery firm, established in 2009, building insulated garden rooms for offices, gyms, studios and salons, plus modular homes and single-storey extensions.
Serves: Drogheda and Co. Louth, and across Ireland
- Loghouse
Supplies and installs garden rooms and log cabins, from single rooms to residential cabins. Its Eco Garden Rooms use insulated SIPs panels with uPVC double glazing.
Serves: Nationwide
- Pineca
Sells log cabins, insulated garden rooms, pods, garden offices and saunas, with options from 34 mm insulated walls up to twin-skin log walls with 120 mm insulation.
Serves: Ireland
- Sprout Pod
Supplies and installs steel-framed, fully insulated garden rooms and home offices without concrete foundations, finished with sockets, lighting, heating and flooring.
Serves: Ireland and Northern Ireland, with installations in Dublin
Run a garden room company serving Galway and not listed? Add your business.
Garden offices and commuting in Galway
In Census 2022, about 37,900 of Galway's 125,500 workers, roughly 30%, worked from home at least some of the time: over 12,300 in the city and almost 25,600 in the county. The average commute was 26.3 minutes, below the national 29.1.
Galway City commuters were among the least likely in Ireland to travel for an hour or more, at 4%. In the county, long distances to work make a home office worth more. See the garden office guide.
| Census 2022 | Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Work from home at least one day a week | About 30% | 32% |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 29.1 min |
| Commute of an hour or more | more than 9,300 people | – |
Planning in Galway
Galway City Council and Galway County Council both apply the national exemption rules: up to 30 m², 25 m² of garden left, behind the house, within the height limits and for use connected with the house. See the planning guide.
Check which council you're in. Suburbs on the edge of the city can fall either side of the boundary. A Section 5 declaration goes to the council for your address.
Exemptions don't apply where a development would interfere with a view or prospect of special amenity value that the development plan aims to preserve. In Connemara and along the coast, check the county development plan if your house is in a scenic area.
Council links
- Galway County Council: Exempted development (Section 5)
- Galway City Council: Planning, for addresses in the city
Not sure your room is exempt? Our planning checker takes two minutes.
Prices in Galway
Garden room prices don't vary much by county, because most suppliers price nationally. Delivery to remote sites and difficult access can add to the cost.
| Size | Catalogue | Bespoke |
|---|---|---|
| 12 m² | €8,500 to €18,000 | €21,500 to €38,500 |
| 16 m² | €11,000 to €24,000 | €29,000 to €51,000 |
| 20 m² | €14,000 to €30,000 | €36,000 to €64,000 |
Before extras. See the price guide or use the cost estimator.
Local things to know
- Wind and rain: Atlantic weather is hard on roofs and cladding. Ask about the roof membrane, drip details and how the cladding is fixed. See cladding.
- Rural sites: one-off houses often have plenty of space, so the 30 m² cap, not the open space rule, usually sets the size. Budget for a longer cable run. See electrics.
- Fewer local builders: we haven't yet found a Galway-based garden room company that publishes its details, so the list below is mainly nationwide suppliers. If you build garden rooms in Galway, tell us.
Other areas
Common questions
Do I need planning permission for a garden room in Galway?
Usually not, if it meets the national rules: up to 30 m², 25 m² of garden left, behind the house, within the height limits and for use connected with the house. Galway City and Galway County councils apply the same rules.
Which council do I contact in Galway?
Galway City Council for addresses inside the city boundary, and Galway County Council for the rest of the county. If you're near the edge of the city, check before you apply for a Section 5 declaration.
How much does a garden room cost in Galway?
Prices are similar across Ireland. A 16 m² catalogue garden room supplied and installed typically costs €11,000 to €24,000, and a bespoke builder-built room €29,000 to €51,000, before extras such as the base and electrics.
How do you choose which companies to list?
We list companies that build, supply or install garden rooms and say they serve Galway, based on information they publish themselves. The list is alphabetical, not ranked. See how we list companies.