“We had heard positive things about the ease of dealing with Shomera, but we had no idea the construction process would be so hassle-free! The installation crew were so professional and clean, I had to convince my wife that I didn’t tidy up after they left.”
Gavan Duffy, Dublin 6

Building Regulations

Certificate Of Compliance

Building Energy Rating

Planning Permission

The Building Controls Act 1990 (updated in 2000, 2005, 2006 & 2008) list the requirements and regulations for all dwellings and extensions onto same. The Act catalogues the detailed requirements to which a structure must adhere in order to achieve the standards set out in the Building Regulations.

A dwelling, or any construction integrated onto the dwelling (extension, attic conversion, etc), can receive a Certificate of Compliance if it meets the requirements of the Building Regulations Act and is certified by a qualified professional.

Failure to comply raises a question on the quality of the build and a problem if you are valuing or selling your property. In particular, financial institutions may not approve finance on properties that are non-compliant. However, once your house extension complies with Building Regulations and planning, the financial institution should view the build positively and the home extension should also add value in the sale. Therefore, it is essential for a home-owner to have a Certificate of Compliance for works completed on the home.

A house extension added to your home must comply with the Building Regulations Act in order to receive a Certificate of Compliance. This certificate can only be issued by a qualified professional, usually an architect, engineer or chartered surveyor who, in most cases, carry out inspections of the construction drawings and of the building itself the certificate of compliance is issued.

You should be issued a Certificate of Compliance within a reasonable period of the project and the final inspection being completed. Being in possession of the Certificate of Compliance is important to validate your investment and ensure you don’t jeopardise the overall value of your home.

A home extension done through Shomera is constructed to be in compliance of the current Building Regulations and automatically includes the Certificate of Compliance in the project price.

There is much discussion these days about the importance of BER’s and ‘future proofing’ your house. Some of these discussions make use of terminology that can be confusing. The Building Energy Rating (BER) measures the energy consumption of the building to make it habitable. The better the insulation, airtightness and air control of the building the better the performance. If a building has a high BER it uses less energy and is protected against soaring energy costs and carbon charges, thereby making it “future proof”.

All houses that are for sale or for rent must now be inspected and issued with a Building Energy Rating. The BER, carried out by independent assessors, measures the amount of energy escaping through the house over the course of one year. The rating takes into account not only the insulation and quality of glazing of the particular house but the appliance usage as well as the efficiency of the boiler. Currently, the rating will stand for ten-years unless the home-owner wishes to have it inspected again.

The most important factor driving the Building Energy Rating is the hope that, through making home-owners aware of the energy usage of a particular house, we can improve our energy efficiency and collectively reduce Ireland’s CO2 emissions.

Because a Shomera-Built house extension is constructed to a standard in excess of what is required for building regulations, extending your home with Shomera will help your house achieve a better BER rating.

In most cases planning permission will not be required because the Shomera Studio is categorised as class 3 exempted development, while the single room extension is in class 1 exempted development (S.I. No.600 of 2001).

It is important to note that in some situations a Shomera Studio can be exempted as a building, but the use may require planning permission.

Find out more information about planning permission.