How to find and vet a builder or supplier in Ireland

Choosing the right builder or supplier is the decision that most affects how your project goes. A good one keeps you on budget, solves problems before they reach you and leaves you with work that lasts. A poor one can cost you months and thousands of euro.

This guide sets out a simple, practical process for finding and checking builders, trades and building suppliers in Ireland, whether you are building a house, adding an extension or fitting out a business.

Step 1: Get your brief clear first

Builders give better quotes when they know exactly what they are pricing. Before you contact anyone, have:

• Drawings, even simple ones, with dimensions

• A written specification: materials, finishes, windows, heating, electrics

• Your planning status: permission granted, exempt, or still to apply

• A realistic budget range and a target start date

The clearer your brief, the easier it is to compare quotes like for like.

Step 2: Build a shortlist

Aim for three to five candidates. Good places to find them:

• Recommendations from neighbours, friends and family who have had similar work done recently

• Your architect, engineer or designer, who will know who delivers in your area

• Local builders' providers, who see which contractors pay their bills and come back for more work

• Supplier directories such as Archizone, where you can browse listed businesses by sector and county and contact them directly

• Forums, where people share honest experiences of trades they have used

Look for firms that do your type of job regularly. A builder who mostly does housing estates may not be the right fit for a one-off timber frame house or a café fit-out.

Step 3: Check registrations

Ireland has several registers worth checking. Not all of them apply to every job.

Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI)

CIRI is the register for builders and contractors. It was set up on a voluntary basis, and the Regulation of Providers of Building Works Act 2022 makes it a statutory register. Mandatory registration is being phased in from 2026, division by division, starting with larger housing and apartment builders. Even where it is not yet compulsory, CIRI registration is a useful sign that a builder takes compliance seriously.

Electricians and gas installers

• Electrical work must be done by a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) under the Safe Electric scheme. They should give you a completion certificate when the work is done.

• Gas work must be done by a Registered Gas Installer (RGI).

Both schemes are overseen by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), and you can check registration on the scheme websites.

Energy upgrade contractors

If you plan to claim an SEAI grant, the contractor must be on SEAI's list of registered contractors for that measure. Use an unregistered contractor and you can lose the grant.

Step 4: Check insurance and tax

Ask for proof, not just a yes:

• Public liability insurance, covering damage to your property or injury to others

• Employer's liability insurance, if they have staff on site

• Tax clearance, which you can verify online with Revenue using their tax registration number and access number

For larger jobs, ask whether they offer any form of latent defects cover or a written workmanship guarantee.

Step 5: Visit past work and talk to past clients

A photo gallery is a start, but it is not enough. Ask to:

• Visit a finished job, ideally one that is at least a year old

• Speak directly to two or three recent clients

• See a job that is currently in progress, to judge how the site is run

Ask past clients whether the job finished on time, how extras were handled and whether the builder came back to fix snags.

Step 6: Compare quotes properly

The cheapest quote is often not the cheapest job. When comparing:

• Check every quote is based on the same drawings and specification

• Look for exclusions and provisional sums, which are costs left open

• Confirm whether VAT is included and at which rate

• Ask how variations (changes) will be priced

• Be wary of quotes far below the others; something has usually been left out

If a builder will not give a written, itemised quote, that is a warning sign.

Step 7: Put it in writing

For anything beyond a small repair, use a written contract. For bigger projects, the RIAI and the SCSI publish standard building contracts for homeowners. The contract should cover:

• Scope of work and drawings

• Price, and how changes are agreed and priced

• Start date, finish date and what happens if they slip

• Stage payments tied to completed work

• Retention, often a small percentage held back until snags are fixed

Step 8: Building Control and sign-off

New homes and extensions over 40 sq m generally come under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations. You will need to submit a commencement notice, appoint an assigned certifier and name a competent builder. Self-builders of a single house or extension can opt out of statutory certification, but this has knock-on effects for selling or mortgaging later, so get professional advice first.

Vetting building suppliers

The same logic applies when you buy materials directly, such as windows, timber frame kits, roofing, pergolas or kitchens:

• Ask for product certifications, such as CE or UKCA marking and NSAI Agrément where relevant

• Get written lead times and delivery terms

• Confirm who installs, and who is responsible if fit and finish are not right

• Check warranty terms and who honours them, the supplier or the manufacturer

• Agree deposit amounts in writing, and avoid paying everything up front

Red flags

• Cash-only pricing with no paperwork

• Pressure to sign or pay quickly

• No fixed address or company details

• Reluctance to show insurance or let you speak to past clients

• Very large deposits requested before any work or delivery

FAQ

How many quotes should I get?

Three is a sensible minimum for a significant job. More can help on a large build, but only if each builder is pricing the same drawings and specification.

How much deposit should I pay a builder in Ireland?

There is no fixed rule. Many homeowners pay a modest deposit, or none, and then stage payments as work is completed. For bespoke items such as windows or kitchens, suppliers often ask for a larger deposit to order materials. Agree it in writing.

Is CIRI registration compulsory?

It is being made compulsory in phases from 2026, starting with larger housing developments. For smaller domestic jobs it may still be voluntary for now, but it remains worth checking.

Find and compare suppliers in one place

Ask other homeowners who they used, and what they would do differently, in the "Ask for a supplier" section of the Archizone forum. Then browse builders, trades and building suppliers by sector and county on Archizone and contact them directly. It is free for buyers.

Archizone Team