Sauna planning permission in Ireland.
When a garden sauna in Ireland needs planning permission, and when it doesn’t.
Most garden saunas in Ireland need no planning permission, as long as they meet the conditions for sheds and similar structures. Those conditions changed on 27 July 2026, when the floor area limit rose to 30 square metres. Here is every condition, when the exemption does not apply, and what changes if you want to charge people to use it.
Updated · 4 min read
The short answer
A sauna in your back garden, used by your household, usually needs no planning permission in Ireland if it meets the conditions for sheds and “other similar structures” in Class 3 of the planning regulations. The rules changed on 27 July 2026: the floor area limit went up from 25 to 30 square metres.1,2 A sauna you charge people to use is a different matter: it needs planning permission.
The conditions a garden sauna must meet
| Condition | |
|---|---|
| Where | Behind or beside the house, never forward of the front wall |
| Floor area | No more than 30 m², taken together with any sheds or similar structures already in the garden |
| Garden left over | At least 25 m² of private open space must remain to the rear or side of the house |
| Height | 4 m with a tiled or slated pitched roof; 3 m in any other case |
| Finishes | Beside the house, it must match the house’s external finish, and its roof covering too if it has a tiled or slated roof |
| Use | Only for purposes incidental to enjoying the house: not for living in, and not for a business |
These are the conditions in S.I. No. 338 of 2026, which replaced Class 3 from 27 July 2026.1 A garden sauna is not named in them; it is treated as an “other similar structure”, like a shed or garden room. Most barrel and cabin saunas have felt, shingle or metal roofs, so the 3 m height limit is the one that applies.
Check your existing sheds. The 30 m² is a total, so a 12 m² shed and a 20 m² sauna cabin together are over the limit.
When the exemption does not apply
- A condition on your planning permission. Some estates have permissions that remove exempted development rights. Article 9 of the 2001 regulations says an exemption does not apply where the works would breach a condition of a permission.3
- Architectural conservation areas and special amenity areas. Article 9 removes the exemption for exterior works that would materially affect the character of an architectural conservation area, and excludes Class 3 in a special amenity area order area.3
- Protected structures. If your house is a protected structure, ask the council for a declaration under section 57 of what works would not affect its character.2
- A business. Selling sessions, renting the sauna out or running it as part of a guesthouse is not incidental to enjoying the house.1
Not sure? Ask for a section 5 declaration
Anyone can ask the planning authority in writing whether a specific project is exempted development, for a set fee. It is the usual way to get certainty on a borderline garden sauna before you buy one.2 Send a site plan, the sauna’s dimensions and height, and photos of the spot.
Electrics: a registered contractor is the law
The CRU says you should always use a Registered Electrical Contractor for electrical work in your home, and that it is the law.4 Installing a new circuit is “restricted electrical work”, which only a registered contractor may carry out and certify.5,6 A full-size electric sauna heater normally needs its own new circuit. Your contractor must give you a completion certificate.7 Check they are on the Safe Electric register before they start.
Wood-fired saunas
Planning treats a wood-fired sauna the same way, but think about the flue and your neighbours. Burn only dry wood: from 1 September 2026, logs sold in units of 2 m³ or less must have a moisture content under 20%.8
Saunas for business
A sauna that the public pays to use needs planning permission, whether it is in a garden, a yard or a car park. In February 2026 The Irish Times reported that The Hot Box applied for retention permission for two saunas, changing rooms and showers at Killiney Beach.9 If you plan to trade, talk to the planning authority early. Our guide to starting a sauna business in Ireland and our mobile sauna business guide cover the rest.
How we wrote this page
Prices, sizes and lead times come from each seller’s own website. Every one links to the page we read, and we last checked them on 22–29 October 2026 for the Olladay sauna industry directory. Prices are the lowest listed for that product, before delivery, base and electrics unless the seller says otherwise, and can change at any time. Planning conditions are quoted from the statutory instrument and council pages linked below. A council’s view of your site always wins: if in doubt, ask it. Spotted something wrong, or sell saunas and want your prices checked? Email us.
Olladay makes booking software for saunas. Nobody pays to be listed or ranked on these pages, and the tables are in price order, not in order of preference.
Next steps
- How much a sauna costs
- Sauna heater size and electrics
- Garden sauna planning permission in the UK
- Back to the sauna buying guide
References
- Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026, S.I. No. 338 of 2026 (copy published by South Dublin County Council). www.sdcc.ie/en/services/planning-building-control/exempted-development/new-exemptions-27-07-26/regulations-2026-si-338-of-2026.pdf
- Donegal County Council. Exempted development. donegalcoco.ie/en/services/planning/development-management/planning-information-and-guides/exempted-development
- Planning and Development Regulations 2001, S.I. No. 600 of 2001, article 9. www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/si/600/made/en/print
- Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Electrical works in your home. www.cru.ie/consumer-information/home-safety/electrical-works/
- Safe Electric. Restricted and controlled electrical works. safeelectric.ie/help-advice/controlled-restricted-electrical-works/
- Health and Safety Authority. Works needing certification. hsa.ie/topics/electricity/inspection_and_testing/works_needing_certification/
- Safe Electric. Completion certificates. safeelectric.ie/help-advice/completion-certificates/
- Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels, Moisture Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, S.I. No. 389 of 2025. www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2025/si/389/made/en/print
- Hot Box seeks to retain saunas at Killiney and Inchicore. The Irish Times. 17 February 2026. www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/02/17/hot-box-seeks-to-retain-saunas-at-killiney-and-inchicore/
Questions
Do I need planning permission for a sauna in my garden in Ireland?
Usually not, if it is behind or beside the house, no more than 30 m² together with any other sheds, no higher than 3 m (4 m with a tiled or slated pitched roof), leaves at least 25 m² of garden, and is used only by your household.
What changed in July 2026?
S.I. No. 338 of 2026 raised the floor area limit for sheds and similar garden structures from 25 m² to 30 m² from 27 July 2026. The other conditions stayed the same.
Does a barrel sauna need planning permission?
The same rules apply as for any garden sauna. Most barrel saunas are well under 30 m² and 3 m high, so they are usually exempt if they meet the other conditions.
Can I put a sauna in my front garden?
Not as exempted development. Class 3 structures cannot go forward of the front wall of the house, so you would need planning permission.
Do I need planning permission for a commercial sauna?
Yes. Class 3 covers only uses incidental to enjoying the house, so a sauna you charge people to use needs planning permission.
Who can wire a sauna heater in Ireland?
A Registered Electrical Contractor. A new circuit is restricted electrical work, and the contractor must issue a completion certificate.