How long do I have to complete the work after approval?

You have 8 months from the date of your Letter of Offer to complete the work and submit all documentation. If your contractor can't finish in time, you can still submit with a cover letter explaining the delay.

How long does it take to receive the grant payment?

SEAI processes payments within 4–6 weeks after receiving all completed documentation, including the Declaration of Works form, invoices, and post-works BER certificate. If your property is selected for inspection, add 2–4 weeks.

How long does the entire process take from start to finish?

For a typical single upgrade like attic insulation or solar panels, expect 3–4 months total. For a heat pump (which may require insulation first), allow 4–6 months. A full deep retrofit through a One Stop Shop can take 6–12 months.

SEAI Grant Application: How Long Does It Take? (2026)

Q: How long does SEAI grant approval take?

Online applications are usually approved within minutes. Postal applications take about 5 working days. You then have 30 days to accept the Letter of Offer.

People expect the SEAI grant process to be slow and bureaucratic. It's actually not, the grant approval itself is nearly instant if you apply online. What takes time is everything around it: getting quotes, waiting for your contractor, and then the paperwork at the end.

Here's what the timeline actually looks like, the honest version, not the optimistic one on the brochure.

Before you start: get a BER assessment

A BER assessment should be your very first step, before getting quotes, before applying for grants. It tells you which upgrades will have the biggest impact on your home, and you'll need a post-works BER after the work is done for SEAI to release your payment. Getting your assessor lined up early avoids delays at the end. Book a BER with Homerating.ie →

The timeline, step by step

Get quotes from SEAI-registered contractors

Get at least 2–3 quotes. Check the SEAI contractor register to verify registration. Agree a contract before applying.

1–2 weeks

Apply for the grant online

Apply at seai.ie. You'll need your MPRN (from your electricity bill), your Eircode, and your chosen contractor's details. Online applications are approved within minutes. Postal applications take about 5 working days.

Instant to 5 days

Accept the Letter of Offer

SEAI emails your Letter of Offer with terms and conditions. You have 30 days to accept. If you don't accept in time, you'll need to reapply.

Same day

Schedule and complete the work

This is where most of the waiting happens, and it's entirely down to your contractor's diary. Attic insulation crews tend to have shorter lead times, a few weeks at most. Solar installers are typically 4–6 weeks out, partly because ESB Networks needs to approve the grid connection before panels go on the roof (that alone takes ~4 weeks). Heat pump installers are the busiest right now, the €12,500 grant has massively increased demand, and lead times of 8–12 weeks are common in Dublin and the commuter counties. You have 8 months from your Letter of Offer, so don't panic, but don't sit on it either.

2–12 weeks (depends on upgrade type)

Get a post-works BER assessment

Required after all upgrades. SEAI won't process your payment without it. A BER assessor visits to confirm the improvements and issue a new certificate. The trick is to book your assessor before the work finishes so there's no gap. If you need a pre-works BER to plan your upgrades, or a post-works BER after completion, Homerating.ie covers Dublin, Meath, Wicklow, Kildare and Louth with fast turnaround.

1–2 weeks

Submit your Declaration of Works

Your contractor provides the signed Declaration of Works form. Submit this along with invoices, the BER certificate, and the Request for Payment form, by email or post to SEAI.

Same week

SEAI processes payment

SEAI reviews your documentation and processes the grant payment to your bank account. Allow 4–6 weeks from when they receive all paperwork. If your property is selected for an inspection (random sample), add 2–4 weeks.

4–6 weeks

Realistic total timelines by upgrade type

Here's what to expect for the most popular upgrades, from your first quote to money in your account:

Attic insulation: 2–3 months. Quick to install (1–2 days), short contractor lead times.
Cavity wall insulation: 2–3 months. Similar to attic, straightforward install.
Solar PV panels: 3–4 months. ESB Networks connection application adds ~4 weeks before installation can begin.
Heat pump system: 4–6 months. May require a technical assessment first (€200 grant available). Longer lead times for equipment and installation.
Windows and doors: 3–5 months. Manufacturing lead times for custom windows can add 4–8 weeks.
Full deep retrofit (One Stop Shop): 6–12 months. Multiple trades, more complex project management.

The biggest delays are contractor availability, not SEAI

SEAI approval is fast. The bottleneck is almost always getting a contractor scheduled. Demand for SEAI-registered installers is high, especially for heat pumps and solar. Get quotes and book early, particularly before the busy summer season.

What can delay your payment?

These are the holdups we see again and again:

Incomplete paperwork. missing Declaration of Works, unsigned forms, or wrong bank details. Double-check everything before submitting.
Contractor not registered for that work type. a contractor registered for insulation can't be used for heat pump grant work. Verify on the SEAI register.
Post-works BER not done. SEAI can't process payment without the BER certificate. This is one of the most common holdups we see. Book your assessor before the contractor even finishes. Homerating.ie can often schedule within a few days.
Property selected for inspection. SEAI randomly inspects a percentage of completed works. This adds 2–4 weeks but isn't something you can control.
Grant details don't match Letter of Offer. if you changed contractor, system size, or upgrade type without updating SEAI, the payment will be held.

Pro tip: get your contractor to handle paperwork

Many SEAI-registered contractors will manage the Declaration of Works and submit documentation on your behalf. Some will even deduct the grant from your invoice upfront and claim it back themselves. Ask about this when getting quotes, it removes the 4–6 week wait from your perspective.

Can I speed things up?

A few things that make a real difference:

Always apply online. it's instant vs 5 days by post, and you get the Letter of Offer emailed straight away
Have your MPRN ready. it's the 11-digit number on your electricity bill. Scrambling to find it mid-application adds unnecessary friction
Book your contractor before you apply. get a firm date in the diary, then submit the application. That way the grant approval arrives before the contractor does
Line up your BER assessor in advance. don't wait until after the work is done to start looking. Book them for the week the contractor finishes
Submit documentation immediately. we've seen people leave the Declaration of Works on the kitchen counter for months. Every week you delay is a week you don't have your money
Triple-check your IBAN. wrong bank details on the Request for Payment form is a surprisingly common cause of delays

Ready to start? Check your grants first

See exactly what your home qualifies for before you get quotes.

Check My Grants →

SEAI Grant Application: How Long Does the Whole Process Take?