Garage to playroom conversion
A garage converted into a playroom or family room costs €15,000 to €25,000 at a standard finish and €20,000 to €30,000 mid-range, VAT included. Opening it into the kitchen or hall with a steel beam adds €2,000 to €4,000; in Kildare, a mid-range family room opened into the house comes to €26,000 to €38,000.
Somewhere for the children, or a second living room: costs, opening it into the house, and what to plan for.
Free and no obligation. Your plan goes to one builder, not a list.
- €15,000–€25,000standard finish
- €2,000–€4,000steel beam to open it up
- 15–18 m²a typical single garage
- 6–10 weekson site
Plan a playroom that grows with them
- Storage first. Built-in low cupboards along one wall keep the floor clear, and later hold games consoles and books.
- A floor that takes it. Laminate or luxury vinyl over the insulated floor wipes clean; a rug takes the noise.
- Sockets up high. Fewer at floor level, more at desk height for the homework years.
- A view from the house. A glazed door or an internal window lets you see in from the kitchen.
Opening it into the house
Taking down part of the wall between the garage and the kitchen or hall turns the garage into part of the living space. The wall usually carries load, so an engineer sizes a steel beam, which costs €2,000 to €4,000 for the beam alone. The house then has to be propped while it goes in. A double door or a wide opening with no door both work; a door keeps the noise of play in the playroom.
Plan your garage conversion
Four quick taps, and your plan fills in as you answer: the cost in your county, the planning position for your kind of garage and how many weeks it takes. Contact details come last, and only if you want a builder to price it.
An attached garage made into a playroom or family room, mid-range finish: €20,000 to €30,000, including VAT.
How the estimate is worked out
A garage conversion is priced as one job, because the walls, roof and floor slab are already standing: insulating the floor, walls and roof, building up the door opening with a window, wiring, heating, plastering and the finish. The range for your finish is adjusted to your county the same way building rates move between regions of Ireland, VAT at 13.5% included. A shower room, a small kitchen or a steel beam into the house go on top. Totals are rounded to the nearest €1,000. Use it to plan with. It isn't a quote: a builder prices your garage after seeing it.
What a garage can become
Each has its own page: what it costs, the rules that apply to that room, and what to decide first.
Garage to bedroomA downstairs bedroom, with a shower room of its own if the drains allow.
Garage to home officeA room with a door that shuts, away from the kitchen table.
Garage to granny flatA bedroom, a shower room and a small kitchen for a parent.
Garage to gymA warm, dry room with a floor that takes weights.
Integral and front garagesBuilt into the house or facing the road: check before you start.Questions before you convert
How much does it cost to turn a garage into a playroom?
€15,000 to €25,000 at a standard finish and €20,000 to €30,000 mid-range, VAT included, for a single garage.
Can I knock through from the garage to the kitchen?
Yes, with a steel beam sized by an engineer, from €2,000 to €4,000 for the beam. On an attached garage it doesn't change the planning position.
Does a playroom need planning permission?
Not in an attached garage at the side or back. For a front or detached garage, get a section 5 declaration first.
What floor works in a garage playroom?
An insulated floor raised to the house level, finished in laminate or vinyl that wipes clean.
Every guide and county page
Conversions
Costs, rules and help
The room you need is already built
Pick the kind of garage, what it becomes and the finish to see the cost in your county. When you want a firm price, your plan goes to a single vetted builder for your area.