House rebuilding costs have increased by an average of 7% in County Roscommon

The average re-build costs across the county, which includes demolition and site clearance, have increased by an average of 7% over the past 12 months, according to the latest House Rebuilding Guide published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI).

The figure for Roscommon is up from the 4% rate of increase recorded last year but down on the 13% increase recorded in 2023.

Nationally average re-build costs have increased by an average of 7% over the past 12 months, up 1% on last year but again down on the 12% national increase recorded in 2023.

The SCSI’s House Rebuilding Guide, which has been published annually since 1989, helps homeowners to estimate the minimum rebuilding costs of their home for house insurance purposes.

While welcoming the stabilisation in the rate of increase, SCSI vice-president Tomás Kelly, who is a Galway based chartered quantity surveyor, said the level of increase in rebuild costs is above that seen generally in the construction sector as it is more heavily impacted by labour costs and availability.

“The rates received in our survey of quantity surveying members, and in turn the rate of annual inflation determined, is a factor of the level of demand for contractors operating in this sector of the construction industry. Rebuilding work faces stiff competition from other construction work, including new residential construction, and if demand for that increases in an area, this reduces capacity and potentially increases the costs of such reinstatement work,” he said.

“In terms of the main cost drivers, the introduction of two new levies, the Landfill Levy from September 1st, 2024 and the Recovery Levy from January 1st, 2025, are additional costs for demolition works in particular and construction works more generally.”   Regional Breakdown This year’s guide shows that increases in rebuild costs range from 3% and 5% in Cork and Dublin, respectively, to 9% in the north west. Although the northwest recorded the highest percentage increase, the capital continues to have the highest rebuild costs while the northwest has the lowest.

Roscommon / Galway and Limerick both recorded rebuild cost increases of 7% while Waterford and the northeast recorded increases of 8%.

Mr Kelly says the main reason for regional variations is differences in demand for builders and tradespeople. “The rate of inflation in the reinstatement costs can vary across regions for a variety of reasons but is principally driven by the level of activity in a region at a given time."