Bathroom & Plumbing Rules in Ireland (2026): Who's Allowed to Do the Work, What's Required, and What Changes in 2027
Nov 13, 2026
In Ireland, anyone can legally do water plumbing — there is no plumber's licence. Electrical work in a bathroom is different: since 2013 it must be done by a Registered Electrical Contractor, and gas work only by a Registered Gas Installer. The Building Regulations then set a handful of numbers that matter in a bathroom: an extractor fan of at least 15 litres a second even if you have a window, a toilet flush of 6 litres or less, and a 75 mm water seal in the traps under baths, showers and basins.
Most of what you will read online about bathroom rules is British, and several of the British rules do not apply here. This guide is written for Ireland, links every point to the official source, and flags plainly where something is uncertain.
Who is legally allowed to do what in an Irish bathroom
This is the question people actually have, so it comes first. Ireland regulates gas and electrical work by law. It does not regulate water plumbing.
| The job | Who is legally allowed | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Water plumbing — taps, toilet, basin, bath, shower valve, wastes, a towel rail plumbed into the heating | Anyone. There is no plumber's licence or statutory register for water plumbing in Ireland. | Experience, references and public liability insurance — none of it is checked by law, so you check it. |
| New electrical work — electric shower, extractor fan wiring, lighting circuits, an electric or dual-fuel towel rail, a shaver point | A Registered Electrical Contractor (Safe Electric). Required by law since 1 October 2013 for rooms with a bath or shower. | A Completion Certificate for the work. Minor jobs such as swapping a switch or replacing a light fitting on the existing circuit are excepted. |
| Gas — a boiler or any gas pipework, wherever it is in the house | A Registered Gas Installer (RGI) only. From 1 September 2026 this also covers commercial gas work. | A Declaration of Conformance for the work. |
| An unvented hot water cylinder | No Irish licence, and the Building Regulations guidance on hygiene says nothing about unvented cylinders. | Read the manufacturer's installation requirements — they usually specify who may fit it, and your warranty depends on it. |
Sources: the Commission for Regulation of Utilities on gas and electrical registration, and S.I. No. 264 of 2013, which brought electrical work in bathrooms under the Registered Electrical Contractor rules.
Will plumbers have to register? Possibly. The Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) has a plumbing category and a 2022 Act puts it on a legal footing, but as of our last review the duty to register had not been brought into force for plumbing. Until it is, no registration is required.
The bathroom, mapped: who fits what, and the numbers that apply
The same rules on one wall. Green means any plumber can legally do it. Amber means a Registered Electrical Contractor must do it, or that part of it.
- Shower valve. Any plumber. A thermostatic valve is not a legal requirement in Ireland, but it is the sensible choice with children or older people in the house — more on why in the hot water section.
- Bath and basin taps. Any plumber. WRAS approval is reassuring but not legally required here.
- Toilet. Flush of 6 litres or less; the trap keeps a 50 mm water seal.
- Basin trap. 32 mm with a 75 mm water seal. Baths and showers: 40 mm with a 75 mm seal.
- Towel rail. Plumbed into the central heating: any plumber. Electric or dual-fuel: the wiring needs a Registered Electrical Contractor. A plumbed rail runs on a pair of towel rail valves, and a thermostatic one lets the rail run cooler than the rest of the house.
- Extractor fan. At least 15 litres a second for a bathroom, with a 15-minute run-on after you switch it off. The wiring is Registered Electrical Contractor work.
- New lights or circuits. Registered Electrical Contractor. Replacing a light fitting on the existing circuit is one of the minor exceptions.
- Window. Does not remove the need for an extractor fan in a bathroom. The window exemption in the guidance applies only to a WC-only room.
What the Building Regulations actually require in a bathroom
The Building Regulations are split into Parts, each with a Technical Guidance Document (TGD) that shows one way of complying. Four of them touch a bathroom. Here are the parts that matter, without the padding.
Part G — Hygiene
Every home needs at least one bathroom with a fixed bath or shower and a washbasin, a kitchen sink, and hot and cold water to all of them. A WC flush must be 6 litres or less. A cold water storage cistern should hold 212 litres for a home of up to three bedrooms and 340 litres for four or more.
Part F — Ventilation
A bathroom needs extract ventilation of at least 15 litres a second. A utility room needs 30, a kitchen 60 (or 30 if the fan sits beside the cooker), and a WC-only room 6. A window does not exempt a bathroom. Fans in rooms with a shower or bath need a 15-minute run-on unless a window provides purge ventilation.
Part H — Drainage
Every appliance needs a trap that holds at least a 25 mm water seal — that seal is what stops sewer gas coming up the plughole. In practice: basin 32 mm trap with a 75 mm seal; bath, shower and sink 40 mm with a 75 mm seal; WC 100 mm with a 50 mm seal. Our guide to basin and sink wastes explains which waste goes with which basin.
Part L — Energy
Relevant when you replace a boiler or cylinder in an existing home. A replacement oil or gas boiler must reach at least 90% seasonal efficiency where practicable, which in practice means a condensing boiler. Stored hot water needs automatic temperature control — a cylinder thermostat — and heating needs room-temperature control, which is where thermostatic radiator valves come in.
The guidance documents show a way to comply, not the only way — but if your work follows them, you are on safe ground. Building something new, like an extension with an en-suite, has to meet them in full.
Ireland is not the UK: six rules people get wrong
Most bathroom advice online is written for England and Wales, and AI chatbots repeat it. These are the rules that do not carry across.
| Rule | England & Wales | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 48°C limit on bath hot water | Required in new homes (Approved Document G) | No equivalent rule in TGD G |
| Thermostatic mixing valve | Effectively required on baths in new homes, to meet the 48°C limit | Not required — a good idea, not a legal duty |
| Unvented cylinders | Specific rules (G3): competent installer, notifiable work | TGD G has no unvented guidance — follow the manufacturer |
| Electrical work in a bathroom | Part P: notify building control or use a competent-person scheme | Registered Electrical Contractor only |
| Approval for taps and fittings | Water Fittings Regulations 1999; WRAS approval is the usual proof | No equivalent consumer requirement; EU-wide rules apply from 31 Dec 2026 |
| Sockets in a bathroom | Allowed beyond a set distance from the bath or shower | Different wiring rules (I.S. 10101). Ask a Registered Electrical Contractor — do not assume the UK distance applies |
Why we will not give you a socket distance. Ireland's national wiring rules, I.S. 10101, are sold by NSAI rather than published freely, and we could not verify the bathroom socket and zone figures from an official Irish source. Rather than repeat the British numbers, we would rather say so. Electrical work in a bathroom needs a Registered Electrical Contractor anyway, and they work to the current Irish rules.
Taps and drinking water: what changes on 31 December 2026
This is the change almost nobody is talking about, and it is about taps.
The EU recast its Drinking Water Directive in 2020, and Ireland brought it into law through the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023, S.I. No. 99 of 2023. Article 11 of the Directive deals with materials and products that come into contact with drinking water — pipes, fittings, and taps. The EU's detailed rules for those materials, including approved lists of what may be used, apply from 31 December 2026.
The practical effect over the coming years is a single European approach for products in contact with drinking water, replacing the patchwork of national schemes. A transition period for products already holding a national approval has been reported to run to 2032.
What it means for you, honestly. Nothing changes for the taps already in your home, and there is nothing you need to do. When buying, choose taps whose certification is stated rather than vague. WRAS and KIWA certificates remain good evidence that a tap's materials have been tested for drinking water — even though neither is a legal requirement in Ireland, and Ireland's long-term treatment of UK approvals under the new EU system is not yet clear.
Our taps state their certification on each product page — the Deva Tudor bath shower mixer, for instance, is WRAS approved and carries a 12-year guarantee. If you are choosing a tap, check your water pressure first: our water pressure guide shows you how with a bucket and a timer.
Hot water, legionella and scalding — the two risks pull opposite ways
Hot water has to be hot enough to stop Legionella bacteria growing, and that is hot enough to scald. The way to have both is to store it hot and cool it at the tap.
| Where | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Hot water stored in the cylinder | 60°C |
| Hot water at the tap | 50°C or more within one minute of running |
| Cold water | Below 20°C |
These figures come from the HSE's National Guidelines for the Control of Legionellosis in Ireland. They are written for workplaces and public buildings rather than homes, but they are the best Irish guide to good practice, and the bacteria do not care whose building it is. The danger range is 20–50°C — lukewarm water sitting still.
That leaves 60°C coming out of a bath tap, which is fine for an adult who tests it and dangerous for a small child or an older person who cannot react quickly. A thermostatic mixing valve solves it: the water is stored at 60°C and blended down to a safe temperature at the outlet, and the valve holds that temperature even when someone flushes a toilet elsewhere. Ireland does not require one. If you have young children or an older relative at home, fit one anyway.
A boiling water tap is the extreme version of the same trade-off — water held near 100°C on purpose, which is why the boiling lever needs a deliberate push-and-turn. Our boiling water tap guide covers the safety side.
Lead pipes and the grant that pays to replace them
Homes built before about 1970 may still have lead in the supply pipe or internal plumbing. If yours does, the government's Domestic Lead Remediation Grant covers the cost of replacing it.
- 100% of eligible costs, up to €5,000, with no means test.
- Plus up to €200 towards testing to prove lead is present.
- The work must cost at least €750.
- It must be your main home. Tenants can apply with the owner's permission. Holiday homes do not qualify.
- You need evidence: a test showing lead above 10 micrograms per litre, or a notification from your water supplier or a professional.
- Apply to your local council on form DLRG 1a. Citizens Information listed the scheme as open in May 2026; check with your council before starting work.
A filter jug is not a substitute. Replacing the lead pipework is the fix, and it is the fix the grant is designed to pay for.
Whose pipe is it? Leaks and the property boundary
Uisce Éireann is responsible for the public water main up to your property boundary, and for the water meter wherever it sits. Everything on your side of the boundary is yours. Where several homes share one supply pipe, the owners share responsibility for it.
If you have a leak on the external pipe between the boundary and the house, Uisce Éireann's First Fix Free scheme may repair it at no cost. Details are in its pipe maintenance responsibility document and from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
Planning permission: when you need it, and the new 45 m² limit
Redoing a bathroom does not need planning permission. Works that affect only the inside of a building are exempt under section 4(1)(h) of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The exception is a protected structure, where internal works that affect its character do need permission — check with your council first.
Adding a bathroom in a rear extension is where the limits matter, and they changed on 27 July 2026. Under S.I. No. 338 of 2026, a rear extension can now be up to 45 m² without planning permission, up from 40 m², counting any earlier extensions. Upstairs, the limit stays at 12 m² for a terraced or semi-detached house and 20 m² for a detached one, and at least 25 m² of private garden must remain. Dublin City Council's summary sets out the full conditions.
Exempt from planning is not exempt from the Building Regulations. A new en-suite in an extension still has to meet Parts F, G, H and L above.
Water charges: is there a charge for using too much?
Not at the moment. The law provides for a household excess-use charge — the approved design is €1.85 per cubic metre above 213,000 litres a year, with allowances for larger households and a cap — but it has not been brought in. In March 2025 the Department of Housing said the Minister was "not giving consideration at this time" to the charges, and that had not changed by the end of 2025. Uisce Éireann explains the design on its household conservation charge page.
Fittings that help you meet the rules — or go beyond them
None of these are legally required. Each one does a job the rules above describe.
Deva Newton Thermostatic Shower Valve
- Thermostatic, TMV2 rated — holds the temperature steady
- Stops a toilet flush turning the shower scalding
- Concealed in the wall, chrome control
- WRAS approved
Deva Tudor Bath Shower Mixer
- WRAS approved — materials tested for drinking water
- Built for low-pressure Irish systems
- Solid brass, chrome finish
- 12-year Deva guarantee
K-Therm Thermostatic Towel Rail & Radiator Valves
- Thermostatic valve plus lockshield, 15 mm
- For a plumbed towel rail or a radiator
- Room-temperature control, as Part L expects
- Angled, chrome finish
Kartell Fast Flow Shower Tray Waste, 90 mm
- Waste and trap in one for a 90 mm tray
- The trap holds the water seal Part H requires
- Fast flow to keep up with a strong shower
- Chrome cover
See everything in bathroom, bathroom taps, wastes and heating.
Further reading: Water pressure in Irish homes · Are boiling water taps worth it? · Basin and sink wastes · Brushed brass taps and Irish hard water
Frequently Asked Questions
Do plumbers need to be registered in Ireland?
No. There is no licence or statutory register for water plumbing in Ireland. Gas work is different — it must be done by a Registered Gas Installer — and electrical work in a bathroom must be done by a Registered Electrical Contractor. A 2022 Act puts the Construction Industry Register Ireland on a legal footing, but the duty to register had not been brought into force for plumbing at our last review.
Can I fit my own bathroom in Ireland?
You can legally do the plumbing yourself — taps, toilet, basin, bath, shower valve and wastes. You cannot do new electrical work in a bathroom, such as wiring an extractor fan, an electric shower, lighting or an electric towel rail; that must be done by a Registered Electrical Contractor. Any gas work needs a Registered Gas Installer.
Does a bathroom with a window need an extractor fan in Ireland?
Yes. Technical Guidance Document F requires extract ventilation of at least 15 litres a second in a bathroom, and the note allowing a window to provide extract applies only to a room containing just a WC. A passive stack vent can be used instead of a fan.
Is a thermostatic mixing valve a legal requirement in Ireland?
No. Unlike England and Wales, Ireland's Technical Guidance Document G has no 48°C limit on bath hot water and no requirement for a thermostatic mixing valve. It is still a sensible choice in a home with young children or older people, because hot water should be stored at 60°C to control Legionella.
Do taps need to be WRAS approved in Ireland?
No. WRAS is a UK scheme and is not a legal requirement for taps sold to homeowners in Ireland. WRAS and KIWA certificates are still useful evidence that a tap's materials have been tested for contact with drinking water.
What changes for taps on 31 December 2026?
The EU's harmonised rules for materials and products in contact with drinking water, made under Article 11 of the Drinking Water Directive, begin to apply. Over time they replace national approval schemes with a single European approach, with a reported transition for nationally approved products to 2032. Homeowners do not need to change existing taps.
Who has to install an electric towel rail in Ireland?
A Registered Electrical Contractor. Electrical work in a room containing a bath or shower has been restricted work since 1 October 2013. A towel rail plumbed into the central heating, with no electrical element, can be fitted by any plumber.
Do I need planning permission to redo a bathroom in Ireland?
No. Works affecting only the inside of a building are exempt from planning permission, unless the building is a protected structure. A bathroom in a new rear extension is exempt if the extension is within the limits, which rose from 40 to 45 square metres on 27 July 2026.
What temperature should my hot water cylinder be set to?
60°C. The HSE's national Legionella guidelines recommend storing hot water at 60°C, reaching at least 50°C at the tap within one minute, and keeping cold water below 20°C. Use a thermostatic mixing valve if you need cooler water at a bath or shower.
Is there a grant for replacing lead pipes in Ireland?
Yes. The Domestic Lead Remediation Grant covers 100% of eligible costs up to €5,000, plus up to €200 for testing, for work costing at least €750 in your main home. You need evidence of lead above 10 micrograms per litre or a notification, and you apply to your local council.
Who is responsible for a leak on my water pipe?
Uisce Éireann is responsible up to your property boundary and for the meter. Pipework on your side of the boundary is yours, although Uisce Éireann's First Fix Free scheme may repair a leak on the external supply pipe at no cost.
About this guide. This is general information for homeowners, not legal advice. Rules change, so each section links to the official source. Last updated 13 November 2026. If you spot something that has changed, let us know and we will correct it.
