How much is home insurance in Ireland?

Why there is no single figure

Your premium is built from your own details. The CCPC says it depends on three main factors: the amount insured for buildings and contents, where your home is, and the type of cover and any discounts you qualify for.

The Central Bank's July 2021 review of differential pricing gives a sense of scale, but it is a worked example, not an average. It described two home insurance customers with the same expected cost of €350. The customer renewing for the first time paid €357. The customer in their ninth year paid €473, which is €116 more.

That example dates from before the 2022 ban on price walking, covered below. At the time of the 2021 review there were about 1.3 million home insurance policies in Ireland, the Central Bank said in December 2023.

One published example

Broker prices apply to one example home. This is the Gallagher example (checked 9 November 2026):

By our own sum, the deposit plus all 9 payments comes to €255.84. A house in another county, an older house or a different sum insured can be priced very differently.

The buildings figure in any quote should match your own rebuild cost, not someone else's example. Our guide to under-insurance and rebuild cost explains how to work it out.

What moves your price

The CCPC lists these factors (checked 9 November 2026):

• The sums insured. The amount you insure the buildings and contents for is one of the three main factors.
• Where you live. City homeowners usually pay more than rural homeowners, because there are more burglary claims in urban areas.
• Security. If you have security features, you may get a discount.
• Type of cover. Some benefits cost extra. For example, the CCPC says accidental damage cover for household equipment may mean a higher premium.
• Excess. The excess is usually €100 to €500 for standard claims and higher for subsidence. You may get a discount for agreeing to a higher excess.
• Discounts you qualify for. See the list below.

Discounts the CCPC lists

You may get a discount if:

• you have made no claims in the past three years
• the applicant or a resident is over 40 or 50
• residents are non-smokers
• someone is usually home during the day
• the house has an alarm, with an extra discount if it is monitored
• you have a smoke detector, or security locks are fitted
• you have another policy with the same company
• your house is in a neighbourhood watch area

Rebuild costs

The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) said on 4 November 2025 that national average rebuild costs rose by 7% over the previous 12 months. The SCSI added that this "does not necessarily mean premiums will increase on a pro-rata basis".

The renewal rules

Since 1 July 2022, the Central Bank has banned "price walking" in home and motor insurance. Insurers cannot charge a renewing customer more than they would charge an equivalent customer renewing for the first time. New customer discounts are still allowed.

The ban followed the Central Bank's 2021 review. It found that customers who stayed with the same insurer for nine years or more paid, on average, 32% more on home insurance than the equivalent customer renewing for the first time.

In December 2023, the Central Bank reported to the Minister for Finance that all in-scope insurers were following the rules and that home insurance customers "are no longer being charged higher premiums as a result of their loyalty".

The rule is now Regulation 315 in Part 4 of the Central Bank's insurance regulations. It says an insurer "shall not set a subsequent renewal price that is higher than the equivalent first renewal price".

What your renewal notice must show

• The CCPC says your insurer must send it at least 20 days before your renewal date.
• It must show the premiums you paid in the previous five years and a list of any claims paid in that time, the CCPC says.
• If the policy renews automatically, the Central Bank's rules require a notice at least 20 working days before the renewal date, with how to stop the renewal.
• You can cancel an automatic renewal at any time during the policy, free of charge, under the same rules.

The ban does not stop a new insurer offering a lower price to win your business. So the renewal price is still worth comparing.

Ways to lower the cost

These steps are based on the CCPC's guidance:

• Get quotes directly from insurers, through comparison sites (not all insurers may be included) or through a broker.
• Ask which of the discounts above you qualify for, such as an alarm, smoke detector or security locks.
• Consider a higher excess, but only one you could pay if you had to claim.
• Check you are not doubling up. Items covered by gadget insurance may also be covered by your home policy.
• Do not over insure. The CCPC says you pay higher premiums "with no extra benefit" because you are only covered for the actual cost.
• Use the CCPC's shopping around checklist to record each quote, the sums insured, the excess and the total cost of an instalment plan.

If you switch, the CCPC says you have a 14-day cooling-off period from the start of the new contract, during which you can cancel and get a full refund. Tell your old insurer in writing and cancel any direct debit.

Small claims can cost you later. The CCPC says that if the claim amount is small, consider whether it is worth claiming, as you may lose your no-claims discount.

When a lower price is a false saving

A low premium can come from a low sum insured. The CCPC says the policy with the lowest premium is not always the right one, and that you should read what is covered before you sign up.

Under-insurance is the main risk. In the CCPC's example, John and Aoife's house would cost €200,000 to rebuild but is insured for €150,000. If they had to rebuild, they would have to cover the €50,000 shortfall themselves.

You may not need every type of cover. If you live in an apartment and pay management fees, the CCPC says buildings insurance is usually covered within the fees, so you may only need contents cover. Citizens Information says renters can insure their contents separately from the building. Our guide to what home insurance covers explains the differences, and our home insurance guide has an overview.

Sources

• CCPC: Home insurance (accessed 9 November 2026)
• CCPC: Making an insurance claim (accessed 9 November 2026)
• CCPC: Home insurance shopping around checklist (accessed 9 November 2026)
• Central Bank of Ireland: Review of Differential Pricing in the Private Car and Home Insurance Markets, July 2021 (accessed 9 November 2026)
• Central Bank of Ireland: Review of Differential Pricing Regulations in the Private Car and Home Insurance Markets, December 2023 (accessed 9 November 2026)
• Central Bank of Ireland: Central Bank implements new Insurance Regulations, 15 March 2022 (accessed 9 November 2026)
• Central Bank of Ireland: Section 48 Regulations, Part 4 Insurance (accessed 9 November 2026)
• Citizens Information: Types of insurance (accessed 9 November 2026)
• Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland: press release on house rebuilding costs, 4 November 2025 (accessed 9 November 2026)
• Gallagher (broker): home insurance price example, as of 14/09/2026 (checked 9 November 2026)