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Do I need planning permission for a log cabin in Ireland?

It depends entirely on use and size, not the construction material. A log cabin used for genuine domestic purposes, kept to the rear, and staying within the 25 m² combined limit under Class 2 of Schedule 2 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 can be exempt, but one used as separate living accommodation is not.

A timber log cabin in a garden is not treated differently from any other type of shed or garden room simply because of its construction material — the planning assessment turns on its size, siting and, critically, how it is used, applying the same Class 2 exemption in Schedule 2 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 that covers sheds and garden offices.

A cabin used for storage, a hobby room, or a home office for the household can be exempted development if it is sited to the rear of the house, its floor area combined with any other Class 2 structures does not exceed 25 m², and at least 25 m² of private open space remains in the garden.

A larger cabin fitted out with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom for use as independent living accommodation — whether for a family member, a guest, or short-term letting — is treated as a material change of use or as a separate dwelling, and this is not covered by the domestic outbuilding exemption regardless of the cabin's size, since a change to residential use of this kind requires planning permission.

Checklist for a garden log cabin

Work through the following:

  • Confirm the intended use is genuinely ancillary to the house, not separate living accommodation
  • Keep combined floor area of all Class 2 structures at or below 25 m²
  • Site the cabin to the rear of the house, not forward of the front wall
  • Retain at least 25 m² of private open space in the garden
  • Avoid installing full kitchen and bathroom facilities if you want to rely on the exemption
  • Check the property is not a protected structure or in an architectural conservation area

Marketing a cabin as a "garden annexe" or advertising it for short-term letting is a strong indicator to a planning authority that the use has moved beyond what the domestic exemption allows.

Using a cabin for a family member

If the aim is to house an elderly parent or adult child on the same site, see the separate rules on granny flats and second dwellings in a garden, since a self-contained residential unit generally needs planning permission even where it is called a log cabin.

Sources

Last reviewed 20 August 2026. General information only — not legal or planning advice.

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