Structure, before anything gets a finish

Extensions, houses, frames and groundwork. The part of the build that nobody sees and everything else sits on.

Pale sawn timber studwork braced and standing in a room being rebuilt

in short

AltHome's construction work covers the structure of a building across Kerry, Cork and Limerick: new one off houses, extensions, timber frame, garages, porches, garden rooms, saunas, modular homes, decking, concrete, blockwork and brickwork. It is the stage every other trade depends on, so each job starts with the ground, the foundation and the drawings, and is priced in writing before we dig.

the shell

Brick is the finish, block is the structure

Those two get treated as the same trade and they are not. Brick is what you see, so it is about bonds, pointing and matching a wall that has weathered for sixty years. Block is what holds the house up, so it is about cavities, insulation, load and the render that goes over it.

The same split runs through this whole section. Every page here is about what the thing has to do, not what it is called on a quote.

12 pages

The twelve jobs

Concrete work

Bases, floors and paths. Mix, reinforcement and curing.

Blockwork

The structure. Cavity walls, insulation, load and render over it.

Brickwork

The visible finish. Bonds, pointing and matching an existing wall.

Timber frame construction

How a frame goes up, how fast, and where the moisture goes.

House building

From foundations to a watertight shell, and what the stages actually cost.

Mobile and modular homes

Siting, services and what the regulations treat as a dwelling.

Extensions

Planning, the exempted development limits, and joining new to old.

Porches and entrances

Small footprint, awkward details. Where heat and water get in.

Garages

Single skin against cavity, and what changes if you might convert it later.

Garden rooms and sheds

Bases, frames and cladding for something that has to last twenty years.

Saunas

Timber choice, insulation and ventilation in a room built to get wet.

Verandas and decking

Ground contact, drainage and the timber that survives an Irish winter.

asked

Construction: common questions

Written by the AltHome crew. Last reviewed September 2026.

Do I need planning permission to build in Kerry, Cork or Limerick?

A new house always does. Many rear extensions up to 40 m², small front porches up to 2 m² and garden rooms under 25 m² can be exempt if they meet the limits on height, position and garden space. Check your specific case with the council or your designer.

Can AltHome build from my architect's drawings?

Yes. We price the drawings line by line, point out anything that will cost more to build than expected, and work with your engineer and assigned certifier through to completion.

Is timber frame or block better for a new house in Ireland?

Both build good houses. Timber frame closes in faster and is easy to insulate; block is heavier, quieter and more familiar to lenders and buyers. The choice usually comes down to programme, site access and preference.

quote

Starting with a drawing or with an idea

Either is fine. Bring the drawings if you have them and we will price off those.

Get a fixed quote