The scheme is open to homeowners in Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick and Sligo. You must live in the home, or own one RTB-registered rental property that was registered by 1 November 2021. You do not need anything in hand to start reading.

Record what you can see — stepped cracking, dampness, doors and windows that have started to stick. You are not diagnosing anything at this stage, only building a record. Damage usually worsens over winter, so a log over time is far more persuasive than a single photograph.

Arrange a Building Condition Assessment with a registered engineer, architect, surveyor or building surveyor. This is the document the whole application rests on, so ask what the report will and will not cover before you engage anyone.

Upload the BCA and your supporting documents through the Donegal DCB portal. Two of the required certificates come from Revenue and catch people out — both are obtained through Revenue MyAccount and both can take a few days to issue.

The council verifies your documents and forwards the application to the Housing Agency. This stage can be slow and quiet. Silence is normal; it does not mean anything has gone wrong.

The Housing Agency decides whether your home meets the damage threshold and which remediation option applies — full demolition and rebuild, rebuilding the external walls, or re-rendering the affected walls. The option sets the grant, so this is the point to go through the figures with your engineer line by line.

Accept the remediation recommendation, or appeal it using the Schedule 15 Notice of Appeal — the standard form for challenging a scheme decision. There is a fixed window, so do not wait to see whether things improve.

Accept the remediation option and the grant. Planning and preparatory work can begin now — but do not start any building work yet.

Prepare plans, quotes and energy checks. Wait for the portal to prompt you before commencing works.

Confirm the registered architect, engineer or surveyor who will prepare your remedial works plan.

Your professional prepares the plan setting out the scope and sequence of the work.

Confirm whether planning permission is required for your home.

An energy assessment may be required for building control compliance.

You may be eligible for SEAI energy grants alongside the rebuild.

Collect contractor quotes and review the costs and the timeline together.

Submit the remedial works plan and supporting documents through the portal.

Submit notices to the DCB Scheme (7–14 days before you start) and to Building Control (14–28 days before).

Works must be completed within 130 weeks — about two and a half years. The final grant claim must be submitted within 65 weeks of the works starting.

Receive formal grant approval and confirm your start date.

The council may come back with a request for further information or clarification.

Keep every invoice, receipt and photograph, and log anything the builders find on site.

Submit stage payment claims as the works reach each agreed milestone, with the invoices and evidence that support them.

Attend the inspections and note any corrections that are required before you can claim.

Submit the final grant claim with the full set of invoices, certificates and completion evidence. This must be within 65 weeks of the works starting.

Check the portal for completion, and keep every record safely. You may need them again.