County Limerick · checked 29 October 2026
Underpinning in County Limerick
Limerick is the one county on this site covered by both the pyrite scheme and the defective concrete blocks scheme. Neither problem is fixed by underpinning, so it pays to know which one you have.
Facts on this page checked against each source on 29 October 2026. Each one links to its source. How we check
In Census 2022, 30.8% of the 76,295 households in County Limerick lived in homes built before 1971, against 28.5% nationally, and 8.5% in homes built before 1919 (CSO).
Underpinning here works the way it does everywhere: a chartered structural engineer first, then the cause, then the design. This page adds what is particular to County Limerick: the age of its houses, its ground, and the schemes that apply.
The age of the housing in County Limerick
| Area | Households | Pre-1919 | Pre-1971 | Pre-1991 | 1991 to 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Limerick | 76,295 | 8.5% | 30.8% | 53.5% | 37.9% |
| Ireland | 1,836,728 | 8.4% | 28.5% | 50.8% | 39.1% |
Source: CSO Census 2022, table SAP2022T6T2CTY, permanent private households by year built. Shares are of all households, including those whose year built wasn't stated.
Why age matters: civil engineer Kieran McCarthy says most Irish suburbs built in the early 1970s or before will likely have clay drains, and that leaking drains cause most of the subsidence he sees (Irish Examiner, 2021). And the national Building Regulations, including requirement A2 that foundations cope with ground movement, apply to buildings from 1 June 1992 on (TGD A). In County Limerick, 53.5% of households live in homes built before 1991.
Ground conditions in County Limerick
- From Foynes to Limerick city and south to the Cork border, the land is fertile lowland on limestone glacial till. Between Newcastle West and Kilmallock, poorly drained surface-water gleys are more typical (Farmers Journal soil survey of Co. Limerick).
- Most of the county drains to the Shannon through the Mulkear, the Maigue and the Deel (Farmers Journal).
- The Pyrite Remediation Scheme was extended to Limerick City and County Council's area on 25 September 2020 (gov.ie).
- The enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme covers Limerick, with grants of up to €420,000 depending on the works needed (Mayo County Council, scheme page).
These notes describe the county's soils and geology in general. They are background for a conversation with an engineer, never a verdict on one house.
Pyrite and defective blocks in County Limerick
Pyrite Remediation Scheme: County Limerick is in the scheme It was added on 25 September 2020 (gov.ie). As published in 2020, homes had to be built and completed between 1 January 1997 and 12 December 2013, certified with a damage condition rating of 2 attributable to pyrite heave, and meet the scheme's other conditions (C&AG). Pyrite heave lifts floors; underpinning doesn't fix it.
Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme: the enhanced scheme covers Limerick, with grants of up to €420,000 depending on the works needed (Mayo County Council, scheme page). Defective blocks fail in the walls themselves; underpinning doesn't fix that either.
See pyrite and defective blocks.
Getting a house in County Limerick looked at
- Record the cracks.Dated photos, inside and out, with a ruler in the shot. Don't fill them yet.
- Get a chartered structural engineer.The engineer grades the cracks, finds the cause and decides whether underpinning is needed at all. Engineers Ireland awards the CEng MIEI title (Engineers Ireland).
- Check the drains.A CCTV drain survey shows whether old drains are leaking, the usual cause.
- Tell your insurer if you're claiming.As soon as reasonably possible. See the insurance guide.
- Get the design priced.Send your details and one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county rings you to talk it through.
The full order of work is on the underpinning process page, and the methods on underpinning methods.
Nearby counties
Cork · County Galway · All county pages
Questions people ask
Pyrite, defective blocks or subsidence?
Pyrite heave lifts floor slabs from below. Defective blocks crack and crumble in the walls themselves. Subsidence is the ground under the foundations moving down. Each has a different fix, and testing by an engineer tells them apart.
How old are Limerick's homes?
In Census 2022, 30.8% of Limerick's 76,295 households lived in homes built before 1971.
Who will ring me?
We pass your request to one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county. Your number isn't sent to a list. They ring you, ask what's happening and about any engineer's report, and price the work from the engineer's design. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
Cracks in a house in County Limerick?
Five quick questions and one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county rings you. Or call 087 162 1846 between 8am and 8pm.