Quick Answer: Slatted shed cost in Ireland in 2026 runs roughly €24,000–€26,000 per bay for a full TAMS-spec build, slats, lie-back area and a covered canopy over the feed passage. That puts a 4-bay slatted shed at around €96,000–€104,000 before grant aid, and a 6-bay at €144,000–€156,000. Grant aid changes the picture a lot: the tank attracts 60% under the ring-fenced Nutrient Storage ceiling, while the structure above ground is usually 40% (60% for qualifying young farmers). On a €100,000 shed, the net cost to the farmer often lands around €60,000.
The slatted shed is the workhorse of Irish farming. It is also one of the biggest single investments most farmers will ever make in their yard, and the one where quotes vary most wildly between contractors.
This guide breaks down what a slatted shed actually costs in Ireland in 2026, why the trade prices them by the bay, what is included and what is not, how the TAMS grant splits between the tank and the structure, and what farmers genuinely end up paying once the grant lands.
Why Slatted Shed Cost Is Priced Per Bay
Ask any contractor in the country what a shed will cost and the first question back will be “how many bays?” A bay is the structural module between two uprights, typically around 15 ft (4.8 m). Everything scales from it: the tank underneath, the slats on top, the steel frame, the roof.
That is why farmers search for a 4 bay slatted shed cost rather than a price per square metre. It is the unit the whole trade works in, and it makes comparing quotes far easier, provided every quote covers the same spec.
Slatted Shed Cost in Ireland by Size (2026)
Working off the industry rule of thumb of roughly €24,000–€26,000 per full-spec bay, here is how slatted shed cost scales in 2026. These are total build figures before grant aid, excluding VAT:
| Size | Indicative total cost (before grant) | Typical capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 3 bay slatted shed | €72,000–€78,000 | Around 30 suckler cows |
| 4 bay slatted shed | €96,000–€104,000 | Around 40 cattle |
| 5 bay slatted shed | €120,000–€130,000 | Around 50 cattle |
| 6 bay slatted shed | €144,000–€156,000 | Around 60 cattle |
A word of caution on those figures: they assume a full specification. A simpler slatted unit with no lie-back area and an open feed passage will come in well under them. Equally, a shed on a difficult site, or one with a deeper tank and heavier steel, can run over. Treat the per-bay figure as a starting point for conversation, not a quote. For how slatted sheds compare with other farm buildings on price, see our steel shed cost guide and our breakdown of farm shed sizes.
What Is Actually Included in a Slatted Shed Price
This is where quotes diverge, and where farmers get caught. A slatted shed is really two builds stacked on each other: a concrete tank in the ground, and a steel building over it. A complete price should cover both, plus the fit-out:
- Groundworks and tank, excavation, shuttering, reinforcing steel, and the concrete tank itself (commonly 2.4 m deep).
- Slats, precast concrete units, typically 14 ft 6 in, 16 ft or 16 ft 6 in spans.
- Steel structure, stanchions, rafters and purlins, galvanised to grant spec.
- Roof and cladding, sheeting, flashings, ridge and roof lights.
- Fit-out, barriers, gates, drinkers, penning and the feed passage.
- Aprons and concrete, the external concrete work around the shed.
If a quote looks notably cheaper than the rest, check what has quietly been left out, an unusually low slatted shed cost almost always means something has been omitted. Aprons, barriers and gates are the usual omissions, and they are not small money. We cover how to compare quotes properly in our guide to choosing a steel erection contractor.
What Pushes Slatted Shed Cost Up or Down
- Tank depth and size, a deeper tank means more excavation, more concrete and more reinforcing steel. It is the single biggest swing factor below ground.
- Slat span, a 16 ft 6 in slat costs more than a 14 ft 6 in one, and needs a wider tank to sit on.
- Lie-back area, adding a bedded lie-back behind the slats adds floor area, roof and steel to every bay.
- Covered feed passage, a canopy over the feed area is a significant part of the per-bay figure.
- Site conditions, rock, a high water table or a sloping site can add thousands before a single upright goes up.
- Roof shape, an A-roof over a lean-to changes both the steel and the sheeting quantities.
TAMS Grants: The Split Most Farmers Miss
Here is the part that is worth real money on your final slatted shed cost, and it catches people out constantly. A slatted shed is not funded as one lump under TAMS 3, it is split, and the two halves attract different rates.
The tank falls under nutrient storage investments, which attract 60% grant aid and sit under their own ring-fenced ceiling of €90,000 per holding (€160,000 for a registered farm partnership). The structure above ground and the slats fall under the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme at 40%, or 60% for qualifying young farmers under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme.
The practical upshot is significant: because the nutrient storage ceiling is separate, a farmer building a slatted shed can claim 60% on the tank and still have the full €90,000 AWNSS ceiling available for the building over it. Our full TAMS 3 guide covers the schemes and deadlines in detail.
A Worked Example
Here is how slatted shed cost works out in practice once grant aid is applied. Take a shed with an actual build cost of €100,000 and a TAMS reference cost of €85,000, with €25,000 of that attributed to the tank and €60,000 to the structure and slats:
- Tank: €25,000 at 60% = €15,000 grant
- Structure and slats: €60,000 at 40% = €24,000 grant
- Total grant: €39,000
- Net cost to the farmer: around €61,000
Note the gap between the €100,000 actual cost and the €85,000 reference cost. TAMS only pays on the reference cost, so you carry that €15,000 difference yourself. It is not a reason to skip the grant, the concrete, slats, barriers and gates cost the same either way, but it is why the grant rarely feels as generous on paper as it sounds.
Planning Permission for a Slatted Shed
Under the 2026 planning exemptions, a lot of farm buildings can now go up without a full planning application, but the siting conditions are strict. An exempted development must sit at least 10 m back from a public road, and at least 100 m from any dwelling house other than your own. That second condition rules out more farmyards than people expect, so check it before you budget.
Animal housing is also capped at 300 sq m per building under the exemption. A large slatted shed can exceed that, so it is worth sizing the job with the limit in mind before you commit to a slatted shed cost. Our guide to the 2026 planning exemptions sets out the full conditions.
Timing Your Build
The single most common mistake farmers make has nothing to do with slatted shed cost, it is applying too late. TAMS applications are ranked and selected after each tranche closes, and you must have written approval before a sod is turned, start early and you are disqualified outright. The 2026 tranches close on 6 March, 5 June, 4 September and 4 December.
Sound advice from the trade is to apply the winter before you actually need the shed. If you want cattle in it for winter 2027, you should be applying now. Between approval, groundworks and the build itself, the lead time is longer than most farmers allow for, we cover realistic timelines in our steel shed build time guide.
Where Sullivan Steel Fits
We are a steel fabrication and erection business. On a slatted shed, that means we design, fabricate and erect the steel structure over the tank, and we sheet and clad it, stanchions, rafters, purlins, roof and cladding, all to grant specification. We work alongside your groundworks contractor on the tank and slats so the two halves of the job, and the two halves of your slatted shed cost, line up properly.
If your build needs something outside a standard layout, an unusual span, an awkward site, or a structure tied into existing buildings, that is handled as bespoke steel fabrication in our own workshop in Bannow, Co. Wexford.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does a 4 bay slatted shed cost in Ireland?
A full TAMS-spec 4 bay slatted shed costs roughly €96,000–€104,000 before grant aid in 2026, based on around €24,000–€26,000 per bay. After grant aid, farmers commonly end up paying somewhere in the region of €60,000.
Q: How big is a bay in a slatted shed?
A bay is normally about 15 ft (4.8 m) wide, the module between two structural uprights. Slat spans across the tank are commonly 14 ft 6 in, 16 ft or 16 ft 6 in.
Q: Is it cheaper to build a slatted shed without a grant?
Rarely. The concrete, slats, barriers and gates cost the same whether you are grant-aided or not. The only savings come from lighter steel or lower-gauge sheeting, which is a false economy on a building meant to last decades.
Q: What grant is available for a slatted shed?
Under TAMS 3, the tank attracts 60% as a nutrient storage investment with its own €90,000 ring-fenced ceiling, while the structure and slats attract 40% under the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme, or 60% for qualifying young farmers.
Q: How many cattle will a slatted shed hold?
As a rough guide, allow around 10 cattle per bay, though it varies with animal size, slat span and whether there is a lie-back area. A 4 bay shed typically houses around 40 cattle.
The Bottom Line
Slatted shed cost in Ireland comes down to bays, spec and site. At roughly €24,000–€26,000 a bay for a full TAMS specification, the headline figures look daunting, but with the tank grant-aided at 60% under its own separate ceiling and the structure at 40% or 60%, the net cost is a good deal more manageable than the sticker price suggests.
The two things that matter most: get your TAMS application in the winter before you need the shed, and make sure every quote you compare covers the same specification right down to the barriers and aprons.
For an honest, no-obligation price on the steel and cladding for your slatted shed, get in touch with Sullivan Steel. We will walk the site with you, quote to grant spec, and give you a clear breakdown of exactly what is included. You can also read Teagasc’s farm buildings guidance before you commit.
