How to Renovate Your HDB Flat

Want to transform your new home into a personalised living space that reflects your style and meets your family's needs? Before you embark on your HDB renovation journey, read this guide to learn about the guidelines for renovating your HDB flat.

Planning for Your HDB Renovation

Start thinking about your HDB renovation theme and sourcing for an interior designer (ID) or contractor before your key collection date. The creative process takes time, and conducting thorough research early ensures you'll be well-prepared for your HDB renovation journey.

Engaging a good interior designer or contractor takes the guesswork out of renovation and lets you focus on other aspects such as home furnishings and other paperwork.

Besides dedicating ample time for selection, it is important to ensure that the ID or contractor shows an understanding of your needs and requirements, and your desired concept. They should also be responsive to queries and receptive to feedback, to work with you on ideas or suggest viable alternatives where need be.

Upon obtaining approval from HDB, renovation should be completed within 3 months for new flats and 1 month for existing flats. This will minimise inconvenience and noise disturbances to your neighbours.

Renovation Guidelines

As the HDB flat owner, you are responsible for obtaining all HDB renovation permits required for your flat's renovations before renovation works begin. This is necessary to ensure that your planned renovations do not affect the structural integrity of your HDB flat and compromise your and your neighbours’ safety.

The renovation contractor you engage must be listed in the HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors. These contractors are familiar with HDB’s renovation guidelines and procedures, which can help ensure that your renovation works comply with HDB’s requirements.

You can authorise your renovation contractor to submit the renovation application online on your behalf. If you are removing or repositioning fittings, hacking down or constructing walls, the layout plans, elevations, sections or details of the proposed works must be submitted together with your application.  Once HDB receives the application, an SMS notification will be sent to you. After the permit has been granted, you can view the details using HDB's 'Check Renovation Permit' e-Service.

Here are some key renovation guidelines and requirements:

Floor Finishes

You will need a permit if you are thinking of removing existing floor finishes and replacing them with floor finishes of your choice. You also need a permit to raise the level of the floors in your kitchen, balcony, bathroom or toilet – if not properly carried out, these works can add unnecessary stress on the floor slab of the flat and weaken the overall structure of the flat.

Walls

Before you plan to hack down or alter any walls in your flat, you need to obtain a permit from HDB.

Doors

You need a permit to replace your main entrance door, if it is situated along a fire escape route i.e. facing a staircase or lift lobby. The replacement door and the frame of the door must be half hour fire-rated, and complete with a door closer.

Changing the location of doors within the flat also requires a permit from HDB – the new entrance should not be created through reinforced concrete walls.

Bathrooms/ Toilets

If you have a newly built BTO flat, you will have to wait 3 years before removing any wall or floor finishes in the toilets. This is to prevent damage to the waterproofing in these wet areas. Instead of hacking away the original tiles, you can overlay them with tiles of your choice. If you decide to change the flooring or wall finishes or extend your bathroom/ toilet after this 3-year period, you will need to get a permit from HDB.

Glass screens are a great way to segment your bathroom, keeping much of it dry and clean. While this does not require HDB’s approval, do ensure that the floor slab is not tampered with when installing the shower screen.

Air-Conditioner Installation

You do not need to apply for a permit from HDB to install an air-conditioner (or other high-power appliances), if your flat is already equipped to handle a higher electrical load safely. This mainly applies to flats built after 1 January 1994, or flats that have undergone the Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) or Home Improvement Programme (HIP). If you are unsure, check the electrical loading of your HDB block.

Any air-conditioners must be installed by a BCA-trained air-conditioner installer. Remember, you are responsible for the proper installation, safety and stability of your air-conditioner. Read more about our air-conditioner installation guidelines.  

Windows

When installing or replacing windows, always hire a BCA-approved window contractor listed in the HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors, and ensure all works comply with safety requirements. Read more about the guidelines on window works.

Household Shelter (also known as bomb shelter)

In line with building code regulations, all apartment buildings built from 1996 in Singapore must be constructed with a household shelter. With strengthened walls, floor and ceiling, the household shelter is designed to protect you and your family during an emergency.

It’s important to note that the walls of the household shelter must not be hacked or drilled. You should also not tamper with the door – keep it intact and ensure that it can be opened and closed properly at all times.

Renovating Responsibly

When renovating, please be considerate to your neighbours and refrain from hogging the lifts. Do not block or insert foreign objects into the lift door to keep it open. Contact your Town Council for disposal of bulky items and ensure that your renovation contractor disposes of renovation debris properly.

Remind your contractors to give your neighbours a heads up about your home renovation, especially those who will be most affected by the works.

General renovations (e.g. plastering, laying of floor screed)

• Allowed on: Monday – Saturday, 9am – 6pm

• NOT allowed on: Sunday and Public Holidays

Noisy renovations (e.g. demolishing walls, removing wall/ floor finishes)

• Allowed on: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm

• NOT allowed on: Weekends, Public Holidays, and eve of major public holidays

Learn more about HDB renovation guidelines.