All you need to know: HDB (Housing Development Board) Renovation Guidelines

If you are a house owner in Singapore, you are required by law to follow specific guidelines for the safety and convenience of everyone.

These rules are monitored but the Housing & Development (Renovation Control) department.

One of the top requirements under the list of rules is to hire an HDBx renovation contractor who is registered.

All house owners who decide to take this step are responsible for taking care of all the steps through the renovation project and paying for all the potential expenses it might incur.

It should be noted that the housing board does not play any part in the building owners’ hiring of the HDB renovation contractor.

Therefore, if the house owner and the contractor should reach crossroads regarding design, time, and payment, it is an issue that needs to be resolved between the homeowner and the contractor without the involvement of the HDB.

In case the situation is such that it cannot be resolved between the two parties, the disagreement can be carried over to the authority of the Small Claims Tribunal or CASE so that the issue can get amicably settled.

If it’s an even bigger issue, then a court case may be filed, and proceedings will follow through, although this is primarily a last resort kind of approach.

Make sure that the contractor you have hired is registered and certified by the HDB.

You can check the contractor’s credentials by going to the HDB’s official website.

On the homepage, look for “Living in HBD flats, go to Home Renovations and click on the link that says, “Looking for contractors.”

You can also find a toll-free number on their website, which you can call for further assistance.

Suppose you carry out any renovation or home improvement project without adhering to the rules set by the Housing & Development (Renovation Control).

In that case, you are subject to legal offense by law. This includes getting the proper permit for whatever work you are about to do in your home.

Once the authorities find you guilty of this offense, you might be fined at least $5000 or more.

You may also be ordered to remove any of the unauthorized work you had already completed in the house and return it to how it was before the renovation took place.

It must be noted that some renovation work may not require a permit.

Even so, you still have to follow the guidelines set by the HBD for whatever work you are planning on carrying out.

As a house owner, you must ensure that the registered renovation contractor under your employer submits the application for a renovation permit on your behalf.

Along with the application form, you should also attach other documents such as a signed acknowledgment form signed by you, i.e., the house owner, stating that you are fully aware of the permit application and the renovation work that is about to take place.

During the entirety of the renovation work, the contractor should set up a sign outside the unit, which is the Notice of Renovation, making people aware of the construction site.

There is a limited allowance for HDB renovations.

There are a few guidelines that need to be followed for any house renovations that you want to do.

This includes getting a permit for the work along with a registered HDB contractor from the Directory of Renovation Contractors, who will oversee your entire project.

The permit application will depend on what kind of renovation you are planning on doing because there are different permits you need to apply for.

For example, tearing down walls or replacing the tiles on your floors requires different permits.

Hence, your contractor has to fill up the application form and send it to the board stating what kinds of renovations are going to take place and what permits you may need for this project.

According to the guidelines of the HDB, all renovations can only occur between 9 am and 6 pm on weekdays and Saturdays.

Additionally, if your renovation project involves the use of heavy machinery that makes a lot of noise, you are permitted to use this only from 9 am and 5 pm.

You are not allowed to work on any renovations on Sundays and public holidays such as Christmas or New Year.

How to cope with neighbor’s renovation work:

• If you have any important meetings to attend during the renovation hours, you can reach out to the contractor or the homeowner and ask them to avoid the noise during the specific timeslot.
• In case there is no chance for the renovation work to be paused during your meeting, you may visit a nearby library or go to a friend’s house for the duration of your appointment
• The best way to make sure your requests are heard you can even contact the community board or a grassroots-level leader of the community and make them your mediator for the request.

Generally, any and all construction work may be legally carried out any time from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm every day.

However, suppose you are working on significant construction like demolishing walls, taking out floors, cutting tiles, drilling holes in walls, or essentially anything that causes a lot of noise.

In that case, you can do so during the weekdays between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm.

As for Sundays and other public holidays, you cannot work on noisy renovations.

This includes holidays like Chinese New Year, New Year’s Day, Christmas Day Deepavali, and Hari Raya Puasa).

Especially since the COVID pandemic, there have been even more restrictions on house renovations in the country.

An essential requirement is that any DIY renovation in your house, with or without a registered contractor, should not happen past 10:30 pm to 7 am, especially if it involves hammering or drilling on the property.

This is to allow for community peace and harmony.

In case the situation is unavoidable, it is advised that you inform your neighbors of the noise prior to carrying out your work.

If you are carrying our significant work in your building, it is recommended that you inform your neighbors at least 2 to 5 days in advance so that they can expect or prepare for the noise.

Engage a Contractor listed in the Directory of Renovation Contractors

Since employing a registered contractor is part of the prerequisites of starting any renovation work in Singapore, the HDB makes sure to assist you in the process of finding one that is certified by them.

When hiring a contractor, regardless of whether your kind of project requires a permit or not, you need to have a registered contractor on your team.

You can go to their website and look for the list of contractors who are already approved by the board as credible professionals.

Although they provide this list, they are not necessarily renovation contractors of the HDB; hence, they cannot be responsible for the kinds of contracts that you sign with them as the homeowner.

This is the reason why if you find yourself in a dispute over money, work, or anything related to the renovation work, it is an internal issue that needs to be resolved between the contractor and the house owner.

The HDB does not play any role in resolving issues for them.

When you plan to start renovation work, you should be ready with prior approval from the HDB.

This means that you need written approval as a renovation permit for the work you are about to carry out in your home.

If you fail to get a permit and you have already started your renovation work, the HDB has every right to condemn your construction site as unauthorized and even find you for the illegal work.

They will also ask you to remove any of the new installation or renovation work you had already carried out and return your flat to the way that it was before the renovation took place.

On the other hand, some renovation works will not require approval from the authorities, which means that you do not need a permit in order to carry out these kinds of projects.

However, you still need to comply with the guidelines set by the HDB for these kinds of projects.

The HDB contractor’s job is to apply for a housing permit 

However, you can also check their website daily to keep an eye on the progress of your application status.

It typically will take only 2 or 3 days for your application to go through and get approved for minor construction and renovation works.

Still, if you are applying for a permit for significant construction like hacking walls and replacing floorings, it might take longer for your application to get approved.

If your renovation plans include a long list of different construction work, make sure you know which permits you to need to apply.

How to apply for permit approval?

First, you need to hire a registered contractor for the renovation work you are planning on.

This contractor will be the overseer for the entirety of the project, including submitting the form of permit approval from the HDB on behalf of the house owner.

The contractor is also responsible for educating the homeowner about the guidelines they must follow throughout the renovation project.

Regardless of whether the project requires a permit or not, all guidelines should be followed strictly, or else the board has the authority to halt all construction and ask the house owner to restore the place to its former condition.

Heavy construction projects like tearing down walls, relocating doors, and changing the floors of a flat will require a permit from the HDB.

If you don’t get this written approval but still continue the construction, the HDB has the right to deem your actions illegal and will even impose a fine.

There are a couple of applications specific to the different kinds of renovations, such as plumbing and electronic renovation application, installing air-conditioners, general work, and changing your service yard, also known as the laundry area.

If you are planning on more significant work like hacking Normal walls, you will have to submit the floor plan of your building along with the application so that the HDB can cross-check for eligibility conditions.

Other things that need to be considered before applying are the different bodies of authority whose approval you need to carry out the Renovation Process.

This includes the Ministry of Manpower, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Energy Market Authority, SP Services, Building & Construction Authority, National Environment Agency, The Fire Safety, and Shelter Department, and Public Utilities Board.

Because the process is quite long and tedious, you need a registered HDB contractor who is well versed in the workings of the process and will hence, give you an upper hand when dealing with all the legalities concerning your renovation period.

There are different permits for different kinds of renovation work. They are mentioned below:

Replacing the floor slab:

If your renovation project consists of the replacement of floor finishes, you will need to acquire a permit from the HDB.

This includes removing the tiles or hardwood floors and replacing them with newer materials.

Another guideline about floor renovations is that if you are planning on applying a floor finish, it should not exceed 5 cm.

If you are thinking about removing the current flooring and alleviating it for a greater height, the distance between the window of the room and the floor should not be less than a meter.

Relocating doors:

For this project, you need to keep in mind that according to the guidelines of the HDB, you cannot move your door to reinforced concrete walls.

Another thing to remember is that since you will have to tear down one or at least part of a wall, you need to ensure you are not hacking through load-bearing or structural support walls.

Hacking walls:

Much modern architecture features open spaces in homes.

If you want to change up the look of your flat in this open space, you may need to tear down some walls.

However, for safety reasons, you cannot tear down walls that are critical to the building structure.

It is best to consult an expert like the contractor in your employment or the previous architect of the building so that you can take a look at the floor plan and renovate accordingly.

Apart from this, as long as you get a permit, you can tear down any nonstructural walls.

The new wall finish also should not exceed a thickness of 2.5 cm.

Replacing staircases:

For work like changing the safety railings on your staircase inside the house, you will need the approval of both the HDB and the BCA (Building Construction Authority).

You will also need a professional engineer to help create the staircase railing for you and get it approved by both authority parties to commence work.

Bathroom renovation:

For the first three years of acquiring a new flat or building, you are not allowed to renovate the bathroom because they use a Pre-packed waterproofing screed for safety reasons and to prevent leakage.

Once you let the waterproofing membrane settle and stabilize, you can get a permit from the HDB for the renovation of your bathroom.

Like the previously mentioned guidelines, the floor and wall finishes in your bathroom also should not exceed the 5 cm and 2.5 cm mark.

Apart from this, if you are planning a major renovation that includes installing large fixtures in the bathroom walls, you need to look at their guidelines for specific conditions you must follow.

This includes the installation of long baths, spa pools, shower screens, and shower trays.

Replacing windows:

When it comes to renovating height windows, there are a lot of guidelines set in place by the HDB.

For example, you have to consider the sizes of your windows, the casement, the grill design, etc.

If your permit application for window replacement is approved, you will need to sit with your contractor and go through the plan of the house while making sure to follow all the guidelines.

One of the rules is that your new windows should have some resemblance to the older ones.

In this sense, the windows should be similar; hence there are size limits.

For example, for casement windows, you need to make sure that it comes between 50cm to 70cm wide.

The dimension limits for sliding windows are 50cm to 120cm.

Plumbing work:

When it comes to plumbing, you don’t require a permit if you are going to replace or repair your wash basin in the kitchen or the bathroom.

However, if you are planning on moving the basin to another place, you will need a permit.

From 2018 onwards, the government has made it mandatory for all plumbing works in houses to be done by a professional under the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

This includes work like encasing pipelines, replacing water pipes, installing toilet pans, concealing pipes into the floors or the walls, etc.

Electrical Works:

If you are thinking of getting an air conditioner installed in your home, you will have to submit a report stating the installation process and another form to the HDB from the SP services.

You also have to make sure that you hire a professional trained under the BCA.

Gas work:

For such high-risk installations or replacements, you need to hire a professionally licensed gas service person through the Energy Market Authority (EMA).

This includes removing the gas branch pipe, relocating the gas meter, or installing the new gas oven and gas water heaters.

The first thing is to write an application for the permit, which your contractor will submit on your behalf.

Make sure that you don’t miss out on a single detail about the materials you require for the renovation work to be carried out.

Add as many receipts as possible to increase your chances of getting approval from the HDB.

This is a critical detail you don’t want to miss because the point is to convince the authority that you have all you need to do the renovation without any mishaps.

Once you submit your application, the renovation permit time is about 2 to 3 days for approval of the application if your permit is not related to major construction work like replacing floors, relocating sinks and doors, or hacking the walls.

If it involves heavy construction, then the approval process might take longer.

How to check the progress of your permit:

• You can check the progress of your application through their website.
•  Go to “My Flat,” click on “Purchased Flat,” and search for “Renovation.”
• You will find the “My HDBPage” link under this.
• If your permit has been granted, you will be able to view it here.

In most cases, if you have already received the permit, you are required to finish all renovation work within 60 days of receiving your pass.

If the work gets extended, you will have to pay an additional fine of $10 for every day of the extension period.

Note that there are no fees incurred for applying for a permit, and only an HDB-licensed contractor is allowed to submit the application.

Beware of fraudsters who might tell you otherwise to scam you into losing money.

Apart from all the renovation rules/ guidelines and timings set aside by the authority when it comes to HDB renovations, a few construction works are not allowed.

Although a few major construction works can be carried out after getting a permit and the proper professionals for the job, there are a few other projects that cannot be done regardless of whether you apply for a permit or not.

Most of these regulations are set in place for public safety.

Here are a few examples of renovation works that cannot be undertaken:

Floors:

• Overloading the floor slaps with over 150kg/sq m is not allowed.
• You also cannot raise the floor level of the house to more than a 50mm layer of floor finishes.
• Extension of floor area is also not allowed.

Walls:

• You are not allowed to remove walls and posts that are load bearing or are critical to the structure of the entire building.
• This is an apparent restriction so as to avoid the building from becoming structurally weak and collapsing in any situation.
• Installing different fixtures, including awnings outside the flat, is not allowed.
• You are not allowed to paint the outside of your flat

Ceiling:

•  You cannot plaster ceilings or remove pitched roof ceilings

Floor:

• You are not allowed to lay floor finishes outside the entrance without a step or space for a step.

Windows:

• You cannot install windows wherever you like; for example, windows are not allowed to be constructed when the wall faces a common corridor.
• You also cannot replace bay windows, 3/4 height windows, or full height windows, including external grilles and railings that were set as safety requirements.

There are a few guidelines on what kind of windows and what size windows you can install in your flat.

Others:

• You are not allowed to put up partitions around the house, concrete or not, with toxic materials which may be combustible.
•  You cannot reconstruct or reposition chute openings
• Planter boxes cannot be changed or sealed under any circumstances
• Plumbing and sanitation work should only be done by a professional
• Water tanks are not permitted to be constructed indie your bathrooms

This is not an exclusive list of the things you are not allowed to do in your Flat.

These are just a few examples of the restrictions set by the HDB. You can check their website for a more detailed list.

There may also be discrepancies in the list depending on what kind of building you are trying to renovate.

For example, if you have a DBSS unit, you’ll find that every single unit is built differently and hence has different renovation guidelines.

Necessary Steps to Begin Your HDB Renovation

Analyze the scope of renovation:

This is important because you need to know what you can and cannot do with your renovation plans.

For example, you will know how much money you will need to spend, the different procedures you need to go through and what kind of people you have to hire for the whole work.

You’ll also be able to estimate the renovation timeline to finish the renovation.

The moment that you have a clear idea of all your construction plans, you can quickly pick up on a schedule to follow, making it a pleasant and stress-free renovation journey.

Get your finances in check:

Once you have an idea of what you can do and what you want to do to your flat, you need to figure out where you will get the money to carry out this project.

This is the time you need to decide if you have enough savings to pay for all the renovation work or if you need to take renovation loans

You also need to consider things like insurance to be on the safe side.

Singapore also has something called a renovation loan, which has comparatively lower interest rates, so you can get the upper hand in handling your finances better.

However, it should be noted that these funds can only be used for certain things such as flooring, electrical wiring, etc.

Make sure that you take to the bank in detail about what you can and cannot do with all the money you get from them.

It is best to set aside most of the loan money for carpentry which area all custom projects; hence will probably cost more money than other things in the house.

Hire the right contractor and interior designer

For a significant renovation project, you will need the help of experts and professionals in the field.

While HDB already makes it mandatory for you to get a licensed HDB contractor for the job, you may also need the assistance of an interior designer who can give you quality services, including pointers on how to best make your dream into a reality.

Talk about the renovation package of these professionals so that you know you can afford their services.

With a professional renovation guide on board, you’ll also avoid making silly mishaps or mistakes.

Since they have a lot of experience and are knowledgeable in the field, they can give you valuable Renovation tips on how to make use of the space in the best way possible.

Make sure that whoever you hire is someone from a reputed firm or is at least credible so that you don’t risk getting into a scam and losing your money.

Additionally, your HDB contractor is responsible for submitting your application for permits to the department.

They can help you understand what kind of renovation work requires and what kind of permits, thereby making the legal work much easier for you.

Make sure that the contractor is licensed from a firm that the HDB approves.

This is because the licensed contractors are already trained in the total safety measures and guidelines set by the HDB.

Not following these guidelines will make you liable to pay huge fines, even curb your construction work, and make you put everything back as it was, at your expense.

Be aware of the construction timings

There are a few guidelines when it comes to construction timings in Singapore.

Get your contractor or interior designer to educate you on the timings of the different types of constructions that are going to take place.

You can schedule your work accordingly, and this will make it easier to complete the work on time.

Once you have a fair idea of all the timings, you’ll also have an approximate estimate on when the construction will be over so you can also time the move-in date.

Finalize the plan

As the final step before you dive into the construction, start picking out what are the things you want to do first.

You may need to do a lot of work in the building, but you need to have a proper plan on how to go about the whole construction.

In this step, you can also sit with your interior designer and decide on what kind of materials you want, the type of furniture designs you are looking for, and all the little details of the house design.

If the renovation budget is not a huge concern for you, then make sure that you go for the best quality products instead of focusing on the price range so that you can enjoy more durability with all the renovation.

You can talk to your designer and get the details on what are the warranty period of all the renovation items you are purchasing, the pros and cons of different versions of the things, and even a full review on what are the benefits of getting the items.

You can also get a rundown on how the furnishings will be executed and how each detail will fit into the design of the house.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind before you start planning on renovating your house.

The HDB mandates these regulations, and they restrict particular renovations such as:

• Removing, hacking, or demolishing walls that are reinforced.
• Hacking beams, posts, and columns that are load bearing
• Plastering of the ceiling in the house
• Constructing a water tank inside the bathroom
• Doing any bathroom renovations before 3 years of completion after acquiring the unit
• Raising the floor and wall finishes to more than the allowed thickness of floor finishes
• Painting the outside of the building or unit
• Replacing full height windows, bay windows, and 3/4 windows
• Installing any fixtures outside of the building, such as awning
• Painting other colors on the outside of the balcony than was initially painted.
• Laying floor finish outside of the entrance without space for a step
• Removing balcony railings or redesigning them
• Caging up the balcony
• Installing an air conditioner mounted into the windows of the unit
• Tampering with safety window grilles
• Enclosing external grills in the unit
• Installing partitions, screens, or walls to enclose the balcony area
• Repainting the glazing on the windows to other colors than the original condition
• Closing or sealing an existing door or window in the unit
• Breaking down walls to create openings on external walls
• Drilling holes on load-bearing walls and columns
• Painting the balcony railings in a different color than was originally painted

After you get approved for the permit, you have 3 months to complete your renovation project when you receive your approval permit.

You may take longer than 3 months, but you will have to pay a fine of $10 per day after the deadline.

If you start renovating without a permit, you might get fined and even be asked to remove all your new installations.

This means that you will have to restore all that was originally intact in the flat before you started renovating it.

Additionally, for work that requires a lot of expertise, such as tearing down primary walls in your unit, you need to hire a professional who can do the job without causing or risking the integrity of the building.

The HDB allows renovations of these types with prior approval through a written renovation permit form:

• Replacing or breaking down walls in the unit which are not the load-bearing structures
• Replacing floor tiles and finishes as required
• Moving or replacing doors to the balcony or other rooms
• Redesigning or replacing window installation in the correct sizes as mandated by the HDB
• Installing new grills on the windows after consulting a window contractor about the design and getting it approved.
• Demolishing whole or partial walls

Renovation work that does not require a permit from the HDB:

• Replacing the house’s gate without changing the existing gate’s primary aspects, such as the size and shape of the gate.
• Installing light fixtures inside the house
• Installing floor finishes in bathrooms and balconies that don’t require removing the tiles. This means that the installation process will make use of adhesives only. However, it should not exceed more than 13mm.
• Installing internal grills on the windows
• Installing false ceilings
• Installing wallpaper

Informing your neighbors:

You have to ensure that your neighbors are informed of all the new things that will be introduced into the building days in advance.

Your contractor must set up a Notice of Renovation outside of the building under construction to avoid any safety issues.

Ensure that you give your neighbor prior information about the probable noise pollution that will likely happen in the building for a few days.

It should be noted that if you are planning on a major renovation project that will potentially make a lot of noise, you are not allowed to do so every day of the week, at any time.

The HDB has specific timings and restrictions for such noisy work to avoid disturbing people in the area.

Lastly, ensure that you clean up after yourself when you’re doing construction work in a flat where other residents live.

Primarily if the work extends to common areas like the common corridor or the staircase, ensure that all the debris is cleaned and removed from the site before closing up for the day.

You can also call for the debris removal service if you need an additional hand.

Known HDB Renovation Guidelines

Buying the recessed space outside the main entrance

This is a rule that can vary from one flat to another.

Under certain conditions, homeowners might be allowed to purchase the recessed area outside the house’s main entrance.

Typically, this is allowed for homes built before 1996 and not under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) at the time of construction.

However, if you have been allowed to purchase this open space outside your door, there are a few guidelines for building works you need to maintain, such as keeping the area free of obstruction.

This includes ensuring that whatever pipelines, wires, or ducts are already incorporated into the building should not be a cause hindering the space.

Plus, there should not be any use of combustible materials in the area for safety purposes.

All void areas should be left a void

This means that any mezzanine structure should not be built on the property.

These structures might be commonly found in significant industrial and commercial buildings, but in HDB’s guidelines, you are not allowed to construct any mezzanine floors.

Instead, leave the empty spaces as they are.

The main reason for restricting these is to ensure the integrity of the building does not fall short.

These structures might add additional weight to the load-bearing structures of the building, which can be a cause of potential danger.

Replacement of the main unit door

If you are tired of your old main entrance to your home and are considering changing it, then you can do so after acquiring a permit.

However, you first need to consider whether your door is on the route of a fire escape.

In most homes, the main entrance will lead to an escape route, such as a staircase, in case of a fire.

Therefore, you need to get prior approval from the authorities before you can go ahead and replace the door.

There are also guidelines on renovation set in place for the new door.

For example, the new door should be half-hour fire rated, which means it has to be industry tested to ensure that it can hold fire for at least 30 minutes.

You must also install a closed door along with the new one.

You do not require approval if you are only replacing the door, but if you are thinking of relocating doors inside your house, you will need a permit.

This is because relocating your door means there’s hacking involved, which is a significant construction change.

Combining more than one flat to create a bigger space

Some homeowners might want a bigger flat than the currently available one.

To do this, they can buy multiple adjoining apartments and convert them into jumbo apartments.

An HDB Conversion scheme allows homeowners for this kind of renovation work. It should be noted that only flats with a maximum of three rooms are permitted under the plan to be converted into a jumbo apartment.

This scheme was the result of the diminishing existence of jumbo flats.

So if you have the need for a bigger house or more space in your home, you can buy multiple smaller flats and convert them into a bigger one.

For all these, you will have to consult the HDB and get approval before you can start your work.

You cannot have food waste grinders in your kitchen sink

Although food waste grinders exist to make it easier to dispose of food in many other countries, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) in Singapore does not allow any homes to install food waste grinders.

This is because they produce a lot of waste that cannot be properly disposed of, given the sewage system installed in Singapore.

It creates a lot of excess organic waste, which the sewage system cannot control

Replacement of floorings

If you are thinking of replacing your floors, you will need a permit.

Regardless of whether you are replacing floor finishing of any kind like marble, parquet, tiles, or ceramic, it would be best if you had executive maisonettes with the hacking, and hence, a permit will be required.

 

The same goes for bathroom or kitchen floors.

When it comes to bathroom floors, you are not permitted to change anything about the structure for 3 years after the new construction is done.

This is because bathroom floors typically have a lot of waterproofing, which requires a few years to settle.

Once three years are over, you can apply for a permit to change your floors.

Another thing is that if you are thinking of raising the floor height, there are specific guidelines you need to keep in mind, such as the maximum height you can alleviate your floors.

If you are thinking about widening your bathroom, you can do so with a permit in hand, but it cannot exceed 600mm in width or the area of 0.6m square.

There should be certified professionals to take care of the plumbing and other pipes in the bathroom to avoid injuries.