Important HDB Renovation Guidelines Every Flat Owner Needs to Know

Your interior designer shouldn’t be the only one knowing these things!

Most things in life come with rules, and a home renovation is no different. For HDB flat renovations, that comes in the form of guidelines created by the Housing & Development Board (HDB), ensuring a safe, peaceful renovation experience for you and your neighbours.

While it’s easy to rely on your interior designer to handle the nitty-gritty stuff, the responsibility should still fall on the homeowner (AKA you). After all, it’s your home, and any hiccups could take away from what is meant to be an enjoyable time.

So, take this time to familiarise yourself with these HDB renovation guidelines beforehand:

Preparations leading up to the actual renovation

Know when to give renovation notice

You can’t just start a renovation willy-nilly! Before starting any actual work, your appointed interior designer must keep your immediate neighbours (i.e. adjacent, below, and above you) with a written notice at least 3 days before work starts.

This gives them ample time to make plans to avoid the noise, if needed.

Familiarise yourself with HDB’s renovation guidelines

It may seem dry and boring, but knowing the renovation guidelines that affect your home’s infrastructure helps facilitate a smooth process while maintaining structural integrity (and keeping everyone safe).

Take a look through HDB’s renovation guidelines for different aspects of your home’s structure, including sanitary works, window changes, electrical works, and more.

Applying for a HDB renovation permit

While your ID will likely submit your renovation application to HDB on your behalf, it’s good to know what they’ll need to prepare beforehand:

• An acknowledgement form stating that you authorise your interior designer to submit the renovation application on your behalf
• A general renovation permit if your renovation involves any work that requires HDB’s prior approval
• The proposed floorplan, if wall demolition (i.e. layout changes) is involved

Renovation works that require a permit

To ensure that the work done complies with safety standards and maintains the structural integrity of the building, HDB requires prior approval for certain works.

While HDB’s website has the full rundown of renovation works that require approval, here are a few common features we’ve seen in past homes that require a permit beforehand:

• Hacking non-structural walls (e.g. to merge a spare bedroom with the communal area)
• Replacing the existing floor finishes (since hacking is involved)
• Increasing the size of the bathroom
• Replacing the main entrance door or frame

Renovation works that are illegal and are not allowed

In general, works that could potentially compromise the structural integrity of the building are not permitted – you can read the article below for more details:

Explore: 9 HDB Renovation Works that are Actually Illegal (and to Avoid)

Additionally, structural changes to your household shelter is also not permitted, since it’s meant to function as a safety room in the event of war. You can view what can or cannot be done in the article below:

Explore: What You Can or Cannot Do With Your Household Shelter

HDB renovation timings to take note of

Renovation works are split into two categories: noisy renovation works and general ones. The former include things like wall demolition, wall or floor finish removal, tile cutting, or drilling – basically, any work that requires the use of percussive tools like drills and electric saws.

Note that noisy renovation works are restricted to take place between 9am to 5pm on weekdays (i.e. when people are typically at work or in school). They cannot be done on weekends or public holidays to avoid disrupting your neighbours’ rest.

Other restrictions for noisy renovation works include the following:

• They cannot be done over 3 consecutive days.
• Only 2 power tools or equivalents can be used at the same time.

General renovation works (i.e. non-noisy acts like painting) can be done anytime between 8am to 6pm daily.

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