The HDB renovation permit
Part of the questions on HDB renovation rules and permits
Some renovations in an HDB flat need a permit from HDB before work starts, among them hacking or altering walls and replacing floor finishes. Your renovation contractor, who must be listed in HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors, applies online on your behalf. Work may begin only once the permit is granted.
What needs a permit
HDB’s guide for homeowners names these (from MyNiceHome, HDB’s own site):
- Floors: removing the existing floor finishes and replacing them, and raising the floor level in a kitchen, balcony, bathroom or toilet.
- Walls: hacking down or altering any wall.
- Doors: replacing a main door that is along a fire escape route, facing a staircase or lift lobby, and moving a door within the flat. A new doorway may not be made through a reinforced concrete wall.
- Bathrooms and toilets: changing the floor or wall finishes, or extending the room. In a newly built flat the wall and floor finishes may not be removed at all for the first 3 years; new tiles can be laid over the old ones.
The full list, work by work, is in HDB’s renovation guidelines for building works. HDB adds that work which needs no permit must still follow its guidelines, or it counts as unauthorised.
What does not
- A glass shower screen needs no approval from HDB, provided the floor slab is not tampered with when it is fitted.
- An air-conditioner needs no HDB permit where the flat is already equipped for the higher electrical load, which HDB says mainly means flats built after 1 January 1994 or upgraded under MUP or HIP. It must still be installed by a BCA-trained installer.
Electrical work is separate: certain types need a permit, and your Licensed Electrical Worker may apply for it on your behalf.
Who applies, and how
- You authorise your renovation contractor to submit the electronic renovation application on your behalf. The contractor attaches the acknowledgement form you signed.
- Where fittings are removed or repositioned, or walls are hacked or built, the layout plans and details of the proposed work go in with the application. For that the contractor needs your flat’s floor plan.
- HDB sends you an SMS when it receives the application. Once the permit is granted you can view it with HDB’s Check Renovation Permit e-Service.
As the flat owner you are the one responsible for obtaining every permit the renovation needs before work begins, and the Housing & Development (Renovation Control) Rules 2006 require you to engage only contractors from the Directory of Renovation Contractors.
How long the work may take
| Flat | To be completed within |
|---|---|
| Newly completed block | 3 months from the date of the permit |
| Existing block | 1 month from the date of the permit |
| Window works only | 2 weeks from the date of the permit |
The days and hours work is allowed are in HDB renovation hours and rules.
Work done without one
HDB will require you to discontinue, correct or remove unauthorised work and reinstate the flat to its original condition. If the work is allowed to stay, you pay an administrative fee. Not engaging a contractor from the Directory, or breaching HDB’s renovation rules, is an offence that on conviction can lead to a fine of up to $5,000 and other penalties.
Sources
- HDB, Application for a Renovation Permit · read 12 October 2026
- HDB, Important Information on Renovations · read 12 October 2026
- MyNiceHome (HDB), How to Renovate Your HDB Flat, updated 24 June 2026 · read 12 October 2026
- HDB, Renovation Guidelines for Building Works · read 12 October 2026
Rules and fees change. The linked page is the authority; if it differs from this one, go by it, and tell us.
Questions
Who applies for the HDB renovation permit?
Your renovation contractor, who must be listed in HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors, submits the electronic application on your behalf once you have authorised it. The responsibility for having the permit before work starts is yours as the flat owner.
How do I check my HDB renovation permit?
HDB sends an SMS when it receives the application. After the permit is granted, you can view its details with HDB’s Check Renovation Permit e-Service.
How long do I have to finish renovating after the permit is granted?
Three months for a newly completed block and one month for an existing block, from the date of the permit. Window works alone must be finished within two weeks.
Do I need a permit to hack a wall in an HDB flat?
Yes. HDB requires a permit before any wall is hacked down or altered, and structural members such as reinforced concrete walls, columns and beams may not be hacked or removed at all.
Settle the layout before the application goes in: it is drawn on your floor plan.
Plan the layout on your floor plan