Room by room
The kitchen, the bathroom, bedrooms and living spaces, windows and the household shelter: each room’s rules and trades.
Guides in this section
Renovating a kitchen: gas, plumbing, waterproofing and the rules
A kitchen brings together three licensed trades (gas, plumbing and electrical) plus wet works and carpentry. In HDB flats, gas pipes can’t be buried in floors or walls, weepholes must stay clear, and the floor around the stacks needs waterproofing.
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Renovating a bathroom: waterproofing, the 3-year rule and the plumber
Bathrooms are about waterproofing. In a new HDB flat you can’t replace the bathroom finishes for 3 years from the block’s completion, though you can tile over them. After that, a new floor needs a permit, a waterproofing membrane and a water test. Toilet bowls need a PUB Licensed Plumber.
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Bedrooms and living areas: walls, floors, ceilings, power and aircon
Most work in bedrooms and living areas is about walls, floors, ceilings and power. In HDB flats, hacking walls and replacing floor tiles need a permit, but vinyl flooring, false ceilings and most extra power points don’t. Aircon units outside need a BCA-trained installer.
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Windows and grilles: who may replace them and what the rules say
In any building in Singapore, windows must be installed, repaired or replaced by a BCA approved window contractor using a trained installer. HDB flats also need a permit and windows that match the originals. Condo owners can install grilles whatever the by-laws say, but must follow the MCST’s design.
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The household shelter: what you can and can’t do in a renovation
The household shelter is a civil defence room, and SCDF’s rules protect it in any renovation. You can’t hack its walls, tamper with its door or vents, or tile or plaster its walls. You can paint it, tile the floor with cement mortar, and drill up to 50mm for removable fixings.
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