HDB Renovation Permit Checklist Tool

Tick the works on your renovation list to see, at a glance, which need an HDB permit, which don’t, and which HDB will not allow at all.

Tool

Renovation permit checklist

Tick the works you are planning

Hack or demolish a non-structural wall Lay vinyl / parquet / tiles over existing finishes (overlay) Replace floor finishes (hacking / removing old tiles) Erect a 63mm hollow-block or gypsum partition wall Demolish a non-load-bearing reinforced-concrete (RC) element Painting, wallpaper or plastering of walls Replace internal wall finishes up to ceiling height Retile or enlarge a bathroom / toilet Replace a bathroom / toilet vent Replace windows Hack structural members (RC walls, columns, beams, slabs, staircases) Hack or drill the household shelter (bomb shelter) Raise the floor level by more than 50mm Load the floor slab beyond 150kg per square metre Plaster the ceiling Partition with combustible / toxic materials (plywood, plastics, asbestos)

Result

Tick one or more works to see which need HDB’s approval.

Whichever works you do, an HDB flat renovation must be carried out by a contractor in HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors.

Guidance only — based on HDB’s Renovation Guidelines for Building Works. Your contractor applies for the permit; confirm the current rules with HDB before starting.

Based on HDB Renovation Guidelines for Building Works. As of October 2026.

How it is classified

Each work is mapped to one of three outcomes, straight from HDB’s Renovation Guidelines for Building Works:

• Needs an HDB permit — HDB’s prior written approval is required before the work starts. Examples: hacking or demolishing any wall, replacing floor finishes (which means removing the old ones), replacing internal wall finishes up to ceiling height, retiling or enlarging a bathroom, and replacing windows.
• No permit needed — approval is not required, but HDB’s conditions still apply. Examples: overlaying flooring without hacking, erecting a 63mm hollow-block or gypsum partition, painting and wallpaper.
• Not allowed — disallowed building work. Examples: hacking structural members (RC walls, columns, beams, slabs), touching the household shelter, raising the floor more than 50mm, overloading the slab beyond 150kg/m², and plastering ceilings.

Your contractor submits the permit application to HDB on your behalf; you should only start permit-controlled works once approval is granted.

A worked example (illustrative)

Planning to hack the kitchen half-wall, overlay vinyl over sound tiles, and repaint:

• Hack the half-wall → needs an HDB permit (all wall hacking requires prior approval; demolish only to the underside of the RC beam).
• Overlay vinyl → no permit (as long as there’s no hacking, no cement screed and no raising of the floor).
• Repaint → no permit (but you still can’t paint the external parts of the flat).

So one of the three triggers a permit — and all three must be done by a DRC-listed contractor.

Limits of this estimate

• This is guidance, not approval — it does not submit anything to HDB or guarantee a permit will be granted.
• It covers common works; unusual items (gas works, major plumbing, structural alterations) always need professional advice and HDB confirmation.
• Rules change. Confirm the current position on HDB’s building-works page before you start.

Related

• HDB renovation permit: what you need
• HDB hacking and wall rules explained
• How to choose a renovation firm