Short answer: you do not apply for an HDB renovation permit yourself. Your contractor, who must be listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors, submits the application with your flat's floor plan. Some works need HDB's approval first, others do not, and all works must follow HDB's guidelines.

Who applies for the permit

Under the Housing & Development (Renovation Control) Rules 2006, you may only engage contractors listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors (DRC) for renovation works in your flat. For works that need approval, the contractor submits an electronic application to HDB with the floor plan showing the proposed works. HDB's guidelines also ask all flat owners to sign an acknowledgement, and you are notified once HDB receives the application.

As the owner, you are still responsible for what happens in your flat. HDB is clear that you must make sure your contractor carries out all works in line with its guidelines.

Works that typically need HDB approval

HDB evaluates certain works before they start. These include:

  • Demolishing or building walls, which needs HDB to confirm the wall is not structural.
  • Replacing floor finishes, including hacking existing tiles.
  • Bathroom and toilet works, such as replacing floor finishes, which need proper waterproofing.
  • Changes affecting the household shelter, windows or building services.

The exact list changes from time to time and depends on your flat type and estate (some DBSS and special precincts have their own guidelines). Ask your contractor to confirm what needs approval for your specific scope, and check HDB's renovation guidelines.

Works you cannot do

  • Hacking structural walls, columns or beams. Your floor plan shows which walls are structural.
  • Altering the household shelter. It has a steel door and strengthened walls, floor and ceiling to protect occupants, and must not be hacked or modified.
  • Removing bathroom and toilet finishes in a new flat within the first 3 years. HDB applies this restriction to newly built flats so the waterproofing can stabilise.

The 3-year rule for new BTO flats

HDB's building works guidelines say newly built flats have a 3-year restriction on removing wall and floor finishes in bathrooms and toilets. After that period, replacing bathroom floor finishes is allowed with a permit, and the works must include a proper waterproofing system. HDB also notes that the warranty for ceiling leaks ends if floor tiles are changed or the waterproofing is tampered with, so this is worth getting right.

Specialist trades you must use

Some works need a specific licensed professional, not just any contractor:

  • Electrical works: an EMA licensed electrical worker.
  • Water and sanitary plumbing: a PUB licensed plumber.
  • Window works: a BCA Approved Window Contractor.
  • Some works need a Qualified Person (QP) to certify or supervise them.

Renovation hours and noisy works

The Ministry of National Development has stated that noisy renovation works, such as drilling, should be limited to 9am to 5pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays. Hours for general works vary by guideline, so confirm the current timings with your contractor and on HDB's website before you schedule works, and let your neighbours know in advance.

What happens if works break the rules

Unauthorised works can be ordered to be reinstated at your cost, which means paying to undo and redo work. Approved works also come with time limits, so plan the sequence with your contractor before the permit is issued.

Planning tip

Permit-heavy works such as moving walls or changing the kitchen are easier to approve and cheaper to build when they are decided early. That is why we design the layout first, in 2D and 3D, before any contractor is involved. See how we work.

Last updated 14 October 2026