Most HDB renovations in Singapore cost $15,000 to $90,000 in 2026. Where your flat lands in that range depends less on its size and more on its condition. A new BTO that mainly needs carpentry usually sits in the lower half. A 20-year-old resale flat that needs hacking, waterproofing, retiling, rewiring with new cabinets usually sits in the upper half, even if it is the same size.
The ranges in this guide are based on the guide we have prepared on this page. Prices are 9% GST. Use them to set a realistic budget before you collect quotes, not as a fixed price for your flat.
Looking for private property figures instead? See our guide to condo and landed renovation costs.
These are whole-flat ranges. “Full” means most rooms are redone, with upgraded materials and more custom carpentry. There is no hard ceiling at the top. Premium finishes and layout changes can push any flat higher.
Flat type | Basic | Mid-range | Full renovation |
3-room | 5,000 – 35,000 | 35,000–50,000 | $50,000+ |
4-room | 7,000 -45,000 | 50,000–70,000 | $70,000+ |
5-room | 10,000 – 45,000 | 60,000–85,000 | $85,000+ |
What each tier usually covers
As a rule of thumb, a BTO flat tends to fall in the lower half of its row and a resale flat in the upper half. This is usually the case because resale flats need to consider additional cost that BTO doesn’t need to, which we simplified into the table below:
| BTO flat | Resale flat |
Typical range | 10,000 to 70,000 | 20,000 to 90,000+ |
Hacking and demolition | Rarely needed | Often needed (old tiles, built-ins, false ceilings) |
Electrical | Add points and lighting | Often full or partial rewiring |
Plumbing | Connect to existing points | Old pipes often replaced, especially under the kitchen sink |
Bathrooms | Tiles cannot be hacked for the first 3 years to retain warranty from HDB (see HDB rules below) | Waterproofing and re-tiling often needed |
Where the money goes | Mostly carpentry and finishes | A fair amount large share goes to work you will not see |
The point most homeowners miss with resale flats: a big part of the budget goes to work behind the walls and under the floor. A resale buyer with $50,000 often ends up with fewer visible upgrades than a BTO owner with $40,000, simply because the old wiring, pipes and waterproofing had to be dealt with first. On a recent 4-room resale in Chua Chu Kang about 18 % of the budget went to hacking, rewiring and plumbing. As the way electrical and water points
Area | Typical cost | What pushes it up |
Kitchen | 4,000–10,000 | Cabinet length, cabinet material, countertop (quartz vs sintered stone), moving sink or hob points |
Bathroom (each) | 3,000–12,000 | Full hacking and re-tiling, waterproofing, vanity and fittings |
Living room | 2,500–20,000 | Flooring area, feature walls, false ceiling, TV console |
Bedroom (each) | 3,000–20,000 | Wardrobe size and material, built-in storage, lighting |
The kitchen is usually the most expensive room because it combines carpentry, countertops, plumbing, electrical and tiling in one small space. It is also the room where a cheap choice costs the most later. Singapore kitchens deal with steam from daily cooking, humidity, and water around the sink every day. The cabinet under the sink is usually the first to fail.
Here is how the two most common cabinet materials compare for an HDB kitchen:
| Plywood / laminate cabinets | Aluminium cabinets |
Upfront cost | $80-$200 per foot run (typical market price) | $200 – $1,000 per foot run (T Se7en Alucraft price) |
Water and humidity | Can swell, delaminate or grow mould if water gets into the edges | Does not absorb moisture or swell |
Termites | Vulnerable | Not affected |
Finish options | Very wide range | Wood-look, matte and solid colours |
Typical lifespan in an HDB kitchen | 1-10 years | 20+ years |
Upkeep | Watch edges and the sink base for swelling | Wipe clean and ensure no food particles left on surface; check hinges and seals |
Aluminium is not the cheapest option upfront. Where it earns its cost is the sink cabinet, the wet kitchen and any cabinet that is built using real aluminium panels. One of our customers came to us after an internal pipe leak ruined his wooden kitchen cabinet. We replaced it with an aluminium cabinet in a wood-look finish, so the kitchen kept the style he wanted without the same weakness.
Read more about how aluminium handles Singapore’s humidity, what an aluminium cabinet carcass is, and current aluminium kitchen cabinet prices. If you are only redoing the kitchen, our professional kitchen renovation contractor page explains how a kitchen-only project is scoped.
What we check first when quoting a resale kitchen: team to confirm or edit this list
Each bathroom typically costs $3,800 to $12,000. The biggest factor is whether the tiles have to be hacked. In a BTO flat, HDB does not allow bathroom floor and wall tiles to be removed in the first 3 years, so early bathroom upgrades are usually limited to fittings, a new vanity and overlay finishes. In an older resale flat, the waterproofing may have reached the end of its life, and redoing it properly is what prevents leaks into the unit below.
For a full price breakdown, see our toilet renovation costs guide. If you only want to replace the cabinet under the basin, moisture-resistant bathroom vanity cabinets are a smaller job than a full retile.
Bedroom costs are driven mostly by wardrobes. A full-height wardrobe in the master bedroom is usually the largest single item, followed by storage beds and study tables. Aluminium wardrobes are worth considering for walls that get afternoon sun or sit next to a bathroom. In the living room, flooring area and the TV feature wall with added features make up most of the cost.
Detail | Project |
Flat type and estate | 4-room resale, Sembawang |
Flat age / BTO or resale | 32 years old, resale |
Scope | kitchen with 10 ft top aluminium cabinets, 10 ft bottom aluminium cabinet for kitchen, multiple cabinets in living room spanning 10 ft, 2 bathrooms re-tiled, wardrobes in 3 rooms, rewiring, replumbing, glass doors, repainting, dismantle and disposal of waste |
Total cost | $30,000 before / GST |
Duration | 7 weeks from permit to handover |
What surprised the owner | Sprawling ceiling and broken waterproofing from neighbour above. |
What they would do differently | Consider smaller tile pieces as the toilet size was smaller, and the big pieces need to be cut many times to fit the multiple toilet walls anyway. |
These rules are set by HDB, and breaking them can mean redoing work at your own cost. Check the latest version with HDB before you start.
These are the line items that most often push an HDB renovation over budget:
Keep a contingency of 30% of your budget for resale flats and 10% for BTO flats.
For a 3-room BTO, yes, if the scope is basic. For a 4-room BTO, it is workable too. it usually covers kitchen cabinets, wardrobes in two rooms, painting and lighting, with little left for flooring. For a resale flat, $30,000 often goes mostly to essential works, so plan to renovate in phases.
If your budget is limited, spend first on what is expensive or messy to redo later:
A clear HDB renovation quote should show:
A full HDB renovation typically takes 8 to 12 weeks from design to handover. A BTO with mostly carpentry can be faster. Resale flats with hacking take longer.
Stage | Typical duration |
Design and quotation | 1–2 weeks |
HDB permit approval | As of October 2026, around 5 working days from HDB |
Hacking and demolition | 2–5 days |
Electrical and plumbing | 3–5 days |
Tiling and flooring | About 1 week |
Carpentry fabrication and installation | T Se7en Alucraft factory lead time: 1–3 weeks |
Painting and final touches | 2–4 days |
Stages overlap in practice. Carpentry is usually fabricated in the factory while tiling and wiring happen on site. For kitchen-only projects, see our kitchen renovation timeline.
Both can be the right choice. It depends on how much design help you need.
| Interior design firm | Direct contractor / fabricator |
Best for | Owners who want a full design concept and one party to coordinate everything | Owners who know roughly what they want and care most about build quality and price |
Pricing | Design and coordination built into the fee | Closer to factory and trade prices |
Watch out for | Markups on subcontracted carpentry | You may need to give a clearer design brief |
T Se7en Alucraft is a direct renovation contractor with our own aluminium fabrication in Woodlands. We design, fabricate and install cabinets ourselves, and offer design consultation if you want help with the layout. For whole-flat projects, see our full home renovation service. You can find our registered DRC detail here: HB-05-3488E
Not sure aluminium suits your home? See our aluminium kitchen cabinets and tips on keeping aluminium cabinets in good condition.
A successful renovation starts with clear budgeting, realistic expectations, and choosing the right contractor.
Planning your HDB renovation? Get a direct quote from T Se7en Alucraft no platform fees, no middleman. get a free quote
Most HDB renovations cost $30,000 to $90,000. A basic BTO renovation can start around $25,000 for a 3-room flat, while a full renovation of an older 5-room resale flat can exceed $85,000.
Resale flats often need hacking, rewiring, plumbing replacement and new waterproofing before any new finishes go in. That hidden work can take a large share of the budget.
Labour is a large part of the cost, many materials are imported, and HDB rules require permits and DRC-listed contractors for many works. Custom carpentry is also made to measure for each flat.
You can change fittings and the vanity, but HDB does not allow bathroom floor and wall tiles to be hacked in the first 3 years because of the waterproofing membrane underneath.
Not always. Ask every contractor to state whether their quote includes 9% GST so you compare like for like. T Se7en Alucraft is subjected to 9% GST as we are a well established company in Singapore.
Most take 8 to 12 weeks from design to handover. BTO flats with mainly carpentry can be faster; resale flats with hacking take longer.
Upfront, aluminium cabinets cost about 20% to 80% more than laminate plywood, but they do not swell or attract termites, so they rarely need replacing.
Speak to a professional now and get personalized consultation and guidance for your next renovation. Work with a team you can trust!
Home Blog HIP is HDB’s upgrading programme for older flats. It covers compulsory repairs such as concrete defects and ageing waste pipes at a very...
2 responses