How Much Does Renovation Cost in Singapore? (2026)

A typical HDB renovation in Singapore costs roughly S$20,000 to S$70,000 in 2026. A light refresh of a newer flat sits at the lower end, while a full hacking-and-rebuild of an older resale flat reaches the higher end. Condo renovations usually start higher, around S$40,000 and up, because of finishes and built-in carpentry.

Those are wide ranges for a reason: renovation cost depends on your flat size, how much you hack and rebuild, and the finishes you choose. The honest way to know your number is an itemised quote, not a single lump sum. Below is what drives the cost, what each trade runs, and how to keep the budget under control.

How much does renovation cost in Singapore by home type?

As a rough planning guide for a whole-home renovation:

• New BTO or newer HDB flat: about S$20,000 to S$45,000. Mostly carpentry, flooring, lighting and a clean first fit-out, with little hacking.
• Resale HDB flat: about S$40,000 to S$70,000 or more. Older flats need more hacking, rewiring and repiping before the cosmetic work begins.
• Condominium: about S$40,000 to S$80,000 and up. Units are often newer, so the cost leans toward built-in carpentry, feature finishes and lighting rather than heavy structural change.
• Landed home: highly variable and usually six figures, because of scale and the range of trades involved.

What drives your renovation cost?

Five things move the number more than anything else. Understanding them tells you where your money is going.

• Hacking and demolition. The more you tear out, the more you pay. Full-unit hacking of an HDB flat (wall and floor tiles, bathroom fittings, kitchen cabinets) starts from about S$2,950 for a 3-room and S$3,500 for a 4-room.
• Carpentry. Cabinets, wardrobes and feature carpentry are priced per foot run, often from around S$120 per foot for kitchen cabinets. A long kitchen run plus wardrobes is frequently the single biggest line item.
• Tiling and masonry. Floor and wall tiling and waterproofing add up quickly. An overlay of one HDB bathroom runs roughly S$3,100 to S$3,650, and that usually excludes the cost of the tiles themselves.
• Electrical and plumbing. New points, rewiring and repiping for an older flat are unavoidable safety work. Electrical points start from about S$25 each, and new surface piping for a bathroom from around S$290.
• Finish level. Quartz versus laminate, branded versus standard fittings, a plaster false ceiling versus none. False ceiling work, for example, starts from about S$3.30 per square foot.

Where does the renovation budget go?

For a typical resale HDB renovation, the budget tends to split roughly like this: carpentry is the largest share, followed by tiling and masonry, then hacking and demolition, then electrical and plumbing, with painting, false ceiling and miscellaneous making up the rest.

Because carpentry and tiling dominate, the two fastest ways to change your total are the length of your carpentry runs and how much tiling you redo. You can see itemised, per-line rates across every trade in our published renovation price guide, so you can sanity-check a quote before you commit.

How to keep renovation cost under control

You do not need the cheapest quote. You need a clear one. A few habits protect your budget:

• Get an itemised quote, not a lump sum, so you can see every trade and material separately.
• Decide what to keep. Re-tiling good floors or hacking sound walls is money spent for little gain.
• Watch for variation orders. Agree the scope upfront so mid-project add-ons do not balloon the cost.
• Sequence the heavy work first. For resale flats, rewiring and repiping before tiling is far cheaper than after.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to renovate a 4-room HDB flat? A light-to-mid renovation of a 4-room flat commonly runs S$30,000 to S$50,000, with carpentry and tiling driving most of the cost. A full resale rebuild runs higher.

Why do renovation quotes vary so much? Because scope and finish level vary. One contractor may quote a full hack and premium finishes while another quotes an overlay with standard materials. Compare quotes line by line, not by the bottom figure.

Does renovation cost include the cost of materials? Not always. Many tiling and carpentry rates exclude the tiles or the appliances. Always check what is included before comparing prices.

Can I get a renovation loan to cover this? Yes. Most Singapore banks offer renovation loans for exactly this purpose, capped at the lower of six times your monthly income or S$30,000.