My gawd, don’t hack my wall!! – Wall renovation guidelines which every homeowner must know!

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We receive a number of requests from homeowners who are looking for wall partition renovation, either hacking and demolition or the erection of walls. All of us know that a permit is required before we decided to have an open-concept kitchen or a brick wall or glass door.

To fully enjoy playing around with our dream home, let’s check out the following conditions! If you are going to have these kinds of building work, do remember to apply for a permit from HDB.

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1) Demolition of non-load bearing reinforced concrete (RC) elements, such as stiffeners, lintols and hangers.

2) Construction of arches and/or rounded corners to existing opening.

3) Demolition (partial or complete) or alteration of internal non-structural lightweight concrete or hollow block or brick walls.

4) Construction of opening in non-structural walls and/or at party wall between 2 flats

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So, which situation are you facing now? No worries, let’s check out each guideline for each situation as shown below.

1) Engage a Professional Engineer (PE) for Civil or Structural works to inspect and supervise the demolition works.

2) Conditions/ guidelines will be given for the renovation item upon evaluation/ approval.

3) & 4) Hacking/demolition of walls can only be carried out after obtaining HDB’s approval, and it should start from the top.

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Moreover, there are some guidelines on laying and replacement of wall finishes. And yes, permit is required for the following types of building works.

1) Replacement of internal wall finishes up to ceiling level.

2) Replacement of existing bathroom/toilet wall finished after first 3 years from the date of completion of the book.

For the situations which are mentioned above, it is compulsory to meet these guidelines:

• No tampering of existing structures

• Total thickness of the wall finishes, including plaster, must not exceed 25mm

Last but not least, it is crucial to discuss with your interior designer if you intend to have any wall renovation. Of course, we definitely need to get HDB’s approval before commencing any renovation works.

So, everyone, let’s plan early thus the renovation can be completed on time!

For more information, please visit Hosing & Development Board (HDB) website.