A 3-room HDB renovation in Singapore costs $18,000 to $45,000 in 2026, with prices inclusive of GST. A basic refresh — painting, vinyl flooring and light carpentry — starts around $18,000. A standard renovation runs $25,000–$30,000, while a full renovation with hacking, re-tiling and custom carpentry costs $30,000–$45,000. The final figure depends on scope, material choices, and whether your flat is a BTO or an older resale unit.
As a direct HDB-licensed contractor (Licence No: HB-09-5667H) with our own carpentry factory, we price 3-room flat renovations by scope rather than a one-size-fits-all package. Every quotation is fully itemised, and going direct typically saves you 15–30% compared with an interior designer, who adds commission on top of the actual renovation cost.
| Scope | 3-Room HDB Price (SGD, incl. GST) |
|---|---|
| Basic refresh | From $18,000 |
| Standard renovation | $25,000 – $30,000 |
| Full renovation | $30,000 – $45,000 |
Basic refresh covers painting, flooring (vinyl or tile overlay), light carpentry, minor electrical work, and basic kitchen and bathroom upgrades. A bare-minimum refresh — paint, vinyl flooring and light carpentry with no hacking — can start around $15,000–$20,000 if the flat is in good condition.
Full renovation covers hacking and demolition, full re-tiling, waterproofing, full electrical and plumbing rewiring, custom carpentry (kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, TV console, shoe cabinet, study desk), false ceiling, feature walls, painting and sanitary fittings.
Whether your 3-room flat is a new BTO or an older resale unit makes a real difference to the quotation, because it changes how much hacking, rewiring and waterproofing is needed.
| Flat condition | Effect on cost |
|---|---|
| 3-room BTO (new flat) | Less hacking needed — deduct roughly $5,000–$10,000 from the resale ranges above. |
| 3-room resale (with hacking) | Add $5,000–$15,000 versus the BTO equivalent. Older units need more electrical rewiring and waterproofing. |
In a 3-room flat, hacking usually means removing old floor and wall tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms, and sometimes opening up the kitchen wall for a more open layout. Only non-structural walls can be removed. Hacking one non-structural wall costs $800–$1,500, and we handle the HDB permit as part of the price.
Masonry covers floor screed, kerbs and making good after hacking. Tiling runs $5–$15 per square foot for supply and installation, from homogeneous tiles through to natural stone. With a smaller floor area than 4-room or 5-room flats, a 3-room unit keeps tiling costs at the lower end.
All carpentry is fabricated in our own Singapore factory. A full kitchen cabinet set (around a 4-metre run) costs $3,500–$8,000, and built-in wardrobes run $200–$450 per running foot depending on material and finish. A 3-room flat typically needs fewer carpentry pieces than larger flats — often a kitchen set, one or two wardrobes and a TV console — which is a big reason its total stays lower.
Full electrical and plumbing rewiring is included in a full-renovation scope: new wiring, power point relocation, lighting points and pipe rerouting, all compliant with HDB standards and properly certified. Older resale units usually need more rewiring work, which is part of why resale renovations cost more.
As a standalone package, a kitchen renovation costs $8,000–$25,000 — basic ($8,000–$12,000) covers re-tiling, painting and replacing the hood and hob; standard ($12,000–$18,000) adds new laminate cabinets and a quartz countertop; premium ($18,000–$25,000) adds sintered stone and soft-close hardware. Bathroom renovation costs $4,000–$12,000 per bathroom, including hacking, waterproofing with a 24-hour ponding test, re-tiling and new sanitary fittings — multiply by the number of bathrooms you are redoing.
Interior painting (two coats) costs $1.50–$3.50 per square foot including preparation work. A gypsum false ceiling with cove lighting runs $5–$10 per square foot, and a feature wall costs $1,500–$5,000 depending on material. For flooring, vinyl overlay is the budget-friendly route in a basic refresh, while full re-tiling falls under the tiling rates above.
A full 3-room HDB renovation takes about 4–6 weeks — the shortest of the HDB flat types, because there is less floor area and less carpentry to install:
Week 1: Hacking and demolition — old tiles, fixtures and any approved non-structural walls come out.
Week 2: Masonry, plumbing and electrical — floor screed, pipe rerouting and new wiring.
Week 3: Waterproofing and tiling — wet-area waterproofing with the mandatory ponding test, then floor and wall tiles.
Week 4: Carpentry installation — factory-built kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and consoles fitted on site.
Weeks 5–6: Painting, doors and hardware, sanitary fittings, deep cleaning and handover walkthrough.
A basic refresh (painting, flooring, light carpentry) can be completed in 2–4 weeks.
All HDB renovations require a renovation permit before work can begin, and only an HDB-licensed contractor can legally hack walls, alter electrical wiring or modify plumbing in an HDB flat. Larry Contractors is licensed with HDB (Licence No: HB-09-5667H) and we handle the entire permit application — drawings, scope of work and declarations — which typically takes 1–2 weeks to process.
Work hours: Renovation is only permitted on weekdays 9am–6pm and Saturdays 9am–1pm. No work on Sundays or public holidays.
Renovation period: HDB allows a maximum renovation period of 3 months from the start date.
Structural walls: Structural walls cannot be hacked — only non-structural partition walls can be removed, with HDB permission.
Wet areas: Waterproofing must comply with HDB specifications, with a mandatory ponding test before tiling.
Comparing flat types or planning an upgrade? See our 4-room HDB renovation cost guide and 5-room HDB renovation cost guide, the full HDB renovation services page, our renovation cost calculator, or the renovation blog for more cost guides and tips.
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