The HDB Home Improvement Programme (HIP) is HDB's repair and upgrading programme for older flats. It began in 2007 for flats built up to 1986. Since August 2018 it also covers flats built between 1987 and 1997. The government pays for essential repairs like spalling concrete and old waste pipes, while you decide on the optional items, a new toilet being the big one, and pay a small share of what they cost.
This guide covers what HDB does inside your flat, what your share costs, how to manage 10 days with a portable toilet, and how to keep cement dust off everything you own. The rules come from HDB, CPF and gov.sg, read on 1 November 2026. The dust advice is ours: we clean HDB flats after the HIP works finish.
What is free, and what your share of the optional items costs
Essential improvements are free for Singapore Citizen households. HDB lists them as:
- repairing spalling concrete and structural cracks
- replacing the waste and soil discharge stacks
- replacing the pipe sockets with a new clothes drying rack
- upgrading the electrical load, if your flat needs it, after the HIP works
Optional improvements are yours to pick: all, some or none. HDB's list is the toilet and bathroom upgrade package, a new entrance door, a new grille gate, and a new refuse chute hopper where your flat has one. Your share depends on flat type: 5% of the cost for a 1- to 3-room flat, 7.5% for a 4-room, 10% for a 5-room and 12.5% for an executive flat.
EASE items are for seniors: grab bars, slip-resistant toilet floors, ramps and, since April 2024, extras like a foldable shower seat. Your share of EASE items uses the same 5% to 12.5% split.
HDB bills you after the works in the whole precinct are finished, and only if you still own the flat on the billing date. Pay in one go or in monthly instalments over 1 to 10 years, which carry interest, in cash, CPF or both. Singapore PR households pay the full cost.
How long HIP takes in your flat, and in your block
Works inside your flat take 10 working days or less. How many depends on what you opted for. There is no work on Sundays, so the 10 days can run across two calendar weeks. A whole precinct of 8 to 10 blocks takes about 1.5 to 2 years, which is why your neighbour may finish months before you start.
HIP goes ahead in a block only if at least 75% of its eligible Singapore Citizen households vote yes. You then get six weeks to choose your optional items, on My HDBPage or at the HDB Information Centre in your precinct.
What to expect during the 10 days of works
The contractor puts up a dust and noise screen before any hacking, and the hacking tools come with a dust extraction unit. You get plastic sheets to cover your things. CPF's advice is to put valuables away and have an adult at home to keep an eye on the works.
The dusty days are the hacking days: old toilet tiles, pipe stacks and spalling repairs. In the flats we clean, the grit from those days reaches the bedrooms, the tops of wardrobes and the aircon filters, even with the screen up.
Before you sign the acknowledgement of work completion on the last day, walk every room and point out defects to the contractor. Then sign. You have a 1-year defect liability period after that.
Where you shower and sleep during HIP
Your toilet is out of action while it is being redone, so HDB installs a portable toilet in the flat for use after working hours. CPF and gov.sg both describe it as having a showerhead and a tap with hot water. During working hours there are temporary toilets with showers at the void deck.
Plan a stay with relatives for the toilet days if someone at home cannot manage the void deck walk or a portable toilet, or if you have a newborn.
How to keep cement dust out of your flat during HIP
The plastic sheets from the contractor cover a few pieces of furniture, not a flat. Before day one, cover:
- wardrobes and cabinets, with the doors taped shut
- aircon units, so the dust does not end up in the filters
- the TV, computer and other electronics
- mattresses, sofas and curtains
- the doors of rooms the works do not touch
Do it the day before the works start. The first hacking day throws the most dust, and there is no time to wrap a flat once the crew is in.
Or have it done. Our dust proofing wraps all your furniture, lights, aircon units and windows, covers the common room doors from outside, and comes with two zip doors so you can still use the covered rooms. It goes up the day before your works start, or that morning, and it is booked together with the post-HIP clean. See what HIP dust proofing covers.
Why dust keeps settling after the contractors leave
Cement dust is fine enough to hang in the air and keep settling for days. HDB's contractor does regular cleaning and housekeeping during the works, but it is a sweep, not a wipe-down, so the layer on your shelves, fans, window tracks and new toilet is still there.
Clean once the contractor has finished, cleared their tools and handed over. Dry first: vacuum before any cloth or mop, because water turns cement dust into paste.
Our post-HIP clean covers the whole flat with both toilets, except inside wardrobes and cabinets, tables covered in items, ceilings and standing fans. In the master bedroom and three common rooms we vacuum, mop and do the windows and grilles; the furniture in those rooms is not part of it, and an extra room is $80. Expect the crew for about 3 to 4 hours, usually arriving between 9am and 10am, with the cleaning supplies included. If we put the dust proofing up, we take the sheets down too. See what the post-HIP clean covers.
Common HIP mistakes to avoid
- Cleaning before the handover. Touch-up work after your clean brings the dust straight back.
- Assuming you can skip the toilet upgrade. HDB lets you opt out only if your toilets pass a water test for leaks.
- Leaving the aircon uncovered on day one.
- Signing the completion form before checking every room for defects.
- Booking help on the last day. HIP dates move all the time, so we ask for your confirmed date at least 3 days before, and changing it after that is fine as long as you tell us early.
What a post-HIP clean costs for your flat type
Post-HIP cleaning is $450 for a 3-room, 4-room, 5-room or EA flat, and $550 for an executive maisonette. Dust proofing plus the post-HIP clean is $750, or $880 for a maisonette: one crew, one booking. There is no site visit, because the price is set by flat type.
WhatsApp us your flat type and HIP dates. We are open 7 days, 9am to 6pm, and a 50% deposit holds your slot.
HIP at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which flats | Flats built up to 1997, in precincts HDB shortlists |
| Vote needed | At least 75% of the block's eligible Singapore Citizen households |
| Essential improvements | Free for Singapore Citizen households |
| Optional items, your share | 5% (1- to 3-room) to 12.5% (executive) of the cost |
| Works in your flat | 10 working days or less, no work on Sundays |
| Whole precinct | About 1.5 to 2 years |
| When you pay | After the precinct is done; lump sum or 1 to 10 years of instalments |
| Defect liability | 1 year after completion |
Frequently asked questions
What is HIP for an HDB flat?
HIP is HDB's Home Improvement Programme. It fixes common problems in older flats, such as spalling concrete and old waste pipes, and offers optional upgrades like a new toilet at a subsidised price.
Can I opt out of the HIP toilet upgrade?
Yes, if your toilets pass HDB's water test for leaks. The test is there to stop ceiling leaks in the flat below.
Do Singapore PR households pay for HIP?
Yes. PR households pay the full cost. CPF says HDB refunds the subsidy if you or a co-owner become a Singapore Citizen within a year of the billing date and still own the flat.
When do I pay for HIP?
After the works in your whole precinct finish, which can be months after your own flat is done. You can pay in one go or in instalments over 1 to 10 years, with cash, CPF or both.
When should I book a post-HIP clean?
Book once you know your handover date, and clean after the contractor hands over. Send us the confirmed date at least 3 days before.
How much is post-HIP cleaning?
$450 for a 3-room, 4-room, 5-room or EA flat and $550 for an executive maisonette. With dust proofing, it is $750, or $880 for a maisonette.
Sources
- HDB, Home Improvement Programme (HIP) page on hdb.gov.sg, last updated 15 October 2026, read 1 November 2026
- CPF Board, Home Improvement Programme - what to know, on cpf.gov.sg, read 1 November 2026
- gov.sg, 5 Things You Should Know if Your Home Is Undergoing HIP, 8 June 2024, read 1 November 2026