HDB HIP and Your Renovation: What to Time Around the Home Improvement Programme
If you own an older HDB flat, the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) can change what is worth renovating and when. Some of the work you might be planning, such as redoing the toilets or changing the main door, could be part of HIP if your block goes ahead.
This guide explains what HIP covers, what to hold off on, and what you can plan freely in the meantime. It is general information based on HDB's own HIP page, so always check the latest details for your precinct with HDB.
What HIP is and which flats it covers
According to HDB's Home Improvement Programme page, HIP was introduced in 2007 for flats built up to 1986 that have not undergone the Main Upgrading Programme. In August 2018, it was extended to flats built between 1987 and 1997.
HIP only proceeds if at least 75% of a block's eligible Singapore Citizen households vote in favour. HDB says the works take about 1.5 to 2 years for a typical precinct of 8 to 10 blocks, while the works inside each flat take 10 working days or less, depending on the improvements chosen.
What HIP includes
HDB groups the works into three parts.
Essential Improvements: compulsory works for public health and safety, including repairing spalling concrete and structural cracks, replacing waste and soil discharge stacks where needed, replacing pipe sockets with a new clothes drying rack, and upgrading the electrical load after HIP works where applicable
Optional Improvements: a package to upgrade existing toilets and bathrooms, a new entrance door, a new grille gate and a new refuse chute hopper where applicable
EASE Improvements: Enhancement for Active Seniors items such as grab bars, slip-resistant treatment for toilet floors, ramps and a bidet spray
HDB states that the Government fully funds the Essential Improvements for Singapore Citizen households and subsidises a major portion of the Optional Improvements, with a cost-sharing ratio of 5% to 12.5% depending on flat type. Singapore Permanent Resident households pay the full upgrading cost. Check HDB's page for the current estimates for your flat type.
What to hold off on if HIP is coming
If your block is shortlisted or likely to poll soon, these are the areas worth timing carefully.
Toilets and bathrooms: the HIP toilet package covers retiling and better-quality sanitary fittings. HDB notes that your toilets must pass a water test for leaks before you can opt out of the toilet upgrading, so a full bathroom renovation done just before HIP may overlap with work HIP would have done. Our HDB bathroom renovation guide covers what to plan once timing is clear.
Main door and gate: HIP offers a new entrance door and grille gate. HDB first decides whether your flat needs a fire-rated main door under SCDF's Fire Code, and a home fire alarm device is installed in the living room as part of that fire safety work.
Laundry window: the old pipe sockets for laundry poles are replaced with a new clothes drying rack, so avoid building carpentry or fittings that would get in the way of that window.
Pipe stacks: waste and soil discharge stacks may be replaced, so ask your designer to keep any boxing-up around them simple to open rather than sealing it behind fixed carpentry.
What you can plan freely
HIP does not touch most of the work that makes a home feel new, so you can usually go ahead with:
Living room and bedrooms: carpentry, wardrobes, flooring and paint, see our HDB master bedroom guide
Lighting and wiring plans: plan your lights with the living room alarm device in mind, and check with your contractor about any electrical load upgrade, see our HDB lighting plan guide and smart home wiring guide
Kitchen carpentry and countertops: keep the laundry window and pipe areas accessible, see our HDB kitchen renovation guide
Entry storage: a shoe cabinet beside the door can be built now, as long as it leaves room for a new door and gate, see our entry and shoe cabinet guide
Any work you do still follows HDB's usual renovation rules. Our HDB renovation permit guide explains what needs approval, and our renovation hours guide covers working hours and notice to neighbours.
Living in the flat during HIP
Because HIP work inside each flat takes 10 working days or less, many owners stay in the flat and plan around it. If you are also renovating in stages, our guide to renovating while you live in the flat shows how to phase rooms, manage dust and decide what to finish first.
If you need senior-friendly items sooner, HDB says EASE can also be applied for directly before HIP, or if your block does not qualify, and it is offered to all HDB flats in all towns.
A simple HIP timing checklist
Check your block: see whether your precinct appears on HDB's upcoming polling list or polling results
List what overlaps: note which of your plans touch toilets, the main door, the laundry window or the pipe stacks
Do the rest first or in parallel: bedrooms, living room, lighting and storage usually do not depend on HIP
Ask about access: make sure carpentry leaves HIP contractors room to work
Inspect at the end: use our renovation handover checklist before your final payment
If you have just bought an older resale flat, our 5-room and executive resale guide lists other checks to make before you renovate.
Where Blackwoods Interior stands
Blackwoods Interior Pte. Ltd. (trading as Blackwoods Interior), UEN 201909521M
CaseTrust accredited for Renovation Businesses (the standard tier, not Gold), valid through 28 April 2028
Listed on HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors (DRC)
Talk to Blackwoods Interior
Not sure how HIP affects your renovation plans? Book a free 30-minute consultation: WhatsApp us at 8754 3212 (Mon-Sat, about 10:00-19:00 SGT) or email Hello@bwi.sg. Visit www.bwi.sg to see more.
Cover image: illustrative concept, not a completed Blackwoods project. This guide is general information based on HDB's Home Improvement Programme page, checked on 24 October 2026. HIP details, polling and costs can change, so check the latest information for your block with HDB before you decide.
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