An HDB licensed contractor is a firm listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors (DRC). Under the Housing & Development (Renovation Control) Rules 2006, you may only hire contractors from that directory to renovate your flat. Owners who do not can be fined up to S$5,000 (HDB, 2026).
The list that matters is HDB's own, and you can search it yourself. This guide shows how to check a contractor, what a DRC listing does and does not promise, how HDB and BCA registration differ, and which rules a licensed contractor still has to follow in your flat.
What an HDB Licensed Contractor Is
In everyday speech, "HDB licensed", "HDB approved" and "HDB registered" contractor all mean the same thing: a firm in the Directory of Renovation Contractors. HDB states that contractors must be in the DRC before they can renovate HDB flats (HDB, 2026).
The rule applies to the whole job. HDB tells owners to use only DRC contractors for their renovation, and that includes works that need no HDB approval, such as painting (HDB, 2026). A firm that is good at carpentry but not in the directory cannot legally take on your flat.
The responsibility sits with you as well. HDB says the owner is responsible for the renovation and must make sure the contractor does every piece of work in line with HDB guidelines (HDB, 2026). That is why the check below is worth doing before you sign, not after the first problem.
The HDB Contractor List: How to Check a Contractor
The HDB contractor list is the Directory of Renovation Contractors, searched through HDB's own e-Service. The same e-Service also lists BCA approved window contractors (HDB, 2026). Lists of "top contractors" on other websites are not the directory, however long they are.
Before you pay anything, do these checks:
- Get the company's full registered name in writing. Take it from the quotation, not from a shop sign or a social media page.
- Search that name in HDB's e-Service. Use the DRC search for renovation works, or the window contractor search if the job includes windows.
- Match the names. The firm in the directory, the firm on the quotation and the firm on the contract and invoices should be the same company.
- Ask who files the permit. If the quote includes works that need an HDB permit, ask which company will apply for it and whose name will be on it.
- Keep a screenshot. Save the search result with the date, together with your quotation.
If the names do not line up, ask why before you go further. A firm whose name is not in the directory should not be the one doing the works or holding the permit. For a longer step-by-step version, see our checklist for verifying an HDB renovation contractor.
What a DRC Listing Does and Does Not Mean
A DRC listing means the firm is allowed to renovate HDB flats and has agreed to HDB's terms. It does not mean HDB vouches for its workmanship. HDB says plainly that it does not endorse the contractors in the directory or guarantee the quality of what they build (HDB, 2026).
| A DRC listing means | A DRC listing does not mean |
|---|---|
| The firm may carry out renovations in HDB flats (HDB, 2026) | HDB endorses the firm or guarantees the quality of its work (HDB, 2026) |
| The firm must keep to HDB's terms: no damage to HDB property, safe work, no nuisance to neighbours | HDB is part of your contract. It is a private agreement between you and the firm |
| Breaking the rules can earn demerit points, penalty fees, suspension or disqualification | HDB will settle a dispute about price, schedule or quality for you |
| A firm that collects 24 demerit points within 24 months is suspended for a year and taken off the directory | The firm's price, design or after-sales service is right for your flat |
The demerit point system is HDB's way of keeping listed firms in line, and it is the reason a listing still means something (HDB, 2026). But the contract, the quality and any dispute are between you and the contractor. If you cannot settle a disagreement privately, HDB points owners to CASE, the Singapore Mediation Centre or the Small Claims Tribunals, or to the courts (HDB, 2026).
Our view: treat the listing as the floor. It tells you who you are allowed to hire. It does not tell you who to hire.
Fines for Hiring Outside the Directory
Hiring a contractor who is not in the directory is an offence for the owner, who can be fined up to S$5,000 on conviction. The same penalty applies to a DRC firm that breaks HDB's renovation rules. It also applies to a firm outside the directory that renovates a flat or presents itself as a DRC contractor (HDB, 2026).
HDB can also compound these offences under the Housing & Development (Composition of Offences) Rules 2006. If the composition sum is not paid, the offender is prosecuted in court (HDB, 2026).
The fine is only part of it. Work that needed a permit and was done without one counts as unauthorised, and HDB can ask you to restore the flat to its original condition (HDB, 2026). You would pay for the work twice: once to build it and once to undo it.
HDB Registered Contractor vs BCA Registered Contractor
For renovating an HDB flat, the HDB listing is the legal requirement. BCA registration is a different register with a different purpose, and for some firms it is compulsory too.
BCA's Contractors Registration System (CRS) is the national register of construction firms. Since 1 June 2025, any firm that wants to employ construction workers on S Passes or Work Permits must register with the CRS first. Firms also need it to bid for public sector construction tenders or to work as first-level subcontractors on public projects (BCA, 2026).
The CRS has about 50 workheads in five groups. Each workhead sets its own financial, track record and personnel requirements (BCA, 2026). So a BCA registration tells you the firm met the requirements of the workhead it holds. It does not replace the DRC listing for work inside your flat.
Windows need their own approved contractor
Windows are the one place where BCA approval decides who may do the work. Since 1 October 2004, only window contractors that are BCA approved and listed with HDB may install or replace windows in HDB flats (HDB, 2026). If your renovation includes new windows, check that firm separately in the same e-Service.
Permit Rules an HDB Licensed Contractor Must Follow
A licensed contractor still needs HDB's permit for certain works, and must follow HDB's conditions even for works that need no permit. Here are common items, as HDB's building-works guidelines set them out (HDB, 2026).
| Work | HDB permit? | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Removing a non-load-bearing reinforced concrete (RC) wall or element | Yes | A Professional Engineer (civil or structural) must supervise the demolition |
| Removing a block, brick, drywall or Ferrolite partition wall | Yes | Only up to the underside of the beam or slab; stop and tell HDB if steel bars are found |
| Replacing floor tiles (ceramic, homogeneous, marble and similar) | Yes | Finish plus screed at most 50mm thick; pre-packed waterproofing screed and membrane in bathrooms and toilets |
| Replacing the main door on a fire escape route | Yes | Half-hour fire-rated door with a self-closing frame and an accreditor's label |
| Laying vinyl, carpet or linoleum | No | No conditions listed |
| Wall finishes glued over existing wall finishes | No | At most 13mm thick; no third layer |
| False ceiling | No | At least 2.4m clear height (not in toilets and bathrooms); non-combustible material; no gas pipe inside |
| Screws, nails and bolts in walls | No | At most 6mm wide and 40mm deep |
One correction to a common belief: not every wall removal needs a Professional Engineer. HDB asks for a PE when a reinforced concrete element comes out. Lighter partition walls still need HDB's approval, but the PE condition is written for the RC row (HDB, 2026). Ask your contractor which row your wall falls under before you plan around it.
The household shelter
The household shelter (HS) has its own rules. These works are not allowed:
- Hacking or drilling into its walls and slabs, beyond the drilling HDB permits
- Changing or removing the HS door
- Painting the inside face of the 6mm fragmentation plate
Painting the shelter's walls, ceiling or door needs no permit, as long as the door notice, locking bolts and seal are not painted over (HDB, 2026).
Renovation Hours, Neighbour Notice and Deadlines
A licensed contractor works to HDB's clock. General renovation is allowed from 9am to 6pm on weekdays and Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays or public holidays (HDB, 2026).
Noisy work has tighter limits. Demolishing walls, removing wall or floor finishes, cutting tiles and heavy drilling may only happen from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. It is also barred on the eve of five holidays: Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Demolition and removal of finishes may not run for more than 3 consecutive days. Only 2 HDB-approved handheld power tools may be used at any one time (HDB, 2026).
At least 5 days before work starts, you or your contractor must give written notice to neighbours within a radius of 2 units. The Notice of Renovation goes up outside the flat and stays there until the work is done (HDB, 2026). Our guide to HDB renovation noise rules and working hours covers these rules in more detail.
Permitted works also have a deadline. They must be finished within 1 month of the permit date in an existing block, or within 3 months in a newly completed block (HDB, 2026). A contractor who cannot fit your scope into that window should say so when quoting. For how the stages fit together, see our week-by-week HDB renovation timeline.
Before You Pay a Deposit
Pay a deposit only after the directory check, and only against a written quotation that lists every item. HDB is not a party to your agreement with the contractor, so the contract is your protection (HDB, 2026).
Check these points on every quote:
- The company name. It matches the DRC listing and the contract.
- The scope, item by item. Quantities in feet or square feet, materials named, and no vague "top-up" lines. Our guide on how to read a renovation quotation walks through a real layout.
- Permits. Which items need an HDB permit, and who applies.
- The payment schedule. Each payment should be tied to a stage of work, so that money follows progress.
- Windows. If windows are included, the window firm is a BCA approved window contractor listed with HDB.
As an example of a staged schedule, the RCS Method on our home page sets a 10% deposit to lock in the job, 40% before works start, payments at the masonry (30%) and carpentry measurement (15%) stages, and a final 5% at handover (RCS, 2026). Whoever you hire, ask for a schedule written as clearly as that, and compare quotes for the same scope only.
How RCS Works
Our product pages state that RCS is HDB licensed and BCA registered (RCS, 2026). Check us in HDB's directory the same way you would check anyone else.
We work in five phases – Plan, Prep, Finalise, Build and Complete – with the payment stages above. The RCS Method page explains each phase, and you can read our client reviews.
Our packages are priced by flat type and listed with their full scope. For example, the 4-room Bare Unit BTO package with vinyl is S$14,990, the 4-room Whole House BTO Resale package is S$23,990, and the 4-room Whole House Resale package is S$30,199. Prices are from the product pages on 1 November 2026. For other flat types, see the HDB renovation price list or our 4-room resale renovation package page.
Choosing Between Licensed Contractors
A licence tells you a firm is allowed to work in an HDB flat. It does not tell you which one to appoint. These guides explain how to make that choice.
- How to judge an HDB renovation contractor
- Whether a contractor near you is worth prioritising
- Home remodelling, and what the term covers here
- Choosing an interior designer versus a renovation contractor
HDB Licensed Contractor FAQs
Where can I find the list of HDB approved contractors?
HDB keeps the list itself. It is the Directory of Renovation Contractors, and you search it through HDB's e-Service, which also covers BCA approved window contractors. Search by the company name on your quotation, check that the same company appears on the contract, and keep a dated screenshot. A "top contractors" article on another website is not the directory and has no legal weight (HDB, 2026).
What happens if I hire a contractor who is not HDB licensed?
It is an offence for you as the owner. HDB lists a fine of up to S$5,000 on conviction, and the same applies to a firm outside the directory that does the work or claims to be listed. HDB can compound the offence, and an unpaid composition sum leads to prosecution. If the work needed a permit and had none, HDB can also make you restore the flat at your own cost (HDB, 2026).
Is a BCA registered contractor the same as an HDB licensed contractor?
No. The HDB listing (DRC) is what allows a firm to renovate HDB flats. BCA's Contractors Registration System is a separate national register. It is compulsory for firms that employ construction workers on S Passes or Work Permits, and for firms that bid for public sector tenders. Each workhead has its own requirements. A firm can hold both. For windows, you need a BCA approved window contractor listed with HDB (BCA, 2026).
Does HDB recommend or guarantee any contractor?
No. HDB does not recommend particular contractors: it says it does not endorse DRC contractors or guarantee the quality of their work. Your renovation contract is a private agreement with the contractor, and the contractor is fully responsible for what was agreed, including quality. If a dispute cannot be settled between you, HDB points owners to CASE, the Singapore Mediation Centre or the Small Claims Tribunals, or to court (HDB, 2026).
Next Step: Get a Quote From a Contractor You Have Checked
Check the directory first, then compare written quotes for the same scope, then agree a payment schedule tied to the work. When you are ready, get a quote from us, book a renovation consultation, or message the team on WhatsApp at +65 8784 8742. Bring your floor plan, your key collection date and a list of the works you want, so the quote covers your actual flat.
If you are still viewing resale flats, our hourly consultation (S$150 per hour) brings someone along to look at the unit before you commit, and the fee is offset if you then engage us for the works. Read more about RCS or visit our home page. Whoever you choose, start with one step: check that the HDB licensed contractor on your quote is in HDB's directory.
Rules are as published on HDB's and BCA's websites on 1 November 2026 and can change; check the linked pages and your permit conditions before work starts. Prices and scope are from the RCS product pages on the same date.
Correction, 1 November 2026: an earlier version of this article said BCA registration is optional, when BCA requires it for firms that employ construction workers on S Passes or Work Permits; said every non-load-bearing wall removal needs a Professional Engineer, when HDB's PE condition applies to reinforced concrete elements; overstated the household shelter rules; and added conditions to vinyl flooring that HDB does not list. Cost, timeline and loss figures taken from third-party websites, a list of other renovation firms with unsourced details, and statements we could not find on HDB's or BCA's pages (that unauthorised works bring stop-work orders, mortgage holds or void home insurance, and that window works need a separate BCA "RW01" registration) have been removed. The rules above now come from HDB's and BCA's own pages.
