HDB painting cost: published rates
In the directory, 8 companies publish a painting line, and 6 of them price it per job. Those 6 companies' lowest published rates run from S$50 to S$250 per job, as printed, with S$150 in the middle: the two middle companies both publish S$150 per job.
FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY
Published painting rates
For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published rates from 6 companies run from S$50 to S$250. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a market average or a quote.
See 8 published painting rates and sources
| Company | Service as listed | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handy Expert SG | HDB & condo painting - Subsequent Hour | S$40 to S$60 per hour | handyexpertsg.com |
| Herofix.sg | Major Paint Peeling + Putty | S$50 to S$300 per job | herofix.sg |
| My Handyman SG | Professional Painting & Wall Touch-Ups | From S$120 per job | myhandymansg.com |
| Arshinogor Pte Ltd | Nippon Paint - Standard Emulsion | S$150 per job | arshinogor.com |
| Repairhome.sg | Painting (room, HDB, condo, move-in or handover) | From S$150 per job | repairhome.sg |
| Home Fix SG | Painting Services | S$200 per job | homefixsg.com |
| Handyman AZ | One-room painting | From S$250 per job | handymanaz.sg |
| Tuba Engineering & Renovation Pte Ltd | Painting package, 2-room | S$500 to S$900 per package | tuba-eng.net |
The table shows each company's lowest matching rate, quoted as printed and linked to its source, so check what each price covers. The other 2 companies use different units. One prices "HDB & condo painting - Subsequent Hour" at S$40 to S$60 per hour, and one prices a "Painting package, 2-room" at S$500 to S$900 per package. Among the per-job lines, one company prices "Major Paint Peeling + Putty" at S$50 to S$300 per job, and another prints "One-room painting" from S$250 per job.
One line may cover a single room and another a few touch-ups, so read what a line includes before you compare an HDB repainting price from the table with a quote for your flat. You can compare more companies on our painting services page.
What changes the price
Two flats of the same type can get quite different quotes. These things move the price:
- Rooms and ceilings. More rooms, and ceilings as well as walls, mean more area to cover and more time.
- Colour change. Going from a dark colour to a light one usually needs extra coats. Repainting in the same light colour needs the least work.
- Cracks and peeling paint. Scraping, patching and sealing come before any new coat. Read our guide to peeling wall paint before you ask for quotes.
- Moving furniture. Ask whether moving and covering furniture is included, or whether you need to clear the rooms first.
- Doors, grilles and gates. These may be priced separately from walls, so ask for them as separate lines.
Cracks need the right fix before painting. For hairline cracks, HDB's walls guide says to re-paint the wall with a flexible sealant or elastomeric paint. For wider cracks, it says to engage a contractor. Ask your painter which kind you have and how the quote covers it.
How much paint you need
The amount of paint depends on the area you paint, the number of coats and the coverage the maker lists for that paint. As one example, Nippon Paint's page for Odour-less All-in-1 lists a theoretical coverage of 10 to 12 m2 per litre for that interior wall paint. The same page gives a surface dry time of 30 minutes and a hard dry time of 2 hours at 30C, and says to wait at least 2 hours before the next coat. These are that product's published figures, not a rule for every paint.
For a rough amount, measure the walls and ceilings you plan to paint, leave out windows and doors, divide the area by the coverage on the tin and multiply by the number of coats. Our paint calculator does those sums for you. A theoretical coverage figure is a starting point, so ask the painter how many litres they plan to use for your walls.
Mould and damp walls first
Deal with mould and damp before any new paint goes on. For fungus and algae, Nippon Paint's product page says to wash the affected area and apply anti-fungus solution, leaving it on for at least 2 hours before painting. Follow the instructions on the product you use, and ask your painter whether this step is part of the quote.
If the same wall keeps getting damp or mouldy, find the cause before you repaint. Read our guide to painting over mould before you decide how to treat it.
For walls in general, HDB's walls guide lists allowing cross-ventilation in the flat and re-painting walls regularly as ways to help prevent wall cracks.
Painter, handyman or contractor?
A painting-only job is often quoted by a handyman or a painter. Whoever you ask, check what the quote covers: the rooms, walls and ceilings, the paint and number of coats, crack and peeling repairs, moving furniture and cleaning up afterwards. If you are weighing up a handyman or painting contractor, our post sets out how the two compare.
NEXT STEP
See handyman companies in the directory with their published prices, the areas they say they cover and their sources.
Compare handymenHDB says you need a contractor listed in its Directory of Renovation Contractors (DRC) for renovation in an HDB flat, as its renovation contractors page explains. DRC contractors know HDB's requirements, but HDB does not endorse the quality of their works, so compare quotes and ask questions yourself.
Some renovations also need an HDB permit, and HDB's renovation permit page says to start them only after the permit is granted. Works that need no permit must still follow HDB's guidelines, or they are unauthorised works.
Questions
Do I have to move out while the flat is painted?
Usually not. Painters normally work room by room, covering or shifting furniture as they go, so you can stay in the rooms they are not working in. Ask the painter how many days the job will take, which rooms will be out of use each day and whether they move heavy furniture themselves.
Is it easier to repaint an empty flat?
Yes. With no furniture to move or cover, painters can reach every wall and ceiling, and there is less to protect from drips and dust, so painting before move-in is simpler. If you already live in the flat, clearing rooms beforehand helps, and you can ask whether the quote changes when there is nothing to move.
Should the ceiling be painted too?
Yes, if it is stained, flaking or looks dull next to freshly painted walls. Ceilings add area and time, so ask whether your quote includes them and how many coats. If you are painting both, ask for the ceiling to be done before the walls, so any drips land on surfaces that have not been painted yet.
Which rooms are worth repainting first?
The high-wear and damp-prone rooms: the kitchen, the bathrooms and children's rooms. Their walls pick up marks, steam and moisture more often than other rooms. If you are painting in stages, start there, and deal with any mould first as described above. Ask for each room as a separate line on the quote so you can see what each one adds.
Does the quote usually include the paint?
Not always, so ask before you accept one. A clear quote names the paint brand, the product and the number of coats for each area, and says whether the paint is included or bought separately. That lets you compare quotes on the same basis and check that the painter uses the paint you agreed on.
Can I paint the main gate and door myself?
HDB's building works guidelines list painting the external side of the main door or metal grille gate as needing no permit. Ask HDB if you are unsure, and lay sheets on the corridor floor to catch drips.
Prices come only from the sourced company rates in the HomezyPro directory, shown with each company and its source.
Practical guidance for planning a home job in Singapore. Company prices come from the HomezyPro directory, each linked to its source; rules and safety points link to the agency or manufacturer that sets them. This is not a site inspection, a quote or professional advice for your home.
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