Can I replace the window grilles in my HDB flat?

Window grille replacement: the short answer

Yes, for most owners. How much paperwork you face comes down to two things: where the grille sits and how old the flat is.

HDB's renovation guidelines for window works draw the line. For older flats, internal grilles at windows and at the balcony parapet need no permit, as long as they do not protrude from the building. HDB gives the handover cut-off for "older" in those guidelines, so check it against your own key collection before you rely on the exemption. Grilles at the service yard need a permit, and so do balcony parapet grilles where the older-flat exemption does not apply.

Picture a four-room flat in Bedok that was handed over long ago. Swapping the flaking bedroom grilles for new internal ones falls in the no-permit group. Adding a grille at the service yard on the same visit does not, so the whole job has to be planned around that one permit. Keep every new grille inside the window line, because a design that bulges outward counts as protruding. Our guide to the HDB renovation permit explains how applications are made.

HDB window grille rules for newer flats

Newer flats give you less freedom over design but a clearer path. HDB's window works guidelines point owners to approved grille designs, which you find in the renovation factsheet or on MyHDBPage. You pick one of those designs and the contractor builds it.

If you have just collected the keys to a BTO in Tengah or Punggol, settle the hdb window grille design before anything is fabricated. Save the page that shows the designs, mark the one you want and give a copy to every contractor who quotes. Ask each of them to name that design in the quote, so the grilles that arrive are the ones you chose.

Treat grilles and windows as two separate jobs. On its window works page, HDB says all window installation or replacement work must be done by a BCA Approved Window Contractor (AWC) listed in HDB's directory. It also says a renovation permit is needed for all window replacement work, and the AWC applies for it. If you want to change a window as well, read our HDB window replacement rules and keep that work on its own quote.

Grilles you must not remove

Some grilles are part of the flat's safety design, and those stay. HDB's important information on renovations lists removing or tampering with safety railings or grilles (internal and external) originally provided by HDB or developers as disallowed. The same list rules out replacing full height, 3/4 height or bay windows.

Two other spots catch owners out. The same HDB page disallows enclosing an aircon ledge, including with external grilles, and changing what the ledge is used for. Planter boxes are covered too: you cannot change their use, enclose them partly or fully (including with solid metal external grilles) or seal them permanently.

Balcony grille HDB rules

Balconies in newer blocks raise a question of their own. At an interaction balcony, grilles must not go above unit height, and HDB's renovation information disallows installing overhead grilles to cage the space in. So if you are planning a balcony grille HDB will accept, think of it as a guard at the right height, not an enclosure.

Parents of young children often weigh up two styles: traditional metal grilles and cable-based invisible grilles. They differ in look, upkeep and how much they block the view from inside. We compare them in invisible grilles vs traditional. Whichever style you prefer, check the design against the location rules above, and ask HDB about anything you are unsure of.

Before and after the job

A grille is only as strong as what holds it. Before the old set comes down, look at the anchor points. Cracked render, loose bolts and brown streaks below a fixing all show where rust or movement has set in. Once the new grilles are up, press gently on each panel and make sure nothing shifts.

The upkeep is yours. HDB says flat owners and occupants are responsible for the upkeep of the windows in their flat (window works guidelines), so a grille job is a good time to check the hinges, stays and locks on the windows behind the bars. Our window safety inspection guide lists what to look at. Afterwards, keep dust and grime off the bars; this guide shows how to clean window grilles.

Hiring for grille work

The questions you ask before you agree to a quote matter more than its headline figure. Ask the contractor:

• Which design will you make, and for a newer flat, does it match my approved design?
• If any part of the job needs a permit, such as the service yard, will you handle it?
• Where will the fixing points be, how many go on each panel, and what are they fixed into?
• What finish goes on the metal, and how should I look after it?
• Will you take away the old grilles, and is that included?

Quotes depend on panel sizes, design and quantity. You can browse companies that do door and window repair in the directory and see the prices each one publishes.

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