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PLUMBING BY REGION

Plumbing in the Central region of Singapore

18 plumbing companies list Central-region towns on their own websites, and Toa Payoh is named by 15 of them, more than any other of the 18 towns. 1 more says it serves the region without listing towns. For tap, the lowest published rates from 7 of these companies run from S$70 to S$130 per job, with a middle rate of S$90.

See the 18 companies Towns in the Central region

Towns in the Central region

The URA Master Plan 2019 puts 18 planning areas in the Central region. 15 of them have their own plumbing page on HomezyPro; no company lists Museum, River Valley and Singapore River yet.

Companies that list each town as a service area on their own websites. A company that serves several towns is counted in each.
TownCompaniesTown page
Bishan13Plumbers serving Bishan
Bukit Merah10Plumbers serving Bukit Merah
Bukit Timah12Plumbers serving Bukit Timah
Downtown Core8Plumbers serving Downtown Core
Geylang9Plumbers serving Geylang
Kallang7Plumbers serving Kallang
Marine Parade5Plumbers serving Marine Parade
Museum0No company lists it yet
Newton6Plumbers serving Newton
Novena9Plumbers serving Novena
Orchard7Plumbers serving Orchard
Outram7Plumbers serving Outram
Queenstown10Plumbers serving Queenstown
River Valley0No company lists it yet
Rochor7Plumbers serving Rochor
Singapore River0No company lists it yet
Tanglin1Plumbers serving Tanglin
Toa Payoh15Plumbers serving Toa Payoh

How homes differ across the Central region

Homes in the Central region vary a lot from town to town. In the Census of Population 2020, 94% of households in Outram planning area live in HDB flats, and 90% in Bukit Merah. River Valley has no HDB households at all, and 82% of Tanglin households live in a condo or apartment. Bishan is in between, at 70% HDB, 20% condo and 10% landed. Block ages below come from HDB's property dataset. HDB towns do not follow planning area borders, so those figures describe HDB's towns and not planning areas. The official tables have no separate figures for Museum, Newton, Orchard or Rochor. Novena and Outram have census figures but no separate HDB town.

Older HDB towns: Marine Parade, Bukit Merah, Kallang, Geylang

In HDB's Marine Parade town, 100% of units are in blocks completed in 1986 or earlier. The figure is 65% in HDB's Kallang/Whampoa and Geylang towns and 63% in HDB's Bukit Merah town. The median block completion year is 1974 in Marine Parade and 1977 in Bukit Merah, according to HDB property information. In flats this old, expect jobs like choked floor traps, worn waste pipes and leaking pipe sockets.

Before you pay for a full waste pipe replacement, find out whether your precinct has been offered the Home Improvement Programme. HIP covers flats built up to 1986. In 2018 it was extended to flats built from 1987 to 1997. Its essential improvements include replacing waste pipes and pipe sockets. A precinct is upgraded only if at least 75% of eligible Singapore citizen households vote yes, and the works in each flat take about 10 working days.

Mixed age HDB towns: Queenstown, Toa Payoh, Bishan

In HDB's Queenstown town, 51% of units are in blocks from 1986 or earlier and 43% are in blocks from 1998 or later. In HDB's Toa Payoh town the split is 52% and 37%. HDB's Bishan town is mostly middle-aged, with 46% of units in blocks from 1987 to 1997 and a median block completion year of 1987, according to HDB's dataset. Pipework can differ a lot between neighbouring blocks, so advice that fits one flat could be wrong for the next block.

For any HDB flat, water service and sanitary plumbing works do not need an HDB permit, but they must be done by a PUB licensed plumber. Ask to see the licence before work starts.

Mostly private areas: Bukit Timah, Tanglin, River Valley, Downtown Core, Novena

In the census, 52% of households in Bukit Timah planning area live in a condo or apartment and 37% in landed homes. In Downtown Core the condo share is 83%. Novena is split, with 42% condo and 46% HDB.

In a condo, a leak from the unit above or a riser inside the wall can involve common property. Under BCA guidance for strata owners, you must follow the MCST by-laws and should check with your MCST before renovation. Any change to common property needs the MCST's prior written approval. Landed owners deal with the plumber directly, with no MCST involved.

Before you book

First, work out which kind of home you are hiring for: an HDB flat, a condo under an MCST, or a landed house. Then compare the published prices for your own town in the table above. Some plumbing work must be done by a PUB licensed plumber whatever kind of home you live in, so check the licence before work starts.

Plumbers serving towns in the Central region

These companies list Central-region towns they serve on their own websites. Those covering the most towns are listed first. Check they cover your address when you call.

Companies that list only the Central region

SM Plumbing Service says it serves the Central region without listing a town.

Services listed most often

All 18 companies serving Central towns list choke clearing. After that come leak repair (17), pipe replacement (16), water heaters (16), taps and mixers (15) and toilet bowls (14).

Published prices in the Central region

Each line gives the lowest and highest of the companies' own lowest published rates for one job, and the middle rate when it is one company's real figure. Nothing is averaged, and none of these is a quote.

  • Tap: S$70 at Prima Technologies Pte. Ltd. (Prima Services) to S$130 at Summer Plumbing Service per job, from 7 companies, middle rate S$90.
  • Basin: a wide spread, S$50 at Plumber - Singapore Plumbing 24hrs up to S$190 at Summer Plumbing Service per job (6 companies, no single middle rate).

See the plumbing costs by job and the full plumbing list.

Other regions

Plumbing in the East regionPlumbing in the North regionPlumbing in the North-East regionPlumbing in the West regionAll plumbing companies

Questions about plumbing in the Central region

Toa Payoh, Bishan and Bukit Timah appear most often. What does that tell me?

It tells you how many companies name each town on their own websites: 15 for Toa Payoh, 13 for Bishan and 12 for Bukit Timah. In total, 18 plumbing companies name at least one Central town. A higher count gives you more companies to compare, but it says nothing about workmanship or response time. Listings are unpaid, so no company can buy a higher place in these counts.

What do Central plumbers publish for tap jobs?

Seven companies on this page publish a rate for tap work. Their lowest published rates run from S$70 to S$130 per job, and the middle rate is S$90. Each figure comes from the company's own website, as explained in HomezyPro's price sourcing guide. Your final cost depends on what the plumber finds on site, so describe the tap problem clearly when you enquire.

Once I pick a plumber here, who handles the booking?

You do. HomezyPro does not take bookings or pass your details to anyone. Use the contact options on the profile to reach the company. For water service work that needs a licensed plumber, look up the plumber's name on PUB's licensed plumber listing yourself before work starts.

Why do Museum, River Valley and Singapore River have no plumbing page?

The URA Master Plan 2019 puts 18 planning areas in the Central region, and 15 of them have a plumbing page. Museum, River Valley and Singapore River do not, because no company lists them as a service area yet. If you live there, contact a plumber that names another Central town, or the 1 that covers the whole region, and confirm it will come to you.