Plumbing in the North-East region of Singapore

North-East region towns, by home type and age

Estate age across the region

The towns in this region were built in very different periods, and that shapes which plumbing jobs come up. In HDB's Ang Mo Kio town, 84% of flat units are in blocks completed in 1986 or earlier, and the median block completion year is 1979, according to the HDB Property Information dataset. HDB's Serangoon town is a little younger, with 59% of units in blocks from 1986 or earlier and 38% from 1987 to 1997. HDB's Hougang town is mixed: 44% of units are in blocks from 1986 or earlier, 26% from 1987 to 1997 and 30% from 1998 or later. HDB's Punggol town has 100% of units in blocks from 1998 or later, with the earliest completed in 2000. HDB's Sengkang town has 97% from 1998 or later.

In older blocks, plumbers often deal with ageing waste pipes, leaking joints and slow or choked drains. Before you pay for a full waste pipe replacement in an older flat, find out whether your precinct is covered by the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). HIP was introduced in 2007 for flats built up to 1986 and extended in 2018 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.

In the newer towns, work is more about fittings than old pipes: taps and mixers, toilet flush parts, water heaters and blocked floor traps. Bigger flats usually have more of these to maintain. The Census of Population 2020 counts 28,680 households in 5-room and executive HDB flats in the Sengkang planning area and 16,990 in the Punggol planning area. Planning areas do not share the same borders as HDB towns, so these census figures and the HDB figures above cover slightly different areas.

Private homes in the region

Private housing is spread unevenly across the region. In the Census of Population 2020, the Serangoon planning area has 26% of households in landed homes (9,745 households) and 16% in condos and apartments. Hougang planning area has 15% in condos and 8% in landed homes. Ang Mo Kio planning area has 8% in condos and 7% in landed homes. Punggol and Sengkang planning areas round to 0% landed, with 69 and 372 landed households, and 13% and 14% in condos.

A landed home has no shared stack, so all of its pipework belongs to the owner. Ask the plumber to look for the cause of a recurring leak or blockage rather than only clearing it. In a condo, owners must follow the MCST by-laws. Check with your MCST before renovation work, and get the MCST's prior written approval for any change that touches common property.

On the rules for all homes: in HDB flats, water service and sanitary plumbing work does not need an HDB permit, but it must be done by a PUB licensed plumber. In private homes too, some plumbing work must be done by a PUB licensed plumber. Installing a heater can involve other trades as well. A gas heater connection can only be done by City Energy or a Licensed Gas Service Worker. New wiring or a new power point for an electric heater needs an EMA Licensed Electrical Worker.