If your block gets picked for the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), the headline cost to you as a Singapore citizen is small: between $599.50 for a 1/2/3-room flat and $1,498.75 for an executive flat, and that is only if you take the full Optional package. The Essential repairs that keep the building safe are fully paid by the government. Everything else is your choice. Here is exactly what HIP covers in 2026, what each part costs, and how to budget for it.
HIP is HDB's one-off refurbishment of ageing flats, run by the government and heavily subsidised. It was launched in 2007 to replace the old Main Upgrading Programme, and it fixes the structural and sanitary problems that show up once a block is around 30 years old: spalling concrete and structural cracks, leaking cast iron waste and soil pipes, and replacing the old pipe sockets with a safer clothes drying rack.
The reason it matters to your wallet is the subsidy structure. HIP splits the work into three buckets. The Essential bucket is fully funded by the government for citizens. The Optional bucket is where you co-pay 5% to 12.5%. The third bucket, EASE, is for elderly-friendly fittings and is subsidised up to 95%. So the question is never whether you can afford the whole upgrade but which optional items are worth your co-pay.
Since 2007 the government has spent roughly $5 billion on HIP. About 512,000 flats had been selected as of May 2026, which is around 9 in 10 eligible flats, and nearly 409,000 had finished upgrading. Your flat does not opt in; HDB selects the block, and then residents vote.
HIP applies to flats built up to 1997. Originally it covered flats built before 1986, around 320,000 units. In 2018 it was extended to include flats built between 1987 and 1997, adding roughly 230,000 more, so the pool is now over 550,000 flats.
You cannot apply for HIP yourself. HDB selects blocks each year based on age and condition, then announces the batch. In the 2026 round announced on 16 May, Second Minister for National Development Indranee Rajah named about 18,000 flats across 198 blocks in 12 towns, with around $253 million set aside for the works.
Understanding the split is the whole game. Essential and Optional are decided at the block level through a vote. EASE can also be applied for on its own, separately, by a household with an elderly member.
These address public health and safety, so the government covers the full cost for Singapore citizens. You do not co-pay, and you cannot opt out of them once the block votes yes.
These are quality-of-life upgrades you choose item by item. You only pay a slice; the government pays the rest. This is the part of your HIP budget you actually control.
Enhancement for Active Seniors covers fittings that reduce fall risk for older residents. It is part of HIP when your block is upgraded, and it can also be applied for as a standalone scheme any time if you have an elderly member at home. The government subsidises 87.5% to 95% of the cost depending on flat type.
These are the co-payment figures for a Singapore citizen taking the full Optional package, inclusive of 9% GST. The percentage rises with flat size, on the logic that bigger flats can pay a little more. The government pays the remainder.
The exact dollar figure shifts slightly depending on whether you pick a fire-rated main door and add small items like a home fire alarm device. CPF's figures for a typical package land a little under HDB's full-package estimate, so treat the table as a tight range rather than a fixed quote. HDB sends every selected household an itemised price list and an e-calculator before the vote, so you will know your number before committing.
| Flat type | Your share | You pay (approx.) | Government pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2/3-room | 5% | $599.50 | 95% |
| 4-room | 7.5% | $899.25 | 92.5% |
| 5-room | 10% | $1,199.00 | 90% |
| Executive | 12.5% | $1,498.75 | 87.5% |
You do not have to wait for your block's HIP to make the flat safer for an elderly parent. EASE runs as a standalone scheme, and the items are priced individually, so the bill depends on what you install. A few grab bars and slip-resistant tiles for one bathroom can come in under $100 for a citizen in a smaller flat; ramps and lifters cost more.
If you take the full EASE set rather than picking single items, CPF Board puts a citizen's share at roughly $125 to $480 across flat types, with the government covering up to 95%. The co-payment percentage tracks flat size the same way the Optional package does, from 5% for smaller flats up to 12.5% for executives.
Eligibility for the standalone route: a Singapore citizen flat owner with a household member aged 65 or older, or aged 60 to 64 who needs help with daily activities, or someone with a permanent disability. HDB also reviews other cases individually.
| Item | You pay (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Grab bars, first toilet (8-10) | $26.15 - $65.40 |
| Grab bars, second toilet (6) | $15.25 - $38.15 |
| Slip-resistant treatment, per toilet | $11.95 - $29.95 |
| Single-step ramp | $14.15 - $35.40 |
| Customised ramp (2-3 steps) | $87.20 - $218.00 |
| Wheelchair lifter | $299.75 - $749.35 |
A successful poll does not mean drills the next morning. HDB runs a fixed sequence, and a typical precinct takes about 18 months end to end. Knowing the order helps you plan when to clear cupboards, book leave, and set aside the co-payment.
First comes a six-week window to lock in your Optional and EASE choices, either at the on-site Information Centre or through the E-Opting system in My HDBPage with Singpass. Changes are not allowed after that window closes, and you pay for the package you selected even if you later skip installing an item. Next, HDB carries out a condition survey of your flat to document cracks, spalling and water-heater connections, plus a water test if you opted out of the toilet package. Works on the first block start roughly four months after the poll, and the schedule for every block goes up on the precinct noticeboard and webpage about three months in.
Each flat takes up to 10 working days, with works running 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and never on Sundays or public holidays. An adult household member has to be home during the works. You pay only after everything is finished and you have signed off that the job is done; HDB then sends the invoice for your share.
HIP works come with a one-year Defects Liability Period. If something the contractor did fails within 12 months of completion, you report it to the Information Centre hotline and they fix it at no charge. After the project team leaves the precinct, defect reports go to your HDB branch instead.
The bigger decision is the toilet. If you decline the toilet upgrading package, HDB runs a water test by flooding your toilet floor to at least 10mm for four hours and checking the unit below for leaks. Skip the test or fail it and refuse the toilet works, and you sign a letter of undertaking accepting full responsibility for any ceiling leak into the flat below for the next six years. After those six years, responsibility for leaks is shared between the upper and lower owners under the lease. That six-year liability is the real reason the toilet package is worth weighing carefully, even though it is the priciest Optional item.
You do not have to move out, and HDB does not provide a temporary flat. The works are done around you over those 10 days, so the main thing to sort out is the toilet, since yours is out of action while it is upgraded.
HDB sets up shared temporary toilets at the void deck for use during working hours. After hours, a portable toilet with a heated shower is installed inside your flat so you are not caught short overnight. There are usually air-conditioned rest and study rooms at the void deck too, and the contractor uses dust-reducing equipment to keep the mess down. Clear the work areas, remove anything fragile, and plan for the noise during the day.
HIP only goes ahead if at least 75% of eligible households in the block vote in favour. Each flat gets one vote, and only Singapore citizen households can vote; Singapore Permanent Resident households do not take part in the poll.
The vote decides Essential and Optional works for the whole block. If the block clears 75%, the works happen. You then separately choose which Optional items you actually want and pay only for those. Skipping the Optional items entirely is allowed, so a yes vote does not force you to spend if you only want the free Essential repairs.
After a successful poll, HDB usually completes voting and starts works for a new batch within months. For the 2026 blocks, HDB expected to wrap voting and begin works by the third quarter of 2026.
For the Optional co-payment, you can use cash, your CPF savings, or a mix. CPF here means the Ordinary Account savings that flat owners can tap, the same account you use for housing. If you would rather not draw down CPF OA, you can pay cash and keep that money earning CPF interest instead.
If the bill is awkward in one go, HDB lets you spread it over monthly instalments from one to ten years, with interest applied on the instalment plan. Households on a very low income can get extended assistance with longer repayment terms. For most people the full Optional package is small enough that clearing it off your monthly budget in cash is cleaner than paying instalment interest on a four-figure sum.
Singapore Permanent Residents get no HIP subsidy and pay the full cost of every component they receive, Essential included. There is one out: if you or a co-owner become a Singapore citizen within one year of the billing date, and you still own the flat, HDB reimburses the subsidy you would have qualified for. If citizenship is on the cards, the timing matters.
Selling soon? HIP works can lift a flat's appeal, and a recently upgraded block is an easier sell. But you pay the co-payment as the current owner; you do not pass the bill to the buyer. If your block is mid-HIP during a sale, the resale process continues, and HDB will tell you how any outstanding upgrading cost is handled at completion. Weigh the co-payment into your sums the same way you would any pre-sale spruce-up, and against your wider net worth picture if the flat is your main asset.
HIP is repair and basic refresh, not a renovation. It gives you a working toilet, sound walls and safe wiring. It will not redo your kitchen, lay new flooring across the flat, hack walls, or fit built-in carpentry. Those stay your own cost.
Treat HIP as a head start, not a substitute. If you were already planning to renovate an older flat, the HIP toilet upgrade can save you doing that wet-works yourself, but you still budget separately for everything else. For perspective on what a full job runs in Singapore, our renovation cost guide breaks down the typical line items, and once you know your number, an emergency fund and budget plan keeps the spend from straining your cash flow.
Essential repairs are free. The full Optional package costs about $599.50 for a 1/2/3-room flat, $899.25 for a 4-room, $1,199 for a 5-room and $1,498.75 for an executive flat, inclusive of 9% GST. You only pay for the optional items you actually choose.
You cannot block the Essential repairs if your block votes yes by the 75% threshold, since they cover safety and public health. But you can decline all the Optional items, so a yes vote does not force you to spend. If your block votes no, HIP does not proceed for that block.
No. Optional items are chosen one by one. You can take just the toilet, just a new door, or none at all. You co-pay only for what you pick, so your bill can be well below the full-package figure.
Yes. Flat owners can pay the Optional co-payment with CPF Ordinary Account savings, cash, or a mix. You can also spread it over monthly instalments from one to ten years, though instalments carry interest.
Flats built up to 1997. HDB selects eligible blocks each year by age and condition; you cannot apply yourself. A second round, HIP II, is planned for flats at roughly 60 to 70 years old.
HIP is the block-wide upgrade covering Essential and Optional works decided by a vote. EASE is the elderly-friendly portion, grab bars, slip-resistant tiles and ramps, subsidised up to 95%. EASE comes with HIP but can also be applied for on its own if you have an elderly household member.
Around 10 working days per flat for the in-unit works, with your toilet out of use while it is being done. The whole precinct takes about 18 months from a successful poll to completion, with works on the first block starting roughly four months after the vote.
PR households get no subsidy and pay the full cost of all components received, including Essential. If you or a co-owner become a citizen within one year of the billing date and still own the flat, HDB reimburses the subsidy.
Yes. HIP works carry a one-year Defects Liability Period. Report any fault to the Information Centre hotline within 12 months of completion and the contractor rectifies it free. Once the project team leaves the precinct, defect reports go to your HDB branch.
No. You stay in the flat and HDB does not provide a temporary unit. While your toilet is being upgraded you use shared temporary toilets at the void deck during working hours, and a portable toilet with a heated shower is set up inside your flat for after hours.
HDB runs a water test by flooding your toilet floor to at least 10mm for four hours. If you skip the test or fail it and still decline the toilet works, you sign a letter accepting full responsibility for any ceiling leak into the flat below for six years. After six years, the upper and lower owners share that responsibility.
You select your Optional and EASE items within six weeks of a successful poll, after which no changes are allowed. Works on the first block begin about four months after the poll, and a typical precinct takes around 18 months to finish.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.