Home painting services in Singapore start at about S$580 for a 3-room HDB full repaint on a basic package and run to about S$1,280 for a 5-room on washable paint in 2026, with most packages covering the paint, two coats, moving your furniture back, and cleanup. Per room, painting firms publish about S$280 to S$450 depending on the paint, and Nippon Paint's own service starts at S$450. Those headline numbers are real, but they are only the base. The figure that actually leaves your bank account depends on add-ons the cheap quote leaves out: a sealer undercoat for a resale flat, extra colours, door frames, and premium washable paint. This guide gives you the published 2026 prices per room and per flat type, the add-on list that turns a S$650 quote into S$1,000, the GST line to check, and a side-by-side of doing it yourself versus hiring a professional painter.
For most HDB owners the best value is a full-unit package from an established painting company, but only after you have an itemised quote that lists the paint line, number of coats, the prep work, and every add-on as its own line. The base package is rarely the final number. A 3-room full repaint advertised from about S$580 to S$650 is realistic for a flat with clean walls, but a resale unit often needs a sealer undercoat, which adds S$150 to S$350 at the same firms and lifts the job towards S$1,000.
Two painters can quote wildly different prices for the same flat and both be honest, because one is pricing a basic single-coat-over-existing job and the other is pricing proper prep plus a washable paint. The only way to compare is to make them quote the same scope. Ask each to specify the paint product, the number of coats, whether the ceiling is included, and what surface preparation is in the price.
If you are repainting as part of a larger reno, fold the painting figure into your overall budget early. Our renovation cost calculator lets you slot a painting line alongside flooring, carpentry, and electrical so the paint job does not blow a hole in the plan, and the renovation checklist keeps the sequencing right so you paint after the dusty trades finish.
Update, 14 October 2026: we re-priced this table from the painters' own pages. A 3-room on a basic package now starts around S$580, not S$480, a washable 4-room starts near S$1,090 rather than S$950, and we now list Nippon Paint's own service, from S$1,350 for a 3-room. The prices below are published package rates as of October 2026 from Paintland, Best Painting SG, Budget Painting SG and Nippon Paint. Treat them as 'from' figures for a unit with walls in reasonable condition. Older resale flats and any wall that needs real repair will sit at the higher end or above.
Notice how much the price climbs with the paint tier rather than the flat size alone. A 4-room jumps from about S$680 to S$700 on a basic package to S$1,088 to S$1,180 once you move to a washable or odourless line. The flat size sets the floor; the paint and prep set the ceiling.
If you are weighing a flat purchase and trying to budget the move-in costs, painting sits alongside reno in the same envelope. Our guide to the full HDB and BTO renovation cost puts the paint figure in context against the S$50,000-plus a typical renovation now runs.
| Flat type | Basic (Matex) | Standard (Vinilex) | Washable / odourless | Nippon's own service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-room / studio (under ~490 sqft) | S$480 to S$599 | S$580 to S$649 | S$688 to S$880 | S$1,000 |
| 3-room (~491 to 700 sqft) | S$580 to S$649 | S$680 to S$699 | S$938 to S$980 | S$1,350 |
| 4-room (~701 to 1,000 sqft) | S$680 to S$699 | S$780 to S$799 | S$1,088 to S$1,180 | S$1,650 |
| 5-room (~1,001 to 1,200 sqft) | S$888 to S$980 | S$980 to S$999 | S$1,238 to S$1,280 | S$1,850 |
| Executive apartment (~1,201 to 1,400 sqft) | S$988 to S$1,080 | S$1,088 to S$1,180 | S$1,288 to S$1,480 | S$2,050 |
| Executive maisonette (~1,401 to 1,600 sqft) | S$1,238 to S$1,280 | S$1,299 to S$1,380 | S$1,488 to S$1,880 | From S$2,200 |
You do not have to repaint the whole flat. Many households just refresh the living room, do an accent wall, or touch up the rooms that got marked up. Per-room pricing makes sense when the rest of the flat is still presentable, and it is usually cheaper than a full package if you only need two or three rooms.
Per-room rates are driven by wall area, not the room's label, so a small bedroom and a study of the same size cost about the same. The single biggest swing within a room is whether you want a washable or odourless paint, which adds about S$80 a room at Best and Budget Painting SG: S$319 to S$320 for Vinilex against S$400 for the washable or odourless line.
One thing to watch with per-room jobs: Best and Budget Painting SG charge S$150 to S$250 for a separate touch-up trip, so a single wall is often only economical if you bundle it with other rooms in the same visit.
| What you paint | Painting firms | Nippon's own service |
|---|---|---|
| One room, basic Matex | S$278 to S$280 | Not offered |
| One room, Vinilex | S$319 to S$320 | Not offered |
| One room, washable or odourless | S$400 | From S$450 |
| One room, top odourless line | S$440 to S$450 | Not offered |
| Living room | Priced as rooms | From S$900 |
| Extra colour | S$50 a wall to S$200 | S$50 |
This is where a cheap base quote turns into a not-so-cheap final bill. None of these add-ons is a scam; they are real work that a sound paint job sometimes needs. The problem is when the base price hides them so the headline looks lower than a rival who quoted the full scope upfront. Read the line items, then ask which add-ons your specific flat actually needs.
The sealer undercoat is the big one for resale flats. Older walls and water-stained patches bleed through a fresh coat unless they are sealed first. Best and Budget Painting SG charge S$150 to S$350 to seal a whole flat, or S$50 for one room, while Nippon's own service charges S$390 for a 2-room up to S$700 for a maisonette. If a resale quote looks suspiciously cheap, the sealer is usually what is missing.
The other quiet ones are the small fixtures. Door frames, the main gate, pipes and high ceilings are all priced separately, and each one adds S$30 to S$400. Furniture is usually covered: the firms above include shifting it back in their package price, and Nippon includes protecting and reinstating it. Whenever you can, paint an empty flat before you move in, because the crew works faster with nothing in the way.
Nearly every Singapore painter works with Nippon Paint or Dulux, and the real choice is the product line within a brand rather than the brand badge. Both run a Singapore Green Label, low-VOC range, so the gap between them on a standard interior job is small. Where the money goes is the move from a basic emulsion to a washable, anti-bacterial, or anti-mould line.
Nippon's mid-spec Vinilex is the default emulsion many packages quote on. Step up to a washable line such as Nippon Spotless or Dulux Wash & Wear and you get a surface you can wipe clean, worth it in a kitchen, a hallway, or anywhere with kids. Anti-mould and odourless lines cost more again and earn their keep in bathrooms and humid corners.
Insist the painter uses genuine, undiluted paint. Nippon's own professional service promises 'no dilution of paint', two coats and a 12-month warranty for interior painting; reputable contractors should match that. Diluted paint covers thinner, fades faster, and is the hidden reason a bargain job needs redoing in two years.
Painting a small room yourself is genuinely cheap. Paint, rollers, brushes, tape, and drop sheets for one bedroom land around S$80 to S$150 if you already own a ladder. A professional will charge S$278 to S$450 for the same room, so for a single accent wall or one small room, DIY can save real money.
The maths flips for a full flat. Doing the whole place yourself means buying paint in volume, taking days off, moving and covering furniture, and accepting a finish that is rarely as crisp as a sprayer-and-roller crew. Most people who DIY a full HDB underestimate the ceilings and the cutting-in around edges, which is where amateur jobs look amateur.
Check whether the company is GST-registered. If it is, the 9 percent GST applies on top of the advertised price, so a S$980 5-room job becomes about S$1,068 nett. Some smaller painters are below the registration threshold and do not charge GST at all, which is a genuine saving, but ask for an invoice either way. The GST line is the single most common reason a final bill comes in above the quote people remember.
Vet the painter before you pay a deposit. Ask for recent HDB or condo references, photos of completed jobs, and a written warranty (12 months against peeling is a reasonable benchmark). Avoid paying the full amount upfront; a deposit with the balance on completion is standard. Watch for a quote that is dramatically below the rest, which usually means diluted paint, a single coat, or skipped prep.
If you live in a condo, factor in the management's rules. Many MCSTs require advance notice, restrict working hours, and may ask for a contractor's insurance details before letting them in. The cost of painting itself is similar to HDB per square foot, but the access logistics differ, and our HDB vs condo comparison sets out the wider ownership cost gaps if you are still deciding between the two.
At painting firms in 2026, a 4-room HDB full repaint runs about S$680 to S$1,180, and the paint line sets where you land. A basic package costs S$680 to S$699, Vinilex S$780 to S$799, and a washable or odourless line S$1,088 to S$1,180, while Nippon Paint's own service starts at S$1,650. Add a sealer undercoat (S$150 to S$350 at the firms, S$570 to S$620 at Nippon) for resale flats, plus 9% GST if the company is GST-registered.
Often not. Many base packages exclude the sealer undercoat, which adds S$150 to S$350 for a whole flat at firms such as Best and Budget Painting SG, and S$390 to S$700 at Nippon Paint's own service. It is usually essential for resale and lived-in flats because old walls and water stains bleed through fresh paint without it. Always ask whether the sealer is in the quoted price or charged separately, especially when one quote looks far cheaper than the rest.
Before, if you possibly can. Painting an empty flat is faster and gives a cleaner finish. Most packages already include moving your furniture and putting it back, so if you must paint while living there, ask what the quote covers and expect to lose access to rooms for a day or two each.
For a standard interior repaint the difference is small, since both run low-VOC, Green Label ranges. What matters more is the product line: a basic emulsion like Nippon Vinilex versus a washable line like Nippon Spotless or Dulux Wash & Wear. Pick washable for kitchens, hallways, and homes with kids, and insist the painter uses genuine, undiluted paint.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change, so verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.
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