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Patched and peeling paint on an old concrete wall

HDB HIP: what it repairs for free, and what you still pay a painter for

Last checked 4 Nov 2026 against the sources at the end of this page.

If your HDB flat was built up to 1997, HIP may repair its spalling concrete for free. HDB's 2026 HIP annex says the Government fully pays for Essential items, spalling repair among them, for Singapore Citizen households (HDB, HIP annex, 2026, read 4 Nov 2026).

So before you pay anyone to fix a cracked ceiling, check whether your block is due for HIP. And before you repaint, know that HIP paints only the patches it repairs.

In short

  • Eligible: flats built up to 1997, in a precinct HDB shortlists and owners vote for.
  • Free for citizen households: spalling repair, new waste pipes, a new clothes drying rack, electrical load upgrading.
  • Not included: repainting your rooms, mould, peeling paint, cracks that are not structural.
  • Best order: HIP first, repaint after.

How to check if your block is getting HIP

HDB's HIP page (read 4 Nov 2026) lists the precincts shortlisted for polling and the polling results. The result decides whether a shortlisted precinct goes ahead.

The cut-off is the year your block was built. HIP started with flats built up to 1986, and in 2018 HDB extended it to flats built from 1987 to 1997.

If your precinct has voted yes, HDB's booklet sets out the timing (HDB, HIP information booklet, read 4 Nov 2026). You get 6 weeks to pick Optional and EASE items. About 3 months after the poll, each block's schedule goes up on the HIP noticeboard, and work on the first block starts roughly a month after that. The whole precinct takes around 18 months, but your own flat is done in up to 10 working days.

What works HIP covers in your flat

Three groups. Essential Improvements: spalling concrete repair, replacing old waste and soil stacks, a new clothes drying rack in place of the pipe sockets, and electrical load upgrading where needed. Optional Improvements: toilet or bathroom upgrading, a new entrance door and grille gate, and a new refuse chute hopper. EASE: items such as grab bars for older residents.

HDB's booklet adds one rule worth knowing. You can only opt out of the toilet upgrade if your toilet passes a water test for leaks to the flat below.

How much of HIP do you pay?

Singapore Citizen households pay nothing for the Essential items. For Optional items they pay 5% to 12.5% of the cost, depending on flat type, and the Government pays the rest. HDB's annex lists the amounts per flat type. HDB lists separate payment schemes for Permanent Resident households. You pay after the works are done, when HDB sends the invoice.

HIP repairs spalling, then paints only the patched spots

Before works start, HDB surveys your flat and records structural cracks and spalling concrete to repair. The booklet describes the repair as removal of loose concrete, patching, and painting of the affected areas.

That paint covers the patch and stops there. On a ceiling painted ten years ago, a freshly painted square stands out. HIP will not repaint the rest of the ceiling to match.

If a HIP repair fails within a year, report it. The works carry a 1-year Defects Liability Period, handled by the HIP Information Centre or your HDB Branch.

What you still pay a painter for after HIP

  • Repainting rooms so the HIP patches and the old paint end up one colour.
  • Peeling or bubbling paint away from any spalling. Our page on why paint peels and bubbles explains the causes.
  • Mould on ceilings and walls, which HIP does not treat.
  • Plaster or skim coat cracks the survey does not class as structural.
  • Putting back what you took down. HDB's booklet says you remove and reinstate fittings, fixtures and cabinets in the way of the works, at your own cost.

Want the HIP contractor to do extra work while they are there? HDB's booklet says to agree the scope and cost with them in writing at the Information Centre.

Repaint before HIP, or after?

After, if you can wait. Spalling repair leaves fresh patches of paint, and some flats also get new wiring trunking run along the wall to the ceiling. Paint once, after the works in your flat are done, and every ceiling ends up one colour.

If you must paint first, for a move-in or a sale, write down the paint product and colour code so that any touch-up after HIP can match it.

Not on HIP? Who pays for spalling and cracks

The owner. HDB's home care guide says flat owners are responsible for preventing and repairing spalling concrete in their flats; a small patch you can repair yourself, while a large area needs a contractor promptly, before loose concrete falls (HDB, spalling concrete, read 4 Nov 2026).

HDB's guide also says repainting a ceiling when its paint wears helps prevent spalling, because paint slows carbonation, which rusts the steel inside. Start with our early warning signs of spalling. If it already needs repair, our spalling concrete repair team patches and repaints the same ceiling.

Sources

Waiting on HIP, or fixing it now?
Send a photo of the wall or ceiling on WhatsApp with your block number, and we will tell you which jobs are HIP's and which are yours.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does HIP repaint my whole flat?

No. HDB's HIP booklet describes spalling repair as removing loose concrete, patching and painting the affected areas. The rest of your walls and ceilings are not repainted, so repainting rooms to one even finish after the works is the owner's choice and cost.

Which flats qualify for HIP?

Flats built up to 1997 can be offered HIP. It began with flats built up to 1986, and HDB extended it in 2018 to flats built from 1987 to 1997. Your precinct must be shortlisted and the poll must succeed. HDB's HIP page lists upcoming polls and results.

Is spalling repair free under HIP?

For Singapore Citizen households, yes. Repair of spalling concrete is an Essential Improvement, and HDB's 2026 HIP annex says the Government fully pays for Essential items for citizen households. HDB lists separate payment schemes for Permanent Resident households.

Should I repaint before or after HIP?

After the HIP works in your flat are done. Spalling repair leaves freshly painted patches, and some flats get new wiring trunking or toilet works. Painting once afterwards means the patches and the rest of the room end up the same colour.

What if spalling appears after HIP?

HIP works carry a 1-year Defects Liability Period, so report a failed repair within that year to the HIP Information Centre or your HDB Branch. After that, or for new spalling elsewhere, HDB's home care guide says the flat owner is responsible for the repair.

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