HDB’s list lets a contractor in. It does not vouch for them.
Every renovation in an HDB flat must go through a contractor on HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors. The listing is the floor; the protection sits in the contract you sign.
An HDB licensed contractor, approved contractor or registered contractor all mean the same thing: a firm listed in HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors, the DRC. HDB says you need a DRC contractor for all renovations in your flat, including the works that do not need a permit, and it is the listed contractor who submits your renovation permit application. HDB is just as clear about what a listing does not mean: it does not endorse or guarantee the quality of the contractor’s work. The list is where your checking starts, not where it ends.
What the Directory of Renovation Contractors is
The DRC is HDB’s list of contractors allowed to renovate HDB flats. HDB describes them as contractors who are aware of its requirements and of the need to protect the structural integrity of the building. Contractors must be listed before they can carry out renovations in HDB flats, and the rule binds both sides of the deal. HDB says an owner can face prosecution for not engaging a DRC contractor, and a contractor who is not listed commits an offence by renovating, or by claiming to be on the list.
Some trades need their own licence on top of that. HDB names them: window works go to a BCA Approved Window Contractor listed with HDB, electrical work to an electrical worker licensed by the Energy Market Authority, water and sanitary works to a PUB licensed plumber, and gas works to an EMA licensed gas service worker. A full renovation usually touches several of these, so ask who holds which licence for each part of the job.
How to check a contractor before you sign
Search the company on HDB’s e-Service for DRC contractors and BCA Approved Window Contractors, which sits on HDB’s Looking for Renovation Contractors page. Check that the name on your quotation is the name on the list. Then work through the paperwork below.
Tick what you already have from the contractor you are considering. Anything left unticked is a question to ask before you sign or pay a deposit.
HDB’s list tells you a contractor may work in your flat. Only the contract tells you how.
Who applies for the renovation permit
You authorise your contractor to submit an electronic renovation application on your behalf, and they attach an acknowledgement form signed by you. HDB sends you an SMS when the application arrives, and you can view the permit online once it is granted. Approved works then run against the clock: HDB gives three months from the permit date for newly completed blocks and one month for existing blocks. Which jobs need a permit in the first place is set out in our guide to HDB renovation rules and permits, and the permitted hours in when HDB lets you renovate.
The permit does not move responsibility off you. HDB’s guidelines say the owner is responsible for the renovation in the flat and must make sure the contractor’s work follows them. Ask to see the permit before hacking starts.
What the BCA directory and CaseTrust add
The BCA Directory is the Building and Construction Authority’s online directory of registered contractors, licensed builders, facilities management companies and suppliers. Registration under BCA’s Contractors Registration System is needed for public sector tenders and, since 1 June 2025, for any firm hiring construction Work Permit or S Pass holders. It is a separate register from HDB’s. A BCA listing does not tell you whether a firm is on the DRC, so check HDB’s search for that.
CaseTrust is an accreditation run by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), which renovation businesses apply for. Accredited renovation businesses must use the CaseTrust Standard Renovation Contract, cap the initial deposit at 20% of the total cost, buy a deposit performance bond that protects your deposit if the business closes, and give a 12-month workmanship warranty. CASE publishes the list of accredited businesses, and keeps a Company Alert List of businesses that have drawn complaints.
If something goes wrong
HDB is not a party to your contract. Disagreements over price, schedule or quality are between you and the contractor, and HDB points owners to CASE, the Singapore Mediation Centre or the Small Claims Tribunals if it cannot be settled privately. That is the strongest argument for putting everything in the checklist above in writing.
For how an itemised quote is laid out line by line, see how a quote is built, and for where the contract and permits sit in the order of works, the renovation guide.