Hacking a Wall in Your HDB Flat: What's Allowed and What Isn't

Most people know reinforced concrete (load-bearing walls, columns, beams) is completely off-limits. What surprises first-time renovators is that even a non-structural wall needs HDB's prior written approval before it can be hacked or built. There's no category of "minor enough not to need a permit" for wall works. HDB evaluates every wall hacking or construction application to confirm it won't affect the building's structural integrity, whether the wall in question is load-bearing or not.

A wall that isn't load-bearing on its own can still tie into ductwork, wiring, or the layout of a neighbouring unit in ways that aren't obvious without a proper evaluation. That's the reason the approval process applies broadly rather than only to walls an owner assumes are structural. The assumption itself is the risk HDB is checking for.

If your renovation plan involves opening up a kitchen, combining two rooms, or removing any wall at all, that approval has to be sought and granted before hacking starts, not applied for retroactively once work is underway. Build the permit lead time into your renovation schedule from the start, and treat it as a fixed step rather than paperwork to rush through.