How Much Does It Cost to Repaint an HDB Flat in Singapore?

Tintin Painting · Painting Tips · 5 min read · Updated July 2026

One of the most common questions we get on WhatsApp is some version of: "roughly how much to repaint my whole flat?" It's a fair question, and it deserves a straight answer rather than "depends, contact us for a quote" — so here's how we actually think about pricing, and what drives the number up or down.

What Goes Into the Price

Painting quotes aren't just "price per room." The real cost drivers are:

1. Flat type and wall area — A 3-room HDB and an executive condo unit aren't going to cost the same, obviously, but the difference is really about total wall and ceiling area, not room count alone.
2. Man-days required — Every job is really a function of how many man-days of labour it takes to prep, prime, and apply coats across the whole space. This is the single biggest driver of your quote.
3. Surface condition — Hairline cracks, old water stains, flaking paint, or heavy patching all add prep time before a single coat goes on. A flat that's never been touched up will typically need more prep work than one repainted a few years ago.
4. Finish type — A standard whole-unit repaint in flat emulsion is priced very differently from limewash or other specialty finishes, which involve more coats and slower, hand-applied technique. See our limewash cost breakdown for specifics.
5. Number of coats — Darker colour changes (e.g. painting over a dark wall with a light colour, or vice versa) often need an extra coat, which affects both material and labour cost.

Roughly What to Expect

Whole-unit repaint packages are priced by floor area rather than room count alone, scaling with wall and ceiling area and the man-days needed to do the job properly. Our full rate card is below.

Our Actual Rates

Rather than leave you with "it depends," here's what we currently charge for a whole-home repaint, banded by floor area:

All-in: labour, paint, water sealant, furniture moving and covering, patching of small cracks and holes, up to four colours, white ceilings, and full clean-up. Larger units, condos, landed homes and rooms-only jobs quoted separately.

What the Three Tiers Actually Mean

The tiers differ by paint grade, not by how carefully we work. Prep, protection, patching and clean-up are identical across all three.

• Budget — a solid everyday matt. Well suited to rental units, quick refreshes before a handover, or rooms that don't take much punishment.
• Standard — smoother finish, better coverage and durability. This is what most owner-occupiers pick, and what we'd default to recommending.
• Premium — washable, high-durability. Marks, sauce and crayon come off with a damp cloth. Worth it if you have young children or a high-traffic home.

If you're unsure, it's usually worth going one tier up in the kitchen and children's bedrooms and staying Standard elsewhere. We'll talk through it at the site visit.

Questions to Ask Any Painter Before You Commit

Regardless of who you hire, always ask for an itemised quote that separates out labour, materials, and any add-ons (like limewash or specialty finishes) — a single lump-sum number without a breakdown makes it hard to know what you're actually paying for, or to compare quotes fairly between contractors.

Also worth confirming upfront:

• Is surface prep (filling, sanding, priming) included, or billed separately?
• How many coats are included in the quoted price?
• What happens if hidden damage (e.g. water stains, mould) is found once work starts?
• Is furniture moving / covering included?

Why Transparent Pricing Matters

Vague quotes are one of the biggest sources of friction in home renovation — and one of the biggest reasons homeowners feel burned after a paint job. We built our pricing around man-day counts specifically so that our quotes are explainable, not just a number pulled from thin air.

Common Questions