How Long Does It Take to Paint an HDB Flat?

Tintin Painting · Painting Tips · 5 min read

The short answer: most HDB flats are done in one working day. But that's the answer for a straightforward job, and not every job is straightforward. Here's what actually determines the timeline.

Typical Timelines by Flat Type

• 2-room and 3-room flats — 1 day, usually finishing mid-afternoon.
• 4-room flats — 1 day. This is the most common job we do.
• 5-room flats — 1 day if the walls are in good shape, occasionally spilling into a second morning.
• Executive apartments and maisonettes — usually 2 days, since the wall area is significantly larger and maisonettes have stairwells.

These assume a whole-home repaint with a normal colour change and walls in reasonable condition.

What Adds Days

Four things realistically extend a job:

1. Heavy prep. Hairline cracks, flaking paint, or old patch jobs that need sanding back all happen before any colour goes on. A flat that hasn't been painted in fifteen years needs more of this than one done five years ago.
2. Water damage or mould. This has to be treated and sealed, not painted over, or the new coat bubbles within months. Treatment needs drying time, which is what actually adds the day.
3. Dark-to-light colour changes. Going from a dark feature wall back to a neutral usually needs a third coat. Each coat needs drying time between applications.
4. Occupied flats with a lot of furniture. We move and cover everything ourselves, but a fully furnished flat simply takes longer to set up and reset than an empty one.

Can You Stay in the Flat While It's Painted?

Yes, most of our customers do. We work room by room where possible so you always have somewhere to be. Modern water-based emulsions have far lower odour than older solvent-based paints, though we'd still suggest keeping windows open and, if you have very young children or someone with respiratory sensitivity, planning to be out for the day.

If the flat is empty — between tenants, or before you move in — the job usually runs faster because we're not working around furniture.

When to Book

If you're painting before moving in, book the paint job to finish at least two or three days before your movers arrive. Paint continues curing after it dries to the touch, and pushing furniture against a freshly painted wall too early can mark it.

If you're painting before a rental handover or a property viewing, the same buffer applies.

Why We Give You a Duration Upfront

We tell you the expected duration in writing at the quote stage, not after we've started. If we find something at the site visit that'll add a day — heavy patching, mould, a colour change needing three coats — you hear it then, while you can still plan around it. A painter who won't commit to a timeline before starting is a painter who might not finish when you need them to.

See our HDB repaint cost guide for how these same factors affect price, or check our current rates.

Common Questions