HDB plumber in Singapore — flat-type call-outs we know well
Kitchen stacks, common bathroom floor traps, service yard pots and water heater points — day-to-day HDB plumbing.
By flat type
| Flat type | Common call-out | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3-room | Kitchen choke, slow floor trap, dripping mixer | Kitchen stack, common bath trap |
| 4-room | Toilet choke, running cistern, basin trap leak | Common bath, kitchen, service yard |
| 5-room / executive | Concealed seepage, heater point leak, repeat chokes | Concealed runs, service yard, upper wet areas |
Tell us your flat type and postcode on WhatsApp with a photo — we quote from-rates that match the job.
BTO and new flats: the first two years
A brand-new flat fails in different places from a 30-year-old one. In a BTO the pipework is new, so the usual culprits are installation and commissioning rather than wear: a tee-joint or elbow that was never pressure-tested properly, a floor trap whose trap seal has dried out because the unit sat empty, a service yard pot and washing-machine point that were never run under load, or a concealed run behind a tiled wall that weeps only after months of use.
The first thing to check is the defect liability period. During it, defects in the developer's own works are normally the developer's to make good, and a plumber charging you to patch something the developer would fix for free is a waste of your money. If the fault is in what you or your contractor installed afterwards — a new basin, a shifted heater point, a relocated washing machine tap — that is ours to handle. Send a photo and we will tell you honestly which side of that line your leak falls on before anyone comes down.
Rented flats and tenanted units
Who authorises the repair decides how fast it can happen. In a tenanted flat the person living with the choke is rarely the person paying for it, so we ask for the landlord's or agent's approval in writing before chargeable work starts — a WhatsApp message is enough. Small honest fixes (a floor trap cleared, a mixer washer) are usually settled on the spot; anything larger needs that yes first.
Two things worth doing every time, tenant or landlord: photograph the fault and the access before work starts, and keep the invoice with the unit address on it. If there is a dispute about deposit or apportionment later, dated photos and a written scope settle it faster than any argument. We do not decide who pays — we document what was found and what was done.
Questions we get
Do you need HDB permission?
Day-to-day in-unit repairs usually don't. Structural or common-riser works may — we'll say if your scope needs it.
Who pays for a repair in a rented flat — landlord or tenant?
Usually the landlord pays for wear and tear, the tenant for damage or misuse, but the lease is what actually decides it. We ask for written approval from the landlord or agent before chargeable work starts, and we document what was found so neither side has to argue about it later.
Is my new BTO still under the developer's defect liability period?
Often, yes. Defects in the developer's own pipework are normally the developer's to make good during that period. Faults in anything installed or altered after handover — new basin, shifted heater point, relocated washing machine tap — are ours. Send a photo and we will tell you which side of the line it falls on.
Can you clear a choke in a unit nobody is staying in?
Yes, if someone can open the door. Empty units are common in rented flats and just-handed-over BTOs, and a dried-out floor trap seal is often the reason the unit smells. Landlord or agent access is enough; the tenant does not need to be present.
Related
Send a photo. Get a from-price.
WhatsApp the fault, your postcode and when someone is home.