How long HDB permits actually take in 2026

Most delayed renovations aren't delayed by construction — they're delayed by paperwork submitted incorrectly the first time, then resubmitted, then queried again. A hacking permit rejected for a missing structural endorsement can cost two to three weeks before work even starts.

For a typical HDB 4-room renovation involving wall hacking, the realistic sequence is: renovation permit application (3–5 working days if the submission is complete), a mandatory joint inspection before hacking begins, and a second inspection after. Landed and condo A&A works run on a longer clock — MCST approval for condos, and for landed property, a URA or BCA submission depending on scope, which can run 4–8 weeks before approval.

The single biggest lever homeowners have here isn't speed — it's completeness. A submission with the right structural endorsement, correct unit particulars, and accurate scope of works attached the first time rarely gets queried. One that's missing any of those almost always does.