BTO defects are workmanship faults in a new HDB flat that HDB’s contractor repairs free during the 1-year Defects Liability Period, counted from key collection. In March 2026, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat told Parliament that 65% of new BTO owners reported defects. This blog walks you through what HDB fixes, what it never will, and where HDB home handyman services fit.
What does HDB fix for free during the Defects Liability Period?
HDB fixes construction and workmanship defects reported within the 1-year Defects Liability Period (DLP), which starts on your key collection date. Its contractor repairs them at no cost, and HDB says it usually completes repairs in less than 2 weeks.
The scope is what HDB built and handed over. Scratched door frames, cracked tiles, chipped sanitary fittings, uneven paintwork, misaligned doors and windows that stick all qualify. In his March 2026 written reply, Mr Chee said most reported cases involve “minor defects such as scratches, alignment or paintwork”.
A few items carry longer cover. Owners of new flats launched from 2005 get a 5-year warranty for ceiling leaks and external wall seepage. Spalling concrete carries a 10-year warranty, according to a Ministry of National Development written answer. The same answer is blunt about everything else: flat owners are responsible for the maintenance of their flats.
Timing decides whether HDB pays. HDB asks owners to report within 1 month of key collection and before renovation begins. That way, nobody has to investigate whether a crack came from construction or from your contractor’s drill. A defect reported in month 2, after the carpenter has been in, is still claimable, but the cause becomes an argument.
How do you report BTO defects to HDB?
Scan the QR code in your Welcome Kit or on the notice pasted on your kitchen wall. You can also submit your list at the temporary Building Service Centre (BSC) near your block. Both routes are set out on HDB’s rectification of defects page.
After you report, the BSC arranges a joint inspection to verify each item, then assigns contractors to rectify them. When the work is done, the BSC arranges a closing inspection with you. Check every item again at that closing inspection, because it is the point where an item comes off your list.
Two practical details from HDB’s own guidance. HDB does not recommend handing your flat keys to the rectification contractor, and it asks owners to bring a lock to secure the flat. HDB can also rectify during renovation if the work does not get in the way, or after you move in for minor items that do not affect living conditions.
In practice, one list submitted early beats several small submissions. Each report leads to a joint inspection, so a single report with a photo of each item means one appointment instead of several.
How do you do a BTO defect check before renovation?
Walk the flat room by room on a bare floor, mark each defect with masking tape, and photograph it with the tape visible. Do it within the first week, before any contractor drills, hacks or lays flooring.
Work through the items HDB built, in the same order in every room. Run a hand along door frames and skirting for scratches and chips. Open and close every door, window and cabinet door HDB installed, and watch for rubbing, gaps or doors that swing on their own. Tap floor and wall tiles with a coin and listen for a hollow sound. Check the corners where walls meet the ceiling for hairline cracks and patchy paint.
Bathrooms need the longest look. Check that silicone joints around the basin and shower area are continuous, that the floor falls towards the floor trap, and that taps and the WC flush run without dripping.
The cleaner approach is to keep two lists from the start. One is for HDB: anything that came with the flat and is faulty. The other is for you: things you want added, such as curtain tracks or a towel rack in a different spot. Mixing them slows the joint inspection, and the BSC will strike out anything that was never part of the handover.
What will HDB not fix on your snag list?
HDB will not install anything that was never part of the handover or repair damage caused by your renovation contractor. It also stops covering maintenance after the 1-year DLP. Under the Agreement for Lease, owners are responsible for keeping fittings and fixtures in good condition once the DLP has passed.
That splits every snag into three lists. Construction defects reported in year one go to HDB. Damage from your interior designer’s or contractor’s works, such as a chipped tile under a new cabinet or a scratched door from a carpentry delivery, goes back to that contractor. Everything else is yours: add-ons, adjustments as the flat settles, and wear.
Add-ons make up most of a move-in list. Curtain tracks, mirrors, shelves, TV brackets, extra hooks, grab bars and flat-pack furniture are owner jobs from day one, because none of them is a defect. The same goes for a cabinet door that drifts out of line after six months of daily use.
Fix It Papa’s guide to HDB repair rules and approvals covers which of these jobs need a permit. Hacking walls, replacing bathroom floors and changing windows all need HDB approval. Mounting a curtain track or a towel rack does not.
Which move-in jobs can one handyman visit cover?
One handyman visit can cover most of the owner list in a single day: curtain tracks, mirrors, towel racks, a TV bracket, cabinet hinge adjustment and flat-pack assembly. Electrical and plumbing work that needs a licensed worker goes on a separate booking.
| Move-in job | Fix It Papa 2026 rate |
| Curtains or blinds, per window | $50 to $80 |
| Towel rack or grab bar | $60 to $90 |
| Pictures or mirrors, first 3 items | $50 to $80 |
| TV wall mounting, labour only | $60 to $100 |
| Cupboard hinge repair, per door | $50 to $80 |
| Drawer runner repair, per drawer | $60 to $90 |
| Door knob or lock replacement | $60 to $100 |
| Furniture assembly, medium (bookshelf, chest) | $60 to $100 |
Silicone resealing and door alignment are priced from photos, because the length of joint or the cause of the misalignment sets the time.
Most of these jobs share one tool: the drill. Curtain tracks, towel racks and mirrors all go into the same concrete or lightweight walls, so grouping them keeps setup time down. Fix It Papa’s curtain rod installation guide explains how bracket spacing changes with curtain weight and window width.
Worth noting: new BTO window frames and door frames are part of HDB’s handover. Drill into or next to them before the joint inspection, and any crack nearby becomes hard to claim.
How much does a move-in handyman visit cost in 2026?
A typical 4-room BTO move-in visit costs $380 to $600 at Fix It Papa’s 2026 rates. That covers curtains on 3 windows, 2 towel racks, a mirror with 2 picture frames, and a TV bracket.
The maths uses the rate card above. Curtains on 3 windows come to $150 to $240. Two towel racks add $120 to $180. The mirror and frames add $50 to $80, and the TV bracket labour adds $60 to $100.
Booking them together matters more than the individual prices. Fix It Papa’s $50 to $60 call-out fee is often waived once a job is confirmed. Its $50 to $80 minimum labour charge applies to any visit under an hour. Spread across one visit, those fixed costs disappear into a larger bill. Spread across four visits, a single picture hook carries the full minimum on its own.
Send the list before the visit with a photo of each wall and the product names of anything being mounted or assembled. Fix It Papa prices photo lists through its free estimate request form, so the total is fixed before anyone drills.
When should the handyman come: before or after HDB’s rectification?
After. Submit your defect list, let the BSC complete the joint inspection, and book the handyman once HDB’s contractor has finished the rooms where you plan to drill. The closing inspection is the cleanest starting line.
HDB’s own reasoning supports this order. Reporting before renovation, in HDB’s words, saves the need to investigate whether defects were inherent or caused by renovation works. A handyman’s drill counts as works for that purpose.
Rooms can be split. If HDB’s contractor is still re-tiling the bathroom, a handyman can hang curtains in the bedrooms and assemble the wardrobe the same week. The bathroom towel racks wait until the closing inspection.
Contractor hours apply too. HDB’s renovation rules allow general works from 9am to 6pm on weekdays and Saturdays. Heavy drilling is restricted to 9am to 5pm on weekdays, and works are barred on Sundays and public holidays.
What happens to BTO defects after the first year?
After the 1-year DLP, repairs are the owner’s job, with two exceptions. Ceiling leaks and external wall seepage stay under HDB’s 5-year warranty, and spalling concrete stays under its 10-year warranty.
HDB still investigates maintenance issues reported after the DLP and advises on the next step, including defects that recur after being fixed in year one. For everyday items, though, the bill is yours.
Year two brings a predictable set of jobs. Cabinet doors drop out of line as hinges loosen with daily use. Doors start to rub as frames settle. Silicone around the shower and basin discolours or lifts, and a lifted joint lets water behind the tiles. None of these is a construction defect once the year is up.
Most are quick fixes when caught early. A sagging cabinet door needs a hinge adjustment of a few turns, covered in Fix It Papa’s guide to sagging door hinge fixes. Left for a year, the same door strains its hinge plate and pulls the screws out of the carcass.
Clear HDB’s list first, then book your own
A new BTO flat comes with two snag lists, and the money depends on keeping them apart. HDB’s list is short and time-limited: construction defects, reported within a month and before anyone drills. Your list is longer and permanent, covering the add-ons and adjustments a lived-in flat needs. Clear HDB’s list through the BSC, then put everything on yours into one visit.
Send Fix It Papa your owner list with a photo of each wall and item for a fixed price on a single visit. Use the move-in visit quote request or WhatsApp +65 8091 6366.
FAQs About HDB Handyman Services Singapore
how long is the defect liability period for bto
The Defects Liability Period for a new BTO flat is 1 year from the date of key collection. HDB asks owners to report defects within 1 month of collecting keys and before renovation starts, and it usually completes repairs in less than 2 weeks.
can i renovate before hdb fixes my defects
Yes, once the defects are reported. HDB can rectify during your renovation if the work does not get in the way, or after it. Report first, though, because HDB says early reporting avoids an investigation into whether a defect came from construction or from renovation works.
who fixes damage caused by my renovation contractor
Your renovation contractor does, not HDB. HDB’s Defects Liability Period covers construction and workmanship defects in the flat as handed over. Damage from carpentry, flooring or delivery works, such as a chipped tile or a scratched door frame, goes back to whoever carried out those works, not to HDB’s Building Service Centre.
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