“DIY reno” in Singapore rarely means picking up a tiling trowel yourself. It means you run the project. You decide the layout and finishes, hire the trades directly and keep control of the budget, instead of paying an interior designer (ID) to coordinate everything for you. Done well, it’s a satisfying way to renovate. Done without support, it can turn into a lot of WhatsApp groups and annual leave.
That’s where DIY reno companies come in. We’ve rounded up 8 of them below, each offering a different kind of help.
A quick note before we start: this list is published by Home Expo Asia. We’ve put ourselves first, and every service, ourselves included, is described only from what that company publishes on its own website. Always confirm the details directly before you commit.
First: what you can and can’t DIY in an HDB flat
Here’s where HDB draws the lines:
- Some works need an HDB permit. Hacking walls is one example. Check HDB’s permit guidance for your specific scope.
- Electrical work needs an EMA-licensed electrical worker, and air-conditioners need a BCA-trained installer.
- Noisy works have set hours. Hacking, removing finishes, tile cutting and heavy drilling are only allowed from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. If you do your own DIY works, such as painting or assembling furniture, HDB asks you to keep to 7am–10:30pm and keep noise down.
How we picked these DIY reno companies
- Built for homeowners who run their own reno. Each one supports engaging trades directly, booking single scopes or controlling the brief, without a full ID package.
- Transparent pricing. Itemised quotes, published prices or a way to compare quotes side by side.
- Real support. Guidance, a coordinator, scheduling tools or project management, so you’re not left alone with a contact list.
- An active Singapore business with a working website and published contact details.
The order after #1 is not a ranking. Each entry is tagged with its type.
1. Home Expo Asia
Type: execution partner. You plan; HEA’s in-house teams do the work.
Home Expo Asia is built for homeowners who want to run their own reno without paying an ID to coordinate it. You decide the scope, layout and finishes. HEA’s 12+ in-house trades do the hands-on work: tiling, carpentry, hacking, cement screeding, vinyl flooring, wall panelling, plumbing, electrical, and kitchen and toilet works. Engage one trade à la carte, a mini reno or a full home, each with an itemised quote at 0% GST and no surprise VOs. Since starting in 2022, the team has brought together 50+ years of combined experience and completed 1000+ projects, with 200+ Google reviews. Homeowners who go direct with HEA save $15k on average compared with going through an ID.
Suits: first-time DIY-managers who want one dependable team for the heavy scopes while they keep control of decisions and budget.
Good to know: HEA’s free 7-part DIY Reno Singapore video series explains what DIY reno actually means, whether it suits you, the correct renovation sequence, hybrid reno, and when not to DIY.
Showroom: 400 Balestier Rd, #02-22, Balestier Plaza (by appointment) · WhatsApp: +65 8742 5660
Visit: homeexpo.asia/diy-reno
2. Deconstruct
Type: trade matching with guidance.
Deconstruct’s “DIY your home reno” service (marked beta on its site) is aimed at homeowners whose job “doesn’t need an ID or a main contractor”. It connects you directly with individual trade contractors: carpenters, hackers, tilers, vinyl flooring installers, air-con installers, window and door specialists, glass installers, electricians, plumbers and painters. You select “direct trade contractors” in its enquiry form, share your situation, and the team advises you from there.
Suits: confident DIY-managers who are happy to coordinate several trades themselves and want a vetted starting point.
Good to know: because you’re engaging individual trades, plan the sequence yourself (see the section on sequence below). Deconstruct’s wider site also helps you find IDs and contractors and shares renovation tips.
Site: deconstruct.sg/diy-renovation
3. Homeez
Type: renovation platform with an assigned coordinator.
Homeez is a renovation platform that connects homeowners directly with suppliers, with the stated aim of helping you “take control of your renovation”. You can sketch your floor plan and get a quote through its Design Now tool and manage the process with its Time Schedule tool. Its Quotation Doctor reviews quotes you upload. Homeez says it works at 0% mark-up, and it assigns a Homeez representative to every homeowner to support the process.
Suits: digitally minded homeowners who want to stay involved but like having a named person and a set of tools behind them.
Good to know: the site describes a Lowest Price Guarantee, escrow payments and an optional home insurance partnership with Great Eastern, all subject to its terms and conditions. Read them before you commit. You can also keep your own ID and still use Homeez’s panel of contractors.
Site: homeez.com
4. Almond
Type: priced-scope marketplace.
Almond lets you “price and book individual scopes of work online”, with renovation prices published by workscope, flat type and tier. The team checks your home first, and any changes found at that check are shown to you and approved before the scope starts. Payment is per job scope: 50% before it starts and 50% after a joint handover check. Orders and warranty claims are handled over WhatsApp.
Suits: homeowners who want to do the reno scope by scope, for example flooring now and the kitchen later, with prices visible upfront.
Good to know: Almond also offers full renovations with vetted ID partners and sells appliances and aircon. It has no physical showroom; its office is at Burn Road.
Site: almond.sg
5. RenoTender
Type: tender and quote comparison.
RenoTender brings procurement-style Invitation to Quote and Invitation to Tender (ITQ/ITT) processes to home renovation. You define the renovation work you need, issue a tender, and compare the submitted quotes “apple to apple” before shortlisting. Its site also offers a free AI design visualiser to help you picture a theme before you brief anyone.
Suits: homeowners who already know their scope and want several structured quotes to compare on the same basis.
Good to know: the bidders on RenoTender are its verified ID trading partners, so this is a way to keep control of the brief and the pricing rather than to hire individual trades. RenoTender lists itself as a member of the Interior Design Confederation Singapore.
Site: renotender.com.sg
6. Sky Creation
Type: renovation project management.
Sky Creation offers renovation project management for HDB, BTO, condo and landed homes. That covers scope alignment, scheduling and trade coordination, cost control and progress reporting (including tracking variation decisions), quality checks and close-out. The service page speaks directly to homeowners comparing one coordinated team with “managing separate contractors on their own”. Its HQ is at Kim Keat Lane.
Suits: homeowners who’ve started down the DIY route but realise they’d rather have one accountable person running the site.
Good to know: Sky Creation is a design-and-build firm. It also publishes a room-by-room handover checklist that’s handy whoever does your reno.
Site: skycreation.com.sg/renovation-project-management-in-singapore
7. Larry Contractors
Type: single-contractor partner for a hybrid DIY reno.
If you want to DIY-manage the simple scopes but hand the hacking and wet works to a single firm, Larry Contractors fits that “hybrid” role. It’s a direct renovation contractor working on HDB flats, condos and landed homes, with its own carpentry workshop. It also publishes one of the more honest guides to when hiring each trade yourself makes sense: for a single trade that needs no permit and doesn’t hold up another trade.
Suits: homeowners who want to keep control of the easy jobs and give the regulated, interdependent work to one accountable contractor.
Good to know: its guide is candid that hiring each trade yourself stops making sense once two trades depend on each other or anything is hacked or regulated. That’s worth reading whoever you hire.
Site: contractors.com.sg (guide: hire each trade yourself or one general contractor?)
8. Direct Renovation Contractor (directrenovationcontractor.com.sg)
Type: DIY guides and a free contractor list.
This site was started by a homeowner who DIY-managed his own renovation and wanted to share the contacts he used. It offers a free list of direct contractors for each segment of a reno: 3D drafter, hacker, mosaic tiler, electrician, false ceiling and partitions, windows, doors, shower screens, main gate, vinyl flooring, plumber, painter, plastering and aircon installation. It can also connect you with a single direct contractor who’ll manage the whole renovation. Its blog covers DIY topics such as renovating without an interior designer and HDB permit requirements.
Suits: budget-focused DIY-managers who want a ready-made contact list and practical reading before they start calling trades.
Good to know: the site says it receives no commission if you use the contractors on its list. Treat the list as a starting point and do your own checks on each contractor. Contact details are published on its site, with an address at Paya Ubi Industrial Park.
Site: directrenovationcontractor.com.sg
The DIY reno sequence (so you don’t pay twice)
The most expensive DIY mistake is getting the order wrong. Lay the floor too early and it gets scratched; install cabinets before the electrical points and they come back out. The usual flow is:
- Hacking and demolition
- Wet works and tiling
- Electrical and plumbing
- Painting and flooring
- Carpentry
- Glass, shower screens and fittings
- Touch-ups and handover checks
Watch the walkthrough: Correct Renovation Sequence in Singapore (Avoid Costly Mistakes).
Hybrid reno: go direct on some scopes, keep pros on others
You don’t have to choose between all-DIY and a full ID. Plenty of homeowners go direct on easy, standalone scopes like vinyl, doors, gates and windows, and give the heavy, interdependent work (hacking, tiling, carpentry, space planning) to professionals.
Watch: Hybrid Reno: Go Direct on Some Scopes, Keep Pros on Others. If you’re leaning towards one team for most of the work, see our list of 10 direct contractors in Singapore or our Go Direct page.
When you should NOT DIY your renovation
DIY-managing isn’t for every home: think twice if your layout is complex, your timeline is tight or you can’t get to site regularly. Two quick self-checks:
- Is DIY Reno Suitable for You? (Singapore Homeowners)
- When You Should NOT DIY Your Renovation (Singapore)
And if the savings are what’s tempting you, watch Can You Really Save With DIY Reno in Singapore? and DIY Reno Doesn’t Mean You Tile Yourself before you decide. The full playlist is DIY Reno Singapore (Home Expo Asia).
Frequently asked questions
Can I DIY my renovation in Singapore?
Yes. You can DIY-manage your renovation by making the design and material decisions yourself and engaging contractors directly instead of an interior designer. Regulated work such as electrical installations must be done by the right licensed professionals.
What renovation work can I do myself in an HDB flat?
Light, non-structural work you do yourself, such as painting or assembling furniture, is generally fine. HDB asks you to keep DIY works between 7am and 10:30pm and keep noise down. Anything that needs a permit, or regulated work such as electrical installations, should go to qualified contractors and licensed workers. Check HDB’s renovation guidelines for your specific works.
Do I still need an HDB permit if I DIY-manage my reno?
Yes, if your works need one. Permits are about the type of work, not who manages the project, and your contractor submits the application on your behalf.
How much can I save by DIY-managing instead of hiring an ID?
It depends on your scope and how much coordination you take on yourself. Comparing itemised quotes is the best guide. For reference, Home Expo Asia puts a typical 4-room HDB renovation at about $40k going direct versus about $55k through an ID, and its homeowners save $15k on average compared with going through an ID.
What is the correct renovation sequence in Singapore?
The usual order is hacking, then wet works and tiling, then electrical and plumbing, then painting and flooring, then carpentry, then glass and fittings, and finally touch-ups and handover checks. Getting the order wrong is the most common way DIY renovators end up paying twice.
What is a hybrid reno?
A hybrid reno means going direct on simple, standalone scopes like vinyl, doors, gates and windows, while giving heavy or interdependent work such as hacking, tiling, carpentry and space planning to professionals or a single contractor.
When should I not DIY my renovation?
If your layout is complex, your timeline is tight, you can’t visit the site regularly, or you’d rather not coordinate several vendors, a hybrid reno, a project manager or a fully managed renovation is likely to suit you better.
Who is responsible for defects when I hire separate trades?
Each contractor is responsible for its own work under its own warranty, so disputes between trades are the main risk. Get scope and warranty in writing from every contractor, and consider one contractor or a project manager for interdependent scopes.
Conclusion
DIY-managing your renovation is about control, not about doing the tiling yourself. Pick the DIY reno option from the list above that fills your gap and keep the sequence in mind.
Want to keep the decisions and hand over the heavy lifting? WhatsApp Home Expo Asia at +65 8742 5660 with a photo of your space and what you’d like done, or read more on our DIY Reno page.