Hacking & Demolition Services

Structural renovation always starts here — walls, tiles, ceilings, old fixtures; all of it needs to come out first. Excellence Renovation covers hacking & demolition for HDB, BTO, condo, landed, and commercial units, and we check the permit and structural side of things before anyone picks up a hammer.

We've seen homeowners start hacking without a permit, only to get a stop-work notice from the town council halfway through — work grinds to a halt, and now there's a fine on top of the delay. We don't let it get to that point. The paperwork gets sorted before the first wall comes down, not scrambled together after someone's already noticed the noise.

What's Included in Our Hacking & Demolition Services

• Wall Hacking — removing non-structural walls and partitions, checked first against the structural plan.

• Floor & Tile Hacking — old tiles, parquet, or screed stripped down to the base slab, ready for new flooring or waterproofing.

• Ceiling Hacking — old false ceilings and damaged boards removed, checking for wiring or piping underneath first

• Bathroom & Kitchen Strip-Out — sanitary fittings, tiles, and cabinetry cleared out for a fresh fit-out.

• Built-In Furniture & Fixture Dismantling — wardrobes and cabinets dismantled carefully, especially when parts are being kept or resold.

• Partition & Drywall Demolition — old drywall or partitions taken down, with the floor and ceiling patched where they connected

• Debris Removal & Disposal — debris bagged and hauled to NEA-approved sites, nothing left piled up in corridors.

• Office & Retail Reinstatement Hacking — units stripped back to original condition before handover, per the tenancy agreement.

How a Hacking & Demolition Job Actually Goes, Step by Step

Site visit and structural check

Before any quote goes out, someone comes down to look at the unit, work out what's structural and what isn't, and note anything that might complicate the job — old plumbing runs behind a wall, for instance, or a ceiling that's already sagging.

Permit application

For HDB units, this happens before work starts, not during. Skipping this step is the single most common reason projects get a stop-work order partway through.

Common area protection

In HDB blocks and condos, the lift and the passageway from your unit to the lift lobby need to be boarded up before anything gets carried out — this is required by most Management Corporations and town councils, and skipping it risks a claim against you if the lift interior gets scratched. We measure the route beforehand and board it properly, not with a token sheet of cardboard.

Dust containment on site

Zip walls or plastic sheeting go up to seal off the work area from the rest of the unit and from neighboring doors. For dustier jobs, we'll run a HEPA-filter blower to keep particles from drifting into the corridor, since a dust complaint from a neighbor can hold up the whole project.

Hacking within approved hours

HDB restricts renovation noise to specific windows — generally 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays, with heavy hacking work not allowed on Sundays and public holidays. We plan the noisy work to fit inside that window rather than trying to squeeze in extra hours and risk a complaint.

Debris clearing and floor preparation

Once the hacking's done, debris gets bagged and cleared daily. For bathroom and wet-area floors, we also make sure the exposed concrete surface is levelled and free of loose debris, since a rough or uneven base underneath won't hold waterproofing membrane properly later — that's a problem that only shows up as a leak months after the tiles go down, by which point it's a much bigger fix.

What Usually Goes Wrong (and How We Handle It)

A wall turns out to be load-bearing.

This is the costliest mistake in this trade, and it's not always obvious from looking at it. We check against the unit's structural plan before touching anything, and if there's genuine doubt, we get it confirmed rather than guessing.

Neighbors complain about noise or dust.

Even compliant hacking work generates some disturbance. Sticking to approved hours and proper dust containment cuts most complaints off before they happen, but if one does come in, having followed the rules from day one makes it a non-issue to resolve.

Debris left in common areas.

This is one of the more common town council fines we see homeowners get hit with when they hire cheaper, less careful contractors. We clear debris daily rather than letting it accumulate until the job wraps up.

What Affects the Cost of Hacking & Demolition

Pricing isn't one flat number across every unit, and a few things drive it up or down:

• Wall thickness and material — a thin drywall partition comes down far quicker than a solid brick or concrete wall.

• Number of tile layers — some units have tiles laid over old tiles from a previous renovation, which means more material to break through and remove

• Distance to the lift and disposal point — a unit on a high floor with a long corridor to the lift takes longer to clear debris from than a ground-floor unit

• Access restrictions — smaller lifts, narrow corridors, or limited operating hours at the building can all add time to a job.

We walk the site before quoting for exactly this reason — a price based on square footage alone, without seeing the actual walls and access, is usually wrong in one direction or the other.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for hacking works in my HDB flat?

For most structural changes — removing walls, altering floor levels — yes. Cosmetic work like pulling up old tiles usually doesn't need one, though it's worth checking your specific case.

How do I know if a wall is load-bearing?

You usually can't tell just by looking or knocking on it. We check it against the unit's structural plan, and if there's any doubt, we get proper confirmation before hacking.

How long does a full HDB hacking job take?

Somewhere between 3 and 7 days depending on how much is being taken out — a single bathroom strip-out moves much faster than a full-unit hack with multiple walls and flooring involved.

Where does the debris go after hacking?

Bagged on site and taken to NEA-approved disposal locations. We don't leave rubble sitting in corridors or void decks — that's a fast way to get a complaint filed against you with the town council.

Can hacking be done while I'm still living there?

Not really advisable for major structural work, given the dust and noise. A smaller job like one bathroom strip-out can sometimes be managed with proper containment, depending on the scope.

Get Your Hacking & Demolition Quote

One room or a full unit- get in touch, and we'll go through the permits, timeline, and cost with you.

📞 Contact us today for a free hacking & demolition quote.