**If they are doing heavy drilling and banging on weekends, that is an outright violation of HDB regulations, and you have legitimate grounds to report it.**
Working from home while an upstairs unit renovates can make focusing nearly impossible, but you do not need to suffer in silence or engage in an aggressive confrontation. In Singapore, HDB enforces very specific rules regarding when and how contractors can generate noise.
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### 1. The Legal Limits on HDB Renovation Noise
* **Noisy Works (Hacking, Heavy Drilling, Tile Cutting):** Permitted strictly **Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM only**. Heavy noisy work is strictly forbidden on Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays.
* **General Works (Painting, Carpentry Assembly):** Permitted Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
* **Sundays & Public Holidays:** **Zero renovation work of any kind is allowed**.
* **Demolition Limits:** HDB guidelines state that hacking walls and floor finishes should be concentrated within **three consecutive working days**.
If you hear hammer drilling or hacking on a Saturday or Sunday, the contractor is violating HDB licensing guidelines.
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### 2. Concrete Steps to Take (Without Starting a "Neighbour War")
1. **Check the Renovation Notice at Their Door:** Contractors are legally required to display the official **HDB Notice of Renovation** outside the unit before works begin. Take a photo of it. It lists the contractor’s registered company name, the project manager’s direct contact number, and the approved permit period.
2. **Contact the Project Manager or Interior Designer Directly:** Homeowners often do not know what their sub-contractors are doing on site. Call the contractor or ID directly and say calmly: *"I live directly below. Your workers are doing heavy drilling on weekends outside permitted HDB hours. Please stop the noisy works immediately, or I will lodge a formal complaint."* Contractors registered under HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors (DRC) take this very seriously because demerit points can suspend their license.
3. **Log Evidence and Report via OneService:** Record short timestamped video/audio clips when unauthorized drilling occurs (especially on weekends or after 5 PM). Submit the incident through the **OneService App** or call the **HDB Branch hotline (1800-225-5432)**. HDB enforcement officers will conduct an unannounced inspection and can issue a Stop-Work Order or fines if rules are breached.
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Gan Eng Joo Onassis 颜荣裕, REALTOR®
MSc BIT (Middlesex, UK); BBA (UniSA)
CEA Reg No: R021244C | Mobile:
(+65) 88899918
Email: onassis@sgagent.com
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