Can I Remove HDB Window Grill?

Can I Remove HDB Window Grill? When you want to initiate HDB renovation works, you have to consult the HDB guidelines. There you will see whether the type of renovation you intend to do is legal or not.

Try to avoid taking decisions independently and make changes in your HDB that your heart desires. You risk engaging in illegal renovations that will bring you in trouble.

One of the renovations that fall under HDB construction guideline restrictions deals with window and grill removal. Read on to get an insight into this rule and your rights in using safety grilles.

Why is window grill removal in HDB Singapore illegal?

According to HDB renovation regulations, people do not have the right to remove window grilles. This spoils the building’s exterior appeal and reduces the common safety of HDB residents.

The HDB has to have a unitary design that provides a harmonious exterior look. Having a part of the windows grilled and a part bare would compromise the facade visual appeal.

That’s why you should refrain from removing your grilles unless it is an urgent need. The removal is still possible, yet in some strictly defined circumstances. You have to receive a permit from the HDB authority and cooperate with them on the new window grill installation.

Besides playing a facade improvement role, grilles are also important for maintaining people’s safety. Grilled windows and balconies reduce considerably the chance of burglary and other offenses.

In this way, the residents don’t have to worry about their own and the apartment’s safety.

What grill changes are legal?

The main rule residents have to remember is that removing the grilles forever is forbidden. Other minor modifications to the grill and window appearance, though, are fully legal. People can paint the grilles in a color they prefer to match their interior design.

They can adorn them with eye-catching decorations to reduce their stringent and dull appearance. Keep in mind that you can paint the grill only from the inside. Painting them outside may lead to a multicolor speckled facade that puts the building in a bad light.

In addition, you can change the window to an HDB-approved one. The HDB authority will not pay much attention to the glass type, thickness, and the number of panes. They will mostly care about the size, which has to strictly correspond to the building’s unified window size.

Installing larger or smaller windows than the HDB standard will compromise the facade’s visual integrity.

When can you remove the window grill?

HDB Singapore renovation regulations allow for window and balcony grill removal in emergency situations. Yet the removal has to be temporary until the installation of a new grill. The removal is possible, of course, when the grill is damaged.

The damage may include broken bars, bent bars, dents, corrosion. Any grill that fails to perform anymore its safety or decoration role is subject to replacement.

If you feel that the current grill’s time is up, you should take some obligatory steps. You must notify the HDB authority about your grill replacement intentions. They will analyse the situation and come with a verdict whether you can start the renovation or not.

If they agree, you will receive a permit that allows you to replace the damaged grilles. Keep in mind that the new grilles have to be in line with the HDB size, design, and quality standards.

You are good to contact a contractor that has approval of HDB authority for grill installation works. You may remove the old grill and install the new one by yourself, yet this equals to an illegal action.

You must always cooperate with an HDB-certified installer to comply with safety norms. The installer will secure the grilles firmly and precisely without causing damage to the window frame.

Can I Remove HDB Window Grill? – Conclusion

Removing the window grills without HDB Authority notice and approval is a violation of the HDB renovation law. To avoid any penalty, you are good to comply with the current regulations and request a permit for grill removal.

The removal is possible only when you aim to replace the damaged or old grill. The new grill has to correspond to HDB size and quality standards. To your preference, you can paint the grilles and make them an appealing addition to your interior design.