services
Professional Singapore Bathroom Renovation & Plumbing Contractor
Why Bathroom Renovation Needs a Licensed Plumber
Bathroom works are the most common source of renovation disputes in Singapore, and almost all of them trace back to three things done wrong. Knowing what they are is the fastest way to tell a competent contractor from a cheap quotation.
- Waterproofing integrity. Once the old tiles come off, the waterproof membrane underneath has to be rebuilt properly — not patched. We apply two full coats across the floor and up the walls, let each coat cure, then run a ponding test before any tile is laid. If the membrane leaks and it is only found after tiling, the entire bathroom has to be hacked open again. This is the most expensive mistake in a bathroom renovation, and it is entirely preventable.
- Drainage gradient. A bathroom floor is not flat. It needs a consistent fall toward the floor trap — around 1cm of drop per metre. Get it wrong and water pools in the corners after every shower, which leads to staining, mould and odour that cleaning will not fix. Correcting it afterwards means removing the tiles and re-screeding, so it has to be right the first time.
- PUB compliance and licensed work. Work on the potable water supply must comply with PUB requirements covering approved pipe materials, backflow prevention and water pressure, and certain works must be carried out or endorsed by a licensed plumber. A handyman rate looks attractive until a non-compliant installation has to be torn out and redone.
Our Bathroom & Plumbing Services
Complete Bathroom Renovation
- Full hacking and retiling. Existing tiles removed down to the concrete screed, the floor re-levelled to the correct gradient, two-coat waterproofing with a ponding test, then retiling. This resets both the waterproofing and the drainage, which is why it is the right choice for any bathroom with an existing leak.
- Tile overlay. New tiles laid over sound existing tiles. Faster and cheaper than hacking, but it raises the floor by roughly 10–15mm and is only suitable where the existing waterproofing is still intact and there are no active leaks. We inspect before recommending it — overlaying over a failing membrane hides the problem rather than solving it.
- Squat to sitting toilet conversion. The cast-iron soil pipe is relocated and the floor built up to conceal the new run. Because this changes the finished floor level, the door threshold and the drainage fall both have to be reworked at the same time. Our plumbers and masons handle it as one job rather than as separate trades — which is where this conversion usually goes wrong.
- Vanity, basin and sanitary ware installation. Wall-hung vanities, countertop and under-mount basins, rain showers, bidets, mixer taps and shower screens. We check wall backing and available water pressure before specifying wall-hung units or rain showers, rather than discovering the problem on installation day.
Concealed & Whole-House Piping
- Full-house repiping. Original concealed copper pipes in flats older than 15–20 years are usually corroding from the inside. We replace the full run rather than patching sections, because a patched system tends to fail again at the next weakest joint. Concealed work takes 1–2 working days per bathroom; exposed runs are faster.
- Concealed versus exposed routing. Concealed piping is cleaner but requires hacking trenches into the wall, laying pipe, plastering over and then tiling — and any future repair means opening the wall again. Exposed piping in a boxed-up casing costs less and is far cheaper to service. We will tell you which makes sense for your flat rather than defaulting to the more expensive option.
- Copper and stainless steel supply lines. Every joint is pressure-tested before concealment. Nothing gets plastered over until it has held pressure.
- Floor traps and drainage. Correct trap sizing, gradient and venting so the bathroom drains fully and does not carry odour back from the stack.
Commercial Plumbing
- Office, retail and F&B premises. Toilet and pantry fit-outs, grease trap and floor waste installation, and drainage works coordinated with the building's M&E requirements and MCST approvals.
- Scheduled maintenance. Ongoing servicing for commercial landlords and tenants, including choke clearing and leak response.
Bathroom Repairs — Without a Full Renovation
Not every problem needs the bathroom torn out. These are the repairs we are called for most often, and most can be done in a day without disrupting the rest of the flat:
- Ceiling leak from the unit above. The first job is establishing where the water is actually coming from — the upper unit's waterproofing, a common pipe, or the lower unit's own ceiling. We carry out the investigation and give you written findings you can use in the discussion with your neighbour.
- PU injection versus hacking. PU grout injection seals an active leak without removing tiles and suits isolated cracks. Where the waterproof membrane has failed across the floor, injection only buys time and hacking is the honest answer. We will tell you which one your case actually is.
- Hollow or cracked tiles. Individual tile replacement where the surrounding floor is sound, including sourcing a close match for discontinued tiles.
- Standing water after showering. Usually a gradient problem. Depending on severity this is fixed by re-screeding a localised area or, where the whole floor is wrong, a full re-lay.
- Grout and silicone resealing. Failed grout lines and perished silicone at the floor-to-wall junction are a common early source of seepage, and inexpensive to put right before they become a leak.
- Chokes and fittings. Toilet bowl and sink choke clearing, tap and mixer replacement, cistern repairs.
What Affects Bathroom Renovation Cost
The single biggest cost driver is whether the floor trap or soil pipe is being relocated, because that means rebuilding the screed and redoing the waterproofing from scratch. After that: whether tiles are overlaid or hacked off, tile size and grade, sanitary ware brand, and whether the flat is occupied during works.
Every quotation we issue is itemised — hacking, waterproofing, tiling, plumbing and fittings are priced separately, so you can see where the money goes and compare like for like against other quotes. WhatsApp us your floor plan for an itemised quotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I overlay my bathroom tiles or hack them off?
Overlay is faster and cheaper, but it raises the floor by about 10–15mm and only works when the existing waterproofing is still sound and there are no active leaks. If the membrane has already failed, overlaying seals the problem under a new layer and it will resurface. Hacking costs more upfront but resets both the waterproofing and the drainage gradient. We inspect first and tell you which your bathroom actually needs.
Should I replace my HDB concealed pipes during a renovation?
Yes, if the flat is older than 15–20 years. The original concealed copper pipes have usually begun corroding from the inside by then. Replacing them before new tiles go down costs far less than discovering a leak afterwards, when the repair means hacking open a freshly tiled wall.
Can you convert my squatting toilet to a sitting toilet bowl?
Yes. The cast-iron soil pipe is relocated and the floor is built up slightly to conceal the new run. Because this changes the finished floor level, the door threshold and the drainage fall both have to be reworked at the same time. Our plumbers and masons handle it as one job rather than as separate trades, which is where this conversion usually goes wrong.
How long does a full bathroom repiping take?
A standard HDB bathroom repiping usually takes 1 to 2 working days, depending on whether the pipes will be exposed or concealed. Concealed piping takes longer because it requires hacking trenches into the walls, laying the pipes, then plastering over them before tiling begins.
Can I still live in my flat during the works?
Yes for most single-bathroom jobs, though the bathroom itself is out of use for the duration and there will be several noisy days during hacking. If both bathrooms are being done at once we usually stagger them so one stays usable. HDB permitted noisy-work hours apply, and we work within them.
My downstairs neighbour's ceiling is leaking — what should I do first?
Establish the source before agreeing to anything. The water may be coming from your waterproofing, from a common pipe, or from the lower unit's own ceiling — and the three have very different remedies and very different cost implications. We carry out the investigation and provide written findings you can use in the discussion with your neighbour.
Is there a warranty on your plumbing and waterproofing?
Yes. Piping installations and waterproofing carried out by Nouvelle Workz are covered by a workmanship warranty. Every joint, valve and trap is pressure-tested before concealment, and waterproofing is ponding-tested before tiling — so problems are found before they are sealed in, not after.
Why use a direct contractor instead of an interior design firm?
An ID firm subcontracts the actual bathroom work to a contractor and adds a management margin on top. As a direct contractor we do the work with our own in-house plumbers, masons and tilers, which typically saves 15–30% on the same scope. It also means the person quoting you is the person accountable for the work.
