HDB
A flat built by Singapore's Housing and Development Board. The smallest HERA bathtub, at 800mm, fits even a compact HDB bathroom.
What it means
HDB stands for the Housing and Development Board, the Singapore government agency that builds and manages the country's public housing. When someone says they live in "an HDB", they mean an HDB flat: a 3-room, 4-room, 5-room, or executive unit, whether an older resale flat or a newer BTO. It is the counterpart to a privately built condo, and the two come with quite different bathroom realities.
For anyone shopping for a bathtub, HDB is shorthand for a specific set of constraints. The bathrooms are compact, the drain sits in a fixed spot, the water heater takes up wall space, and the door swings inward. Rules also restrict major changes to wet areas, so hacking tiles or moving drainage is expensive and slow.
That is why the format of the tub matters so much in an HDB. A freestanding bathtub works within those constraints instead of fighting them: it simply sits on the floor and drains into the bathroom's existing floor trap, with nothing built into the room.
In a Singapore home
Typical HDB bathrooms are small but workable. A 3-room flat's common bathroom is around 3 to 4 sqm, a 4-room master is typically 4 to 5 sqm, and 5-room or executive masters can run 4.5 to 6 sqm. The number that matters is not floor area but the longest clear wall: most freestanding tubs need a straight run of at least 1.5 metres along one wall, plus about 60cm of clear floor in front for getting in and out. Our guide to fitting a bathtub in a Singapore HDB walks through the measurements room by room.
The HERA range is built around exactly these spaces. The smallest model, at 800mm, fits even a compact HDB bathroom comfortably, and the full range of 14 models across six shapes runs from 800mm to 1700mm. Because every tub connects to the existing floor trap with a flexible drainage outlet, installation involves no hacking, no tiling, no waterproofing work, and no plumbing modifications, and typically takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
One HDB-specific check worth doing before any order: the doorways. Unit doors are typically around 80 to 90cm wide and bathroom doors are often narrower, so measure every doorway between the lift lobby and the bathroom. Then enter your wall measurements in the Fit Calculator to see which sizes physically fit your room.
Quick questions
Will a bathtub fit in my HDB bathroom?
Yes, in most cases. The smallest HERA model is 800mm long and fits even a compact HDB bathroom comfortably, and the full range runs from 800mm to 1700mm. The fastest way to confirm is to enter your wall measurements in the Fit Calculator.
Can an HDB floor support a filled bathtub?
Yes. A filled HERA bathtub with a bather is about 300kg, which sits within the standard structural live load capacity of HDB bathroom floors. The weight is also spread across the full footprint of the tub rather than concentrated at one point, similar to how a sofa or a fully loaded wardrobe behaves.
Do I need renovation or hacking to add a bathtub in an HDB flat?
No. A HERA freestanding bathtub connects to your existing floor trap with a flexible drainage outlet, so there is no hacking, no tiling, no waterproofing work, and no plumbing modifications. The tub can be removed at any time without leaving any trace.
Will a bathtub fit through an HDB doorway?
Usually, but measure first. HDB unit doors are typically around 80 to 90cm wide, and bathroom doors are often narrower, sometimes 70cm. Most freestanding tubs ship in a single piece, so measure every doorway between the lift lobby and the bathroom before you order.
Related terms
Planning a bathtub for an HDB bathroom
The team fits tubs into HDB bathrooms every week, and the full 14-model range is on display at the MacPherson showroom. Message us on WhatsApp with your bathroom measurements and we will recommend a size, usually within 15 minutes during showroom hours.