Some plumbing work in Singapore is regulated: it has to be carried out by a PUB Licensed Plumber, and the plumber makes any required submission to PUB under their own licence. This page explains which side of the line a job normally falls on, who does what, and how to verify it before anyone starts work in your home.
PUB requires regulated water service and sanitary plumbing works — work on the main water supply, storage water heater installation and hot-water pipework from it, wall-embedded pipes and anything affecting PUB-regulated infrastructure — to be carried out by a PUB Licensed Plumber (LP). Where a submission or notification to PUB is required for those works, it is made by the Licensed Plumber under their own licence. PUB also identifies simple plumbing works, such as replacing a tap or a P-trap or clearing a toilet choke, that may be carried out within a handyman's allowed scope. FixMove confirms which classification applies to your job before work starts, and arranges an assigned Licensed Plumber where the work is regulated.
For water service work, a PUB submission normally means two documents from the Licensed Plumber: a notification to PUB before work starts, and a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion within 7 days of finishing. PUB charges no processing fee for these submissions.
PUB's Handbook on Application for Water Supply sets out the Licensed Plumber's steps for water service installation (WSI) work:
Is there a PUB submission fee? PUB's Plumbing Works page says PUB does not impose any administrative or processing fees for these regulatory submissions, and that any fees Licensed Plumbers charge homeowners for such submissions are commercial charges set by the individual LPs. Where a connection fee or capital contribution applies, the Handbook says it is paid to PUB, and the customer receives a tax invoice or quotation letter from PUB.
FixMove does not hold a plumber's licence in its own name. FixMove.sg is the trading name of ALL-IN-ONE FIX & MOVE, UEN 53505530K, a business registered with ACRA in Singapore. A UEN is a business registration, not a trade licence, and FixMove does not describe itself as a PUB Licensed Plumber.
What FixMove does: confirms whether your job falls inside PUB's regulated scope, tells you that classification before work starts, and arranges an assigned PUB Licensed Plumber where the work is regulated. The assigned Licensed Plumber carries out the regulated work and makes any required submission to PUB under their own licence.
What you should always be able to check: which classification applies, which trade is attending, and the assigned plumber's LP number — provided on request via WhatsApp before work commences.
Plumbing is not the only regulated trade in a Singapore home, and a single job can cross two of them. A storage water heater, for example, has a plumbing side and an electrical side.
| Work type | Required licence | Issuing authority | How to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulated water service and sanitary plumbing work | Licensed Plumber (LP) | PUB (Public Utilities Board) | PUB plumbing works guidance; ask for the assigned LP number |
| Regulated electrical work, including a heater's electrical hookup | Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW) | EMA (Energy Market Authority) | EMA ELISE licensed-worker check |
| HDB renovation work | HDB DRC contractor / HDB permit | HDB | HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors |
The full and current list of works that PUB regulates is published by PUB, and PUB's page is the authoritative source — not this one. See PUB — Plumbing Works, and the FixMove summary on Licences and Compliance.
For regulated plumbing work in an HDB flat, the plumbing credential to verify is the PUB Licensed Plumber licence. HDB does not replace that licence. Separately, some renovation work in an HDB flat needs HDB approval and must be submitted through an HDB-registered renovation contractor. The PUB plumbing classification and the HDB renovation-permit route are different checks, and a job can involve both.
| Question | What to verify | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Is the plumbing work regulated? | Assigned PUB Licensed Plumber, LP number and any required PUB submission | PUB Plumbing Works |
| Does the HDB renovation scope need approval? | HDB permit requirements and, where applicable, the HDB-registered renovation contractor handling the application | HDB renovation permits |
Plumbing items in an HDB flat also have their own HDB water and sanitary plumbing guidelines (sinks and basins, baths and showers, toilet pans, pipes, gas), so check the item there as well as on the PUB side. For a bathroom redo, see the HDB toilet renovation permit guide.
Connecting a storage tank to the water service is regulated plumbing work. There is normally an electrical portion too, which is handled under EMA rules by a Licensed Electrical Worker. See the water heater installation cost guide.
Anything on the main water supply into the unit, including the water service pipe and its fittings.
Pipes buried in walls or floors, and repiping work. See whole-house repiping.
Sanitary discharge pipework and anything that affects PUB-regulated infrastructure.
PUB identifies simple plumbing works that do not require a Licensed Plumber. These are the everyday jobs most households call about:
Household items on PUB's simple-works list, which handymen without a PUB licence may do, next to common jobs that are not on it:
| Area | On PUB's simple-works list | Not on the list: needs an LP |
|---|---|---|
| Taps and hoses | Replacing a tap or mixer, or a shower hose, showerhead, washing machine or dishwasher hose, or flexible hose connected to a tap | Adding a tap point, moving a water point, laying or re-routing water pipes |
| Water heaters | Replacing the pipe between a stop valve and an instantaneous water heater | Installing or replacing a storage water heater; relocating one, or laying new hot-water pipes from one; see water heater replacement |
| Basins, baths and floor traps | Installing or replacing a basin or sink with its bottle trap, bathtub, shower tray or enclosure, or floor waste outlet; replacing a floor trap grating; clearing traps and drain pipes | Other sanitary discharge pipes and sanitary piping |
A S$10 fuel surcharge applies to every visit. No additional standard call-out or inspection fee applies. Urgent service or a customer-requested appointment time adds one S$30 fee, subject to technician availability and confirmation. The S$30 is a separate service fee. Pricing terms.
Send: property type, what needs doing, a photo of the fixture and the pipework, whether pipes run inside the wall, and your postcode.
You get back: whether the work falls inside PUB's regulated scope, which trade will attend, the assigned Licensed Plumber's LP number on request where one applies, and a written quote with scope and exclusions before anything starts.
It is the notification or application that a PUB Licensed Plumber makes to PUB for plumbing works that fall under PUB's regulated scope. It is filed by the Licensed Plumber under their own licence, not by the homeowner and not by FixMove. PUB's own Plumbing Works page is the authoritative source for which works are covered and what has to be submitted.
Work on the water service, including storage water heater installation, is treated as regulated plumbing work and is handled by a PUB Licensed Plumber. FixMove confirms the classification for your specific job before work starts and arranges the assigned Licensed Plumber where it is required. A storage heater installation usually also has an electrical portion, which is handled separately under EMA rules.
No. FixMove is the trading name of ALL-IN-ONE FIX & MOVE, UEN 53505530K, a Singapore business registered with ACRA. A UEN is a business registration, not a trade licence. FixMove does not hold a plumber's licence in its own name and does not describe itself as a Licensed Plumber. Where the work is regulated, an assigned PUB Licensed Plumber carries out the work and makes any required submission under their own licence.
Ask for the assigned plumber's PUB Licensed Plumber (LP) number before work starts. FixMove provides it on request via WhatsApp. PUB maintains public Licensed Plumber information that customers can check independently.
PUB identifies simple plumbing works that may be carried out within a handyman's allowed scope, such as replacing a tap or a P-trap and clearing a toilet choke. FixMove discloses which classification applies to your job before work starts, so you know which trade is attending and on what basis.
For regulated plumbing work in an HDB flat, the plumbing licence is the PUB Licensed Plumber licence. Separately, certain HDB renovation work requires HDB approval and an HDB-registered renovation contractor. Check both layers before work starts; one does not replace the other.
PUB says it imposes no administrative or processing fees for plumbing-work submissions. A Licensed Plumber may charge commercially for site assessment, regulated work, documents and submission handling; those charges are neither mandated nor regulated by PUB and must be shown in the written quote.
Ask the Licensed Plumber who lodged it; the submission is theirs. With the project reference or submission number from them, you can also look it up on PUB's Submission Status Check in e-Services, which PUB describes as available to the public.
Yes, but after the work. Since 1 Nov 2021 a Licensed Plumber may relocate an existing storage water heater without notifying PUB first, then submits a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion within 7 days.