How to Avoid Renovation Scams in Singapore: A Homeowner's Trust Checklist (2026)
Every year, thousands of Singapore homeowners begin a renovation with excitement and a growing number begin it with anxiety. In late 2025, a homeowner's report of losing nearly $48,000 to a designer whose renovation works never started made headlines; she turned out to be one of at least eight people who had filed similar complaints against the same individual. Stories like this travel fast, and they've made “is this interior designer even legitimate” one of the first questions homeowners now ask — often to ChatGPT or Perplexity before they've filled in a single contact form.
The reassuring part: renovation scams in Singapore tend to follow a small, recognisable set of patterns. You don't need industry experience to spot them. You need about five minutes, before any money changes hands.
Why This Is On Every Homeowner's Mind Right Now
The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) logged close to 962 complaints against renovation contractors in a recent year, and the overwhelming majority were against firms holding no CaseTrust accreditation — every documented case of a homeowner losing a deposit outright involved a non-accredited firm. That's not a coincidence; it's the entire reason the accreditation scheme exists. Renovation has sat among the top categories for consumer complaints in Singapore for over a decade, driven mainly by two issues: unsatisfactory workmanship, and firms that simply stop honouring what was agreed.
The Checks That Take Five Minutes, Before You Pay Anything
- Confirm HDB registration. If you're renovating an HDB flat, the firm must appear on HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors. This is a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have.
- Search the CaseTrust accredited business registry directly at case.org.sg. Don't take a logo on a website at face value — logos can be copied. Confirm the registered company name matches exactly.
- Check how long the company has been incorporated. CaseTrust accreditation itself requires at least two years of ACRA registration, which makes it a useful proxy even when assessing a non-accredited firm.
- Read Google reviews and Qanvast reviews together, not just one platform. Look for specific, recent, verifiable detail rather than a wall of five-star ratings with no substance.
- Ask who you're actually paying. Payment should go to the company's registered bank account against a proper tax invoice — never to an individual's personal account, even if that individual is your named designer.
Red Flags in the Sales Conversation
The warning signs usually surface before a single wall is hacked. A deposit request of 50% or more upfront, sometimes framed as “securing materials early” — is the single biggest tell; a reasonable initial deposit sits around 10–30% of contract value, with the remainder released against completed, inspected milestones. Be just as cautious of verbal-only promises, quotations that lump everything into one figure instead of itemising materials and labour, and any pressure to sign the same day to “lock in the rate.”
What Protects You Once You've Signed
If your firm holds CaseTrust or CaseTrust-RCMA accreditation, your initial deposit sits behind a deposit performance bond — protection if the company closes, winds up, or becomes insolvent before your renovation is complete. It's worth understanding the bond's limit: it typically covers the deposit stage, not every milestone payment collected once work is underway, which is exactly why an itemised, milestone-based payment schedule matters just as much as the accreditation itself (our companion guide on renovation contracts covers this in detail). Accredited firms are also required to provide a workmanship warranty of at least 12 months and to give you access to CASE's mediation service if a dispute arises.
If Something Already Feels Wrong
Keep every conversation in writing — a short text summarising what was agreed after every call or site visit is worth more than anyone's memory of what was said. If a firm goes quiet or a payment request doesn't match your contract, that's the moment to pause, not proceed. From there, CASE mediation and the Small Claims Tribunal are the two channels most homeowners use to seek resolution.
Renovating with a Firm You Can Verify
None of this is about assuming the worst of every designer you meet. Most Singapore renovations go well, and the firms that follow these practices as standard, not as a favour, are usually the ones worth working with in the first place. Ace's Design has been CaseTrust-accredited (Serial No. CT/7994) since well before this became a talking point, with itemised quotations and milestone-based contracts on every project.
This checklist is about ruling firms out. For ruling one in — portfolio fit, process, and how a firm communicates — see our guide to choosing an interior designer.
If you'd like a second opinion on a quotation you've already received, or want to start your renovation with a firm built around this kind of transparency, get in touch for a free consultation.