How to Read a Renovation Quotation in Singapore, Line by Line

Two renovation quotations for the same flat can differ by $20,000 and both be honest. They can also be $500 apart and describe completely different renovations. The number at the bottom tells you almost nothing until you have read the lines above it, and most homeowners have never been shown how. This guide goes through a Singapore renovation quotation the way we read one in the office: section by section, with the questions to ask of each.

The Shape of a Proper Quotation

A quotation worth comparing is itemised by trade, in roughly the order the work happens on site. Expect to see most of these headings, each with its own lines and sub-total:

• Preliminaries: HDB or MCST permit application, protection of lifts and common areas, hoarding, haulage and disposal of debris, and final cleaning.
• Hacking and demolition: what is being removed, wall by wall and floor by floor.
• Masonry: new walls, floor screed, tiling by area with the tile allowance stated, waterproofing to wet areas with a ponding test.
• Plumbing: new points, relocation of existing points, concealed versus exposed pipework.
• Electrical: the number of lighting points, power points, switches, fan and data points, and whether rewiring is included.
• Carpentry: each piece by location and length, with carcass material, finish and hardware named.
• Painting, ceiling and feature works: false ceilings and coves by length, paint brand and number of coats.
• Glass, aluminium and doors: shower screens, sliding doors, window grilles.

A quotation that presents a single lump sum, or a package with a short list of inclusions, cannot be compared with anything. The contract guide explains why an itemised quotation is also the basis of a sound contract.

The Units That Trip People Up

Singapore quotations use units that are not obvious the first time. Carpentry is priced per foot run, the length of the piece along the wall, with different rates for base, top-hung and tall cabinets, so a 10-foot kitchen is not one number but three or four. Tiling and flooring are priced per square foot, usually with a stated allowance per square foot for the tile itself; choose a tile above the allowance and the difference is added. Electrical work is priced per point. Painting is priced per flat or per room, sometimes with the ceiling separate.

The one to watch is the provisional sum, sometimes marked PC sum or PS. It is a placeholder for work or materials not yet decided: a sanitary ware allowance, a lighting allowance, or a line marked subject to site conditions. A provisional sum is legitimate and sometimes unavoidable, but every one of them is a number that can move. Count them, and ask what each would realistically become.

What Is Usually Left Out

The commonest reason a renovation overruns is not that the quoted work cost more; it is that work was not in the quotation. Before comparing totals, check whether each quotation includes:

• Air-conditioning supply and installation, including trunking and the condenser bracket.
• Sanitary ware, taps, and the kitchen sink and hob, or only their installation.
• Light fittings themselves, as opposed to the lighting points.
• Window grilles, curtains and blinds, and the tracks for them.
• Haulage, debris disposal and the final professional clean.
• Permit fees and any deposit payable to the MCST for a condominium.
• Furniture, loose or built-in, and appliances.
• GST, which is 9 per cent in Singapore and must be shown if the firm is GST-registered; a total that excludes it is 9 per cent short. IRAS publishes the current rate.

Our BTO renovation cost guide lists the same omissions from the other direction, with what each typically costs when it is added back.

Comparing Two Quotations Fairly

1. Put them side by side by trade, not by total. If one has $9,000 of electrical and the other $4,000, count the points before assuming the first is expensive.
2. Check that the materials are the same thing. Quartz is not one price; neither is laminate, vinyl or a false ceiling. A quotation that names the brand, range and thickness can be checked. One that says quartz countertop cannot.
3. Add the exclusions back in. Two quotations are only comparable once both include the same scope, so write the missing items onto the cheaper one at a realistic cost before deciding it is cheaper.
4. Separate the design fee from the build. They are different services and are structured differently; our fees guide explains the five models. A firm that bundles its fee into the carpentry rates is not necessarily dearer, but you cannot tell.
5. Read the terms as closely as the numbers: validity period, payment schedule, how variations are priced and approved, the workmanship warranty and what it covers, and the timeline with a completion date.

Red Flags, and the Protection Worth Having

A deposit of half or more up front, a discount that expires today, free items whose cost has plainly been moved into other lines, and lines that read as a lump sum where every other firm has itemised: these are the signals the renovation scams checklist describes, and a quotation is where they first appear. On the protective side, a firm with CaseTrust or CaseTrust-RCMA accreditation holds your deposit behind a performance bond, and our accreditations guide explains what the marks mean and which ones matter.

Once the quotation is right, the contract built on it is the next check: payment milestones and the clauses that protect both sides are in what should be in your renovation contract, and how the firm should run the project from there is in how long an interior design project really takes.

A Second Pair of Eyes

Ace’s Design quotes every project itemised by trade, with materials and hardware named, exclusions listed on the face of the document and GST shown. If you have quotations in hand and want to understand what they are really offering, get in touch for a free consultation and bring them along. Still deciding who to ask for one? How to choose an interior designer and designer versus contractor are the two guides to read first.