How to Compare Renovation Quotes in Singapore: An Itemised Checklist

Compare the same scope, on the same tax basis. Give each firm the same brief. Ask for an itemised quote with quantities, specifications, exclusions and GST treatment. Add the items you still need to buy or arrange separately, and distinguish fixed prices from allowances. Only then compare the total and decide who is responsible for each part of the job.

Start with the renovation cost guide if you need a budget range. This guide is for the next decision: choosing between actual proposals. It works for HDB, condo and landed interiors, though building rules, approvals and specialist work depend on the property and scope.

1. Write one brief and ask each firm to quote against it.
2. Match items by quantity, finish and included labour.
3. Separate fixed work, allowances, exclusions and owner purchases.
4. Bring each offer to the same tax basis and calculate the comparable total.
5. Put changes, payment milestones, handover and warranty terms in writing.

Mark your floor plan room by room: what stays, what goes, what gets added and what is still undecided. Add the access conditions, the appliance list and any drawings you already have. Include a short priority list so the firms can show where they would save without taking essential work out of the quote.

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When a measurement is provisional, ask what happens after the site visit. For a quoted unit rate, check the unit, what is included in it and how the quantity will be measured. A kitchen cabinet figure is only comparable if both firms are measuring the same elements.

Assume both firms have confirmed the same final specification and all figures below include any applicable GST. The numbers are illustrative and show the comparison method; they are not prices for a particular property.

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Quote A looked S$5,000 cheaper. Once both figures cover the same work, it is S$1,200 higher. If one of the add-ons is still an estimate, mark the revised total as provisional. Do not count an item twice just because one firm shows it as a separate line and another bundles it.

Use these columns in your own comparison

Room or trade · required work · quantity · specification · quoted price · included/excluded/allowance · amount to add · who supplies and installs it. Keep common owner purchases and your contingency in a separate project budget. If each quote includes a different level of design or project management, note what it buys you before comparing the totals.

The Excel workbook includes worked HDB and resale condo quotes, a blank comparison sheet and a separate project budget for owner purchases, contingency and refundable deposits. The sample prices are illustrative.

Download the Excel comparison workbook ↓

An exclusion is outside the price. An allowance is a budget placeholder for an item not fully specified or measured. A variation is a change to the agreed contract scope. Ask the firm to identify all three and explain how it calculates adjustments. Before approving a variation, get the revised scope, price and effect on handover in writing.

• Owner purchases: check appliances, taps, sanitary fittings, lighting and loose furniture. If you supply something, confirm who receives, installs and tests it.
• Existing conditions: ask what happens if stripping out reveals substrate damage, old wiring, leaks or other work outside the quote. Who assesses it and approves the remedy?
• Building access: for condos, ask the management office about renovation requirements and distinguish a refundable deposit from a non-refundable fee. Confirm protection, disposal and access responsibilities.
• Tax and fees: check whether applicable GST and mandatory charges are in the total. Ask the firm for a revised written total on a like-for-like basis.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s renovation industry guidance calls for transparent pricing, itemised charges and clear descriptions of the work. Read the fair trading guide.

Know who is accountable. A design firm can handle drawings, selections and coordination; a contractor may focus on execution or offer design as part of its service. Confirm what each firm is actually delivering and who is your contact on site. If you choose to coordinate individual trades yourself, decide who is responsible for the sequencing and any gaps between their scopes.

For HDB work, check the contractor against HDB’s directory and clarify who handles required permits. If you are waiting for BTO keys, see the BTO timeline and key-collection checklist before booking site work. If the firm promotes CaseTrust accreditation or deposit protection, verify the current accreditation and request the documents applicable to your contract.

• Contract and attachments: confirm the legal entity and that the final quote, drawings and finish schedule are included.
• Payment milestones: connect instalments to clear deliverables. Ask what counts as complete and how changes are documented.
• Programme: request expected dates, dependencies and who supplies critical items.
• Handover and aftercare: agree how defects are recorded, who rectifies them, and the scope and terms of any warranty.