What your renovation contract should say

The contract is what you can point to when something goes wrong. The Competition and Consumer Commission’s guide to fair trading in the renovation industry and CASE’s own checklist agree on what it should cover. Use this list before you sign.

The checklist

1. Who and where. The firm’s full name and UEN as registered with ACRA, your name, the property address, and for an HDB flat, the HDB registration of the firm doing the work.

2. The scope, described in detail. The regulator’s guide asks for “a reasonably detailed breakdown and description” of the goods and services. Attach the final itemised quote and any drawings, and make sure the contract says they form part of it. Materials should be named: brand, range, thickness or model where it matters.

3. The price, itemised. Prices should be transparent, accurate, clear and itemised, with any mandatory charges stated upfront and anything that can’t be calculated in advance disclosed and estimated.

4. The schedule. A start date and a completion date, agreed by both sides, and what happens if the works are delayed. If parts of the schedule depend on approvals, such as an HDB permit, say so.

5. The payment schedule. If you pay in stages, the regulator’s brochure says the payment schedule should line up with the work schedule. See how renovation payments are staged.

6. Variations. How changes are requested, priced and agreed. The regulator’s guide says revisions and variation orders should only be made with your express agreement. Ask for every variation in writing, with its price, before the work is done.

7. Warranty, repairs and refunds. What’s covered, for how long, and how you report a defect. CaseTrust-accredited firms give a 12-month workmanship warranty from completion. Product warranties for appliances and fittings usually come from the manufacturer, so ask for the paperwork.

8. Approvals and licensed work. Who applies for which permit, who engages the Professional Engineer if one is needed, and confirmation that electrical, gas, plumbing and window work will be done by licensed or approved workers. See licensed trades.

9. Site rules. Working hours, protection of common areas, and debris removal, in line with your HDB rules or condo by-laws.

10. Handover. What “complete” means, how defects are listed and fixed before the final payment, and which documents you receive (certificates, warranties, as-built drawings for wiring if they’re available).

11. Disputes. How disagreements are handled. CaseTrust-accredited firms must attend mediation at CASE if you ask for it.

Before you sign

• Put verbal promises in writing. CASE’s checklist says it plainly. A salesperson’s “we’ll include that” is worth nothing unless it’s in the contract.
• Don’t sign under pressure. Taking advantage of a consumer by exerting undue pressure to enter into a transaction is an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, as are terms so one-sided that they’re unconscionable.
• Keep a signed copy, and keep receipts for every payment.

HDB’s advice to flat owners sums it up: discuss pricing, work schedule and quality with your contractor up front, so you reach a clear understanding before any work starts.

SpaceToReno is run by the team behind Junk to Clear, which also handles renovations. Where a guide links to Junk to Clear or a sister site, it’s because that step calls for the service, and the sentence says so. Enquiries sent through the form go to the same team. How SpaceToReno works