General Contracting Services

Look at what a builder has finished, not what they say they can do. Ask for a list of completed projects with addresses or photos and ask to speak with at least one past client directly. A builder confident in their work will connect you with references without hesitation.

Beyond track record, check three things: whether they are BCA-registered for the class of work you need, whether their quotations are itemised, and whether the person quoting you is the same person who will be on-site during construction. At Kang Sheng Engineering, the team that scopes your project is the same team that builds it, which is why our clients can tell you who to call when something needs attention.

Most building contractors in Singapore work under one of two models:

• Design and build – A single contractor manages design, authority approvals, and construction under one contract, so you have one point of contact throughout.
• The traditional route – You appoint an architect separately, and the contractor builds strictly to that architect’s drawings.

Within either model, a contractor’s scope typically covers new builds, reconstruction, additions and alterations (A&A), and renovation, along with structural works, mechanical and electrical (M&E) installations, and day-to-day project management on-site.

For landed residential projects in Singapore, major A&A works typically range from roughly S$500,000 to S$800,000, while a full rebuild runs from around S$1.2 million to S$3 million or more. The exact figure depends on land size, design complexity, ground conditions, and the finishes you choose.

A low headline quote is not the same as a low final cost. Many quotes that look attractive on paper grow substantially through variation orders once construction starts, because provisional sums were understated or scope was left out entirely. A detailed, itemised quotation with realistic allowances protects your budget far more than the lowest number on the table.

A full landed house rebuild typically takes 12 to 18 months from demolition to Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP). Major A&A works usually take 6 to 12 months. On top of construction time, budget another 3 to 6 months upfront for design development and authority approvals before any physical work begins.

Actual timelines shift with site conditions, weather, and how quickly design decisions get made along the way. We give clients a realistic schedule at the outset, built around your specific site.

These three terms describe different levels of intervention, and each one carries different authority requirements.

• Renovation covers cosmetic changes, such as new finishes, fittings, or layout tweaks that involve no structural alteration, so no submission to the authorities is needed.
• Addition & Alteration (A&A) involves structural changes, such as extending the house, adding rooms or altering the roof, where less than half of the existing structure is changed. A&A works require submission to BCA and URA.
• Reconstruction involves altering more than half of the existing structure and rebuilding from scratch.
• New erection involves full complete tear down of existing structure and rebuilding from scratch.

Each tier costs more, takes longer, and gives you more design freedom than the one before it. Many homeowners come to us unsure which category their ideas actually fall under. Working that out early, before drawings are commissioned, saves both time and money.

A design and build contractor takes single-point responsibility for your entire project: architectural design, structural engineering, authority submissions, and construction, all under one contract. Instead of coordinating an architect, an engineer, and a builder as three separate parties, you deal with one team from first sketch to handover.

The main advantage is accountability. With one team responsible for design and construction, there is no gap for an architect and a builder to blame each other when something goes wrong on-site, because there is only one party to answer to.

It also tends to move faster, since design development and construction planning happen in parallel. And because the same team that designs your project is the one pricing and building it, cost estimates tend to hold up better as the design develops, rather than being revised sharply once drawings are finalised by a separate architect.

A typical design and build package covers concept and detailed design, structural engineering, authority submissions to URA and BCA, demolition, main construction, M&E works, interior finishes, and handover with a defects liability follow-up period.

Scope varies between contractors, so it is worth confirming in writing exactly what is and is not included before signing. At Kang Sheng Engineering, our in-house design capability means these stages are handled by one coordinated team.

Yes. That coordination is the entire premise of design and build: one team carries the project from the first design conversation through authority approvals, construction, and handover. At Kang Sheng Engineering, you work directly with the people who will be on-site building your house, not through a layer of account managers relaying messages between you and the crew.

Yes, coordination of permits and approvals is part of the service. The formal submissions, such as URA planning permission, BCA building plan approval, structural permits, and the TOP or Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC) at project end, are lodged by a Qualified Person, typically the project architect or engineer. The contractor’s role is to coordinate that whole process on your behalf, so you are not the one chasing consultants or authorities for updates.

Do not compare bottom-line figures in isolation. Compare what sits underneath them.

Check whether the scope is itemised or written as vague lump sums, whether provisional sums look realistic, and whether specialist works, authority fees, and M&E costs are clearly stated. A quote with gaps in it will almost always cost more once those gaps surface mid-project, even if the number on the cover page looked attractive at the start.

A useful test: ask each builder to walk you through their quote line by line. The one who can explain every figure without getting defensive is usually the one who priced the job properly in the first place.

Payments are usually progressive, tied to milestones such as foundation work, structural completion, roofing, finishes, and final handover. A common structure is a small percentage on award, roughly 2 per cent, followed by monthly payments as each stage of work is verified complete, continuing through the defects liability period.

Be cautious of any builder asking for a large payment upfront before meaningful work has started on-site. That pattern is one of the more common red flags in construction disputes.

Yes. Kang Sheng Engineering is registered with BCA as a General Builder Class 1. This registration confirms that we meet BCA’s requirements on project track record, financial standing, and technical personnel, and that we are legally permitted to carry out the scope of building works we take on, including larger and more complex projects.

Reputable builders should be, and we are. Kang Sheng Engineering carries Contractor’s All Risks (CAR) insurance and Work Injury Compensation insurance on every project we take on.

Before hiring any builder, ask to see proof of both policies for your specific project, not just a general certificate. If a worker is injured or a neighbouring property is damaged on an uninsured site, the liability question can become a serious and costly problem for the homeowner, not just the contractor.

Yes. Every Kang Sheng Engineering project includes a 12-month defects liability period after handover, during which we return to rectify anything that surfaces.

In practice, our commitment has gone further than the contract requires. We have returned to fix issues for homeowners even after the formal defects period ended, because a project is not really finished until the client is satisfied living in it. That standard is a large part of why so many of our new clients come through referrals from past ones.