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How to Choose a Reinstatement Contractor in Singapore (2026)

By ifix.sg by Trends Interior Design Pte Ltd (UEN 200408913Z) · Last updated 12 Nov 2026 · Sources cited below

Short answer: Choosing a reinstatement contractor in Singapore is less about finding the lowest per-sq-ft number and more about matching the lease’s make-good wording to a contractor who can finish before expiry. Check BCA registration, insurance, a Licensed Electrical Worker, and whether trades are in-house or heavily subcontracted. Ask for an itemised quote after a site survey. Trends Interior, which operates ifix.sg, is a BCA-registered commercial contractor and publishes office reinstatement at about S$10–S$20 per sq ft.

Reinstatement contractor Singapore: start with the job, not the rate card

A reinstatement contractor in Singapore is appointed to return a leased commercial unit to the condition the lease requires, then hand it back on time. That is a different brief from a fit-out contractor who is building a new office or shop.

The lowest published rate is a weak place to start. Published 2026 office figures already span about S$3–S$8 per sq ft for a light, open-plan scope and S$18–S$30+ for heavy or Grade A work [5]. Two quotes that look far apart may be pricing different end states. Read the make-good clause first, write down the handover date, and only then invite contractors to survey the unit.

What to look for in a reinstatement contractor

Use this as a shortlist filter, not a marketing checklist.

BCA registration. Check the contractor on the Building and Construction Authority’s directory of registered contractors [1]. Many landlords will not approve a works application without it. Confirm that the registration matches the work you are awarding, and that it is current.

Insurance and safety. Ask for certificates that cover the works in an occupied or still-operating building, including public liability, and any cover the building handbook names. bizSAFE participation, run under the Workplace Safety and Health Council, is a useful extra signal [2]. It is not a substitute for the certificates themselves.

A Licensed Electrical Worker. Electrical isolation and termination should be done or supervised by a LEW. If the quote is silent on this, ask. Informal electrical work is a common reason a “cheap” job fails inspection or leaves you with a problem after handover.

In-house trades. Ask who will do partitions, electrical, ACMV and carpentry. Trends Interior, which operates ifix.sg, keeps those trades in-house and has been a commercial reinstatement contractor since 2004, with BCA registration [3]. In-house is not the only acceptable model, but you should know how long the chain is between the person who signed the quote and the people on site.

Commercial track record. Offices, mall shops, F&B units and industrial premises fail in different ways. A contractor who mostly does home interior work is not automatically the right choice for a Grade A floor or a food shop with grease and services. ifix.sg is commercial only.

A site survey before the quote. A figure offered from a floor plan alone will usually have to be revised. The survey should record access hours, loading bays, nominated-contractor rules, and anything the lease might require that is not obvious from a walk-through.

How to compare quotes fairly

Send every shortlisted contractor the same pack: the make-good wording, approved plans, the handover date, and any building rules you already have. Then compare:

1. Scope against the lease, not against a generic “strip and paint.”
2. Inclusions and exclusions. Landlord fees, after-hours premiums, specialist waste, fire-protection submissions and making good hidden damage are often extra. They should be named.
3. Programme. On-site time for a standard office is often one to two weeks after approvals; heavy scopes can run two to four weeks [5][3]. The date that matters is the expiry date, not the first available start date. JTC’s published position is double rent from expiry if works are not finished [4].
4. Who is on site and who holds the LEW role.
5. Snag and inspection process. You want a pre-inspection, a written snag list, and attendance at the landlord’s walk-through.

Trends Interior publishes office reinstatement at about S$10–S$20 per sq ft, and confirms a fixed-scope price after a free site assessment [3]. Other commercial types, and any office that sits outside a normal make-good, are quote on request. Use published bands as a sense-check, not as a substitute for that quote. The office reinstatement cost and general reinstatement cost guides set out the wider figures and their sources.

Red flags

• A lump-sum figure with no itemised scope, or a refusal to visit the unit
• No BCA registration, or registration that does not match the work
• No named LEW, or a vague “we will sort the electrical”
• A programme that ends after your lease expiry, with no discussion of that risk
• Pressure to start strip-out before building management has approved the works
• A price that is far below published light-office bands, with no explanation of what has been left out
• A contractor who wants to be paid mostly in cash, or who will not issue a proper tax invoice

None of these, on their own, prove the job will go badly. But several together are a reason to keep shortlisting.

A simple appointment sequence

1. Nine to twelve months out, start the file and a first survey. The handover checklist sets out the calendar.
2. Around six months out, lock the scope and compare itemised quotes. JTC often inspects at this point [4].
3. About three months out, submit the works application and appoint the contractor formally, with insurance and drawings attached.
4. Keep one person on the tenant side as the day-to-day contact, so site instructions do not arrive from three different managers.

If you are still choosing a contractor close to expiry, be honest about the calendar. A good contractor may decline a job that cannot be finished in time, or may price in night work. That is more useful than a promise that cannot be kept.

ifix.sg is a brand of Trends Interior Design Pte Ltd (UEN 200408913Z). WhatsApp +65 9863 5364 with your address, handover date and a note on the make-good scope, and we will arrange a free site survey.