[SINGAPORE] Ian Teo, president of the Micro Builders Association, Singapore (MBAS), once handled a landed home renovation that led to a complaint over water leakage and moisture damage – issues his client blamed on poor workmanship.
Although a third-party assessor, whom Teo hired, concluded that the workmanship was “within tolerance”, his client refused to accept the findings and claimed the assessor was biased.
Tolerance refers to acceptable variation in construction, and all building materials have certain tolerance levels.
“It then becomes a chicken-and-egg situation, as the contractors could also say the same if the homeowner finds his own assessor,” said Teo.
The absence of a third-party quality assessment scheme for landed homes, coupled with miscommunication between clients and contractors, has contributed to more disputes – which are often costly and time-consuming, he added.
These issues are not uncommon. Construction disputes make up 40 per cent of cases at the Singapore Mediation Centre, often involving workmanship or unclear contracts.
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Although MBAS does not track specific numbers, Teo said such disputes come up regularly in his conversations with contractors.
Workmanship issues occur when homeowners are not satisfied with renovation works undertaken by contractors. Meanwhile, contractual ambiguities arise when clear information, such as materials specification and design intent, are not discussed properly.
Disputes persist largely due to poor communication and misinformation, said Teo.
Some homeowners insist on using unsuitable materials despite warnings, or rely on online forums instead of consulting professionals, which fuels misconceptions about contractor performance.
With a recent rise in landed property transactions, the number of cases of disputes could increase. Landed home deals in the last quarter of 2024 rose 78.3 per cent on year, partly due to lower costs of borrowing, a Huttons Asia report revealed in January.
“The landed homes market should continue to see brisk activities in 2025, as the cuts in interest rates allowed buyers to borrow more,” it noted.
Disputes that escalate can end up in lawsuits. “They are definitely costly. Though different lawyers have different charges and admin fees vary, the lawsuits can easily amount (to) five figures and above,” said Teo.
Contractors often bear upfront legal costs, with responsibility for expenses decided only after a verdict is reached, he added.
Without proper quality assessments, it becomes difficult for them to defend against workmanship or contractual claims.
Ensuring quality
Currently, the Construction Quality Assessment System (Conquas) is used to evaluate and assess government projects and bigger developments when they are completed. The assessment process consists of three components: internal finishes, installation methods verification and functional tests, as well as external finishes.
Teo noted that Conquas is usually applied to larger-scale projects, such as private condominiums and public housing developments with a contract value of S$5 million and above.
Landed home projects and microprojects – typically with contract values below S$5 million – are not mandated to use Conquas, said Teo. To plug the gaps, MBAS created the BuildTrust Construction Quality Assessment Scheme.
Launched in April 2024, the scheme is a quality assurance framework for smaller-scale developments that are not covered under Conquas.
BuildTrust sets standards for finishes, workmanship and installation, and outlines how to rectify common defects, such as cracked flooring.
Contractors are accredited after their completed projects pass the quality assessment conducted by third-party assessors.
Before that, contractors undergo training on implementing the BuildTrust framework across different project phases to achieve high-quality scores.
To date, 30 contractors have signed up. Five have completed certified projects, while the rest are undergoing assessment.
Beyond quality control, MBAS also pushes for greater technology adoption.
“We still have a lot of old-timers that are very good builders, but may be lacking in terms of keeping up with regulations and adopting technology,” said Teo.
“We try to help them, because it will be a waste to see this group of experienced builders lose out in an industry that’s rapidly evolving,” he added, especially as demand for quality and accountability in landed homes continues to rise.
