Design & Build for landed homes  ·  Singapore  ·  Since 2007

The rebuild that keeps its word.

Landed rebuilds in Singapore typically run one and a half to two times the quoted programme and 15 to 30 percent over the quoted price. Since 2007, YCM has built the other kind: terraces and semi-detached homes finished on the date, within the number, and on good terms with next door.

Begin a conversation See the numbers
BCA General Builder Class 1ISO 45001:2018bizSAFE Star100+ homeowners
Richards Place, a three-storey inter-terrace house rebuilt by YCM Construction between two occupied homes in Singapore
Richards PlaceInter-terrace rebuild  ·  3 storeys + attic
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No. 01   The problem

Landed rebuilds in Singapore don't fail on design. They fail on promises.

The same story reaches CASE, the architects and the family next door every year. Here it is in numbers, so that you can hold any builder, including us, against it.

i
1.5to 2×
The programme slips.
Rebuilds quoted at 12 to 18 months run 18 to 24. Approvals, rain and re-sequenced trades compound: a week lost in structure becomes a month at handover.
Landed renovation timeline analysis, Singapore, 2026
ii
15to 30%
The price grows.
Variation orders added mid-project to the original quotation. Cheap tenders leave out site works, haulage, authority fees and waterproofing, then bill them back.
Renovation survey cited by Qanvast; 2026 builder case studies
iii
0
The builder goes quiet.
Complaints against renovation contractors reached CASE in 2024, with about S$728,000 of prepayments lost to firms that closed or stopped answering. Ninety-seven percent were against non-accredited firms.
CASE media release, February 2025
iv
2to 6 months
The approvals wait.
URA planning, BCA structural, PUB drainage and SCDF fire clearances before a brick moves. A design drawn outside the envelope is redrawn, and the clock restarts.
URA and BCA process; 2026 industry guides
v
0%
The wall is shared.
Six in seven of Singapore's 73,700 landed homes are terraces or semi-detached. There is no Party Wall Act: damage to the neighbour's side is settled under nuisance and negligence, by you.
URA residential stock, Q1 2026; Singapore building-law commentary
vi
S$12.9K a month
Every late month is paid twice.
Typical rent on the house you are not living in, plus interest on the construction loan already drawn. Six months late is a car. Twelve is the kitchen.
Worked example below: S$6,500 rent, S$1.8M drawn at 4.25%

Every number above is a promise somebody did not keep. So we built a company around keeping them.

What follows is the method, the proof and the people. Hold us to all three.

No. 02   The answer

The rebuild that keeps its word.

Three promises, written into the contract and into the way we run a street. Each one answers a failure above. The fourth promise is the company itself: nineteen years, a Class 1 licence, and clients who audit their builders.

I

The Date

Answers: the programme slips

A programme with the monsoon already in it. Approvals sequenced before demolition, long-lead stone and windows ordered before they are needed, and one site project manager, by name, on your street every working day. You receive a photo report every week, not a surprise at TOP.

  • Monsoon months planned, not discovered
  • Weekly photo and progress report
  • One site manager, start to finish
“Within the 13 months of the construction project, the company has shown diligence and dedication to finish work in time even though there have been several problems.”Green Home Designs · Sommerville Walk, three terraces
II

The Number

Answers: the price grows

Design & Build means every drawing is priced as it is drawn, so the number you sign is the number you build. Exclusions and provisional sums sit on the first page of the quotation, not on the last invoice. A contingency is agreed with you upfront and stays in your account.

  • Line-item quotation, exclusions stated
  • Provisional sums named and capped
  • Changes priced in writing before they happen
“The project cost was well kept under control and the project was completed within the required construction budget set by the client and consultants.”Gabriel Kon, Director · GK Architects
III

The Neighbour

Answers: the wall is shared

Your neighbour is not our client. We survey their wall with them before the first hammer, sequence demolition and piling for vibration rather than speed, and make good their side as carefully as yours. The method is drawn, in full, further down this page.

  • Dilapidation survey signed by both households
  • Bored piles, propped party wall, PE-cleared temporary works
  • Make-good and a final walk-through next door
“A collaborative partner since 2017. Their consistent and timely communication is a bonus for the overall project schedule.”Chai Jun Yea, Principal Architect · design@LOFT
The fourth promise: we are still here
2007
Founded in Singapore. Nineteen years of landed and institutional work under the same name.
0+
Homeowners handed their keys, with written testimonials from architects and developers.
13months
Three terraces at Sommerville Walk, demolition to completion, on time and within budget.
GB1
BCA General Builder Class 1: no ceiling on contract value. A landed house needs only Class 2.
45001
ISO 45001:2018 certified occupational health and safety, scope: general building works.
Star
bizSAFE Star, the highest tier of Singapore's workplace safety programme.
No. 03   The cost of a late month

What a month of delay costs you.

Builders talk about weeks. Families pay in months: rent on the house you are not living in, and interest on the loan already drawn. Move the sliders to your own numbers. Then ask any builder, including us, what happens to the programme when it rains in December.

S$6,500
S$1,800,000
4.25%
6 months
Each late month
S$12,875
Rent plus loan interest, money that buys you nothing.
Cost of the slip
S$77,250
What a programme without the monsoon in it really costs.

Arithmetic, not advice. Banks compute interest on their own terms; rent is your figure. The point stands at any setting: the date is a financial instrument.

No. 04   The houses

Ten estates. One standard.

All projects
Richards Place inter-terrace house rebuilt by YCMInter-terrace
01
Richards Place
Three storeys with an attic, rebuilt between two occupied homes. Design & Build.
Seletar Crescent semi-detached house with timber screensSemi-detached
02
Seletar Crescent
Two storeys with mezzanine and attic. Timber screens over a double-height living room.
Cheow Keng Road corner terrace houseCorner terrace
03
Cheow Keng Road
Corner terrace with mezzanine and attic, built to the architect's drawings under Tender & Build.
Jalan Jambu Mawar semi-detached houseSemi-detached
04
Jalan Jambu Mawar
Semi-detached with mezzanine and attic. Design & Build, concept to CSC.
Jalan Jambu Ayer semi-detached houseSemi-detached
05
Jalan Jambu Ayer
Semi-detached dwelling with an attic. Cantilevered canopy over a timber gate.
Lorong L Telok Kurau interior joineryInter-terrace · Envelope control
06
Lorong L Telok Kurau
Reconstruction of a three-storey inter-terrace under URA's envelope-control guidelines.
Fulton Avenue interiorSemi-detached
07
Fulton Avenue
Two storeys with mezzanine and attic. Timber floors, white joinery, deep eaves.
Sommerville Walk row of three rebuilt terrace housesThree terraces · 13 months
08
Sommerville Walk
A row of three terrace houses rebuilt in thirteen months, on time and within the consultants' budget.
No. 05   Built between neighbours

Your neighbour is not our client. We build as if they were.

An attached rebuild is judged twice: by the family who commissioned it, and by the family who did not. This is the section through the shared wall, drawn the way we brief the site. Hover the numbers.

GROUND LEVEL · RL +0.00 EXISTING · OCCUPIED SHALLOW FOOTING, c.1978 CRACK MAPPED PHOTO + DATE VIBRATION MONITOR PARTY WALL EXPOSED FACE PLASTERED + PAINTED RAKING PROPS · PE-CLEARED 1ST STOREY 2ND STOREY 3RD STOREY ATTIC · WITHIN ENVELOPE RAFT + PILE CAP BORED PILES · NOT DRIVEN · TAKEN BELOW NEIGHBOUR'S FOOTING DUST SCREEN HOARDING NAMED SITE CONTACT 15.5 M · 3-STOREY ENVELOPE SETBACK ONE FRONTAGE · EVERY PALLET THROUGH HERE 1 2 3 4 5 6 SECTION A–A · LOOKING NORTH · NOT TO SCALE
DrawingParty-wall method · Section A–A
ProjectTypical inter-terrace rebuild, 3 storeys + attic
ControlsURA envelope 15.5 m · BCA ST permit · PE temporary works
IssuedYCM Construction · Rev 2026-A
1The survey

Before demolition, both party walls are photographed and crack-mapped with the neighbours present, and a signed copy is left with them. Every existing defect is dated before we arrive.

2The support

The shared wall is propped and the neighbour's side protected before any excavation. Temporary works are designed and cleared by a Professional Engineer, not improvised by the demolition crew.

3The piles

Bored, not driven, and taken below the neighbour's shallow footing so their house is not undermined. Vibration is monitored at the party wall and logged every working day.

4The envelope

Three storeys and an attic inside URA's 15.5 m envelope, with setbacks and the attic profile drawn before submission. Nothing is redrawn after approval, so the clock never restarts.

5The screen

Hoarding, dust screens and a named site contact on the gate. Working hours go in writing to the whole row before the first lorry arrives, and they are kept.

6The make-good

The exposed face of the shared wall is plastered and painted, the boundary drain reinstated, and a final walk-through is done next door before we call the house finished.

A wall shared is a promise shared.

No. 06Method

Two doors into the same house.

Whether you arrive with a sketch or a full set of stamped drawings, the site team at the end is the same.

I

Design & Build

Our architects and interior designers draw it; our site team builds it; one contract carries it from concept through URA, BCA, PUB and SCDF submissions to TOP and CSC. Every design decision is costed as it is made, so the number you sign is the number you build.

For
  • Families rebuilding, or doing major additions and alterations, who want one accountable party
  • Owners who value budget certainty over a tender
  • Envelope-control reconstructions, where design and approval cannot be separated
II

Tender & Build

You have an architect you trust. Good. We price their drawings honestly, build them faithfully, and work as one team with the consultants. Three practices have put in writing that they would do it again.

For
  • Owners with an appointed architect and Qualified Person
  • Developers rebuilding a row, where programme is money
  • Projects already past planning approval
From the first walk to the last certificate
01
Listen
The brief, the site, the budget, and the neighbours. In that order.
02
Design
Concept to detail, drawn inside the envelope from day one.
03
Approvals
URA, BCA, PUB, SCDF, and where required NParks and LTA.
04
Build
Demolition, piling, structure, envelope. Sequenced for the wall next door.
05
Finish
Interiors, joinery from our own factory, stone chosen at source.
06
Hand over
TOP, CSC, and a defects period we stay for.

Everyone who touches your house answers to one name.

  • Architects & interior designers Design
  • Contract manager & quantity surveyor Contract
  • Structural coordinator Execution
  • Site project managers Execution
  • Architectural coordinator Execution
  • Safety team bizSAFE Star
  • In-house supplier department Design
  • Carpentry factory Design
  • Independent Professional Engineers for structural endorsement Qualified Person
  • Appointed architect, when you bring one Tender & Build
Timber kitchen joinery at Richards PlaceRichards Place · Kitchen joinery
No. 07   The atelier

The hand is still in-house.

Most builders subcontract the parts you touch every day: the wardrobe, the kitchen, the stone under your feet. YCM keeps a carpentry factory and a supplier department of its own, so the timber is cut by people who answer to the same site manager as the mason.

Stone is chosen at source, not from a sample board. Joinery is measured on site, not estimated from drawings. It is slower to run a workshop. It is faster to fix a drawer.

Built-in timber shelving at Telok KurauTelok Kurau · Built-in shelving
“The Director assisted the client and the consultants in the selection and importing of marble and granite for the whole project. The imported stones were of excellent quality.”Gabriel Kon Director, GK Architects · Letter of appreciation
Double-height living room with timber fins at Seletar CrescentSeletar Crescent · Double-height living
Living room at Jalan Jambu AyerJalan Jambu Ayer · Living
No. 08In the architects' words

Ask an architect who they would let build beside their own house.

Architects see every builder's unfinished edges. Three practices wrote to us unprompted.

Within the 13 months of the construction project, the company has shown diligence and dedication to finish work in time even though there have been several problems during the course of the project. We would not hesitate to refer YCM Construction to others.

Steven OngGreen Home Designs Pte Ltd
Sommerville Walk · Rebuild

The project delivery and completion were on time even though there were some delays from the external road works. The project cost was well kept under control and completed within the budget set by the client and consultants.

Gabriel KonDirector, GK Architects
Three houses · Sommerville

YCM Construction has been a collaborative partner with design@LOFT architects since 2017. Their consistent and timely communication is a bonus for the overall project schedule. We would certainly recommend YCM to our future clients.

Chai Jun YeaPrincipal Architect, design@LOFT architects
Partner practice since 2017
Practices we build with ArchturGK Architectsdesign@LOFTMuzi Design ArchitectsEDP ConsultantsHiladt ArchitectsCreate ArchitectureO Design Studio
No. 09   Beyond the house

Institutions audit their builders.

Between houses, YCM builds for organisations whose procurement departments read safety records before they read brochures. The same site discipline comes home with us.

Dyson
Headquarters · tiling & granolitic flooring
Singapore Airlines
Archive room renovation
Republic Polytechnic
Renovation works
NUS High School
Toilet renovation works
Kingsmen
Fit-out partner
International Plaza
ID & renovation works
Granolitic and tiled external flooring at Dyson headquartersDyson HQ
Jewellery boutique fit-outJewellery boutique · ID & installation
Archive room shelving for Singapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines · Archive room
No. 10   Questions we are asked first

Straight answers, before the first meeting.

Longer versions, with sources, live in Insights.

How much does it cost to rebuild a landed house in Singapore in 2026?

Construction cost for terrace and semi-detached rebuilds is typically S$300 to S$500 per square foot of built area for standard to good finishes, before professional fees, GST, demolition and external works. A 3,500 sq ft rebuild therefore lands between about S$1.1 million and S$1.8 million in construction cost alone. Basements, pools and bungalow-grade finishes push well beyond.

The full 2026 cost breakdown, with what quotes leave out.

How long does a landed rebuild take?

The market norm is 18 to 30 months from approval to TOP, with 2 to 6 months of approvals before that. Programmes slip when the monsoon, re-sequenced trades and late decisions are not planned. We rebuilt three terraces at Sommerville Walk in 13 months on site; ask us how, and when that cannot be repeated.

Do I need my neighbour's consent to rebuild a semi-detached or terrace house?

No formal consent, but you must notify them, a Qualified Person must assess any work affecting the shared wall, and Singapore has no Party Wall Act: damage next door is settled under nuisance and negligence, by you. A dated dilapidation survey of both party walls, agreed with the neighbour before demolition, is the single most useful protection you can buy.

Party walls in Singapore: what to settle before demolition.

What is URA envelope control?

Since 2015, URA controls landed houses by an overall building envelope: 12 m in two-storey estates and 15.5 m in three-storey estates, with setbacks and the attic profile set within it. It gives more freedom inside, and no forgiveness outside. We draw inside it from day one so nothing is redrawn after submission.

Which BCA licence does my builder need?

A General Builder Class 2 licence covers projects up to S$6 million estimated final price, which is almost every landed house. YCM holds General Builder Class 1, which has no ceiling. Whoever you choose, ask to see the certificate and the last three terrace or semi-detached rebuilds, with addresses you can drive past.

Does my A&A need a Professional Engineer?

Any work that alters structure, from removing a wall to adding an attic or extending a slab, needs a Qualified Person, usually a Professional Engineer, to design, endorse and submit to BCA before work starts. Cosmetic renovation does not. The PE is independent of the builder and signs for the structure; firms such as CVC Engineers explain when an A&A needs BCA approval.

Our guide to A&A works and PE endorsement for landed homes.

Design & Build, or my own architect and a tender?

Design & Build gives one accountable party and prices each decision as it is made, which suits owners who want budget certainty. An appointed architect and tender suits owners with a design team they trust or a fully developed design. We work both ways, and hold written references from architects for each.

A fair comparison, including when not to choose us.

What does a YCM Design & Build contract include?

Concept and detailed design by in-house architects and interior designers, URA, BCA, PUB and SCDF submissions, demolition, piling and structure, envelope and finishes, in-house joinery, and the TOP and CSC applications. Exclusions and provisional sums are listed on the first page. The full scope is here.

No. 11Insights

What we would tell you at the first meeting.

All insights
Cost
Landed house rebuild cost in Singapore, 2026

Terrace versus semi-detached, what the per-square-foot number hides, and the nine lines a quotation must show.

Read Neighbours
Party walls: what to settle before demolition

No Party Wall Act, no excuses. The survey, the props, the piles and the letter that keeps you out of court.

Read Procurement
Design & Build versus architect-and-tender

Who carries the risk under each route, what it costs in fees and time, and when we would tell you not to choose us.

Read Compliance
A&A works and PE endorsement for landed homes

Which alterations need BCA approval, who the Qualified Person is, and why the engineer must be independent of the builder.

Read
No. 12   Begin

Tell us about the house.

Send the address and what you hope to do. We will walk the street, read the envelope, and come back with a straight first conversation: what it might cost, how long it might take, and what could go wrong.

Studio80 Playfair Road, #07-15
Kapo Factory Building
Singapore 367998
Telephone—
Email—
HoursBy appointment, Monday to Saturday

We reply within two working days. No sales calls; a conversation with the people who will build it.
Thank you. We will walk the street first, then write to you.