Guide · Serving all of Singapore
Renovation Insurance and Indemnity: What Should Be in Place
The covers that matter on a Singapore renovation, and who they protect.
Three different things get called “renovation insurance”
Contractors' all-risk cover, public liability cover and workmen's compensation are different policies protecting different parties. A contractor saying they are “insured” has answered none of the questions that matter: which policy, whose loss, and what limit.
Public liability is the one a neighbour cares about
Public liability responds to injury or property damage caused to third parties — the unit below, a passer-by, the common property. In a block of flats that is the exposure most likely to be realised, because water travels downwards.
Workmen's compensation protects the workers
Workmen's compensation covers injury to the contractor's own workers. It is not a homeowner benefit, but its absence is a homeowner problem, because an uninsured injury on your premises becomes your argument.
Indemnity and the deposit are different protections
An indemnity clause allocates who bears a loss when something goes wrong. It does not protect the money you have already paid. Deposit protection is a separate mechanism: CaseTrust-accredited renovation businesses must purchase a deposit performance bond that safeguards deposit payments against closure, winding up and liquidation.
MCST and building requirements
Condominium managements commonly require proof of insurance and a renovation deposit before a permit to work is issued, and the required limits differ building to building. Those requirements are set by the MCST, not by the contractor.
What to ask for, in writing
Ask for the policy type, the insurer, the period of cover and the limit — and ask for it before works start rather than after an incident.
Tell us the flat and when you get the keys.
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