Journal · Planning
What happens before site work
Design, orders and permits come first. A plain guide to the weeks before anything is hacked, and the date questions worth asking.
Daniel GohProject lead · 5 min read
Site work is the visible part of a renovation. The decisions that let it happen come first: a brief, a measured visit, a written scope and approved materials. A target move-in month helps the conversation; it does not set a start date.
Start with the brief
Write down your priorities and must-keeps. Add approximate size, key timing and whether a floor plan is available. A town or estate is enough here; keep exact addresses and documents out of this demo.
A coordinator would reply by the next studio business day to arrange a conversation. The measured visit follows so the room choices can become an itemised scope.
Agree the work before ordering
The written proposal names work, exclusions, materials, payment milestones, responsibilities and a provisional programme. Choose materials before orders are placed. Record a second choice where availability is still open.
Off-site carpentry and design or sourcing may overlap. Do not add separate bands together and treat the sum as a completion promise.
Permissions and access come before site work
The appointed contractor checks which HDB permissions apply. For an existing block, approved work must finish within one calendar month of the permit date. A longer planning band does not change that condition.
For a condo, ask management for its application, access and noisy-work rules, lift bookings, deposit and approval conditions. There is no universal MCST turnaround.
The sequence follows the choices
Protection comes first. Remove the items marked Replace, then carry out selected wet works, waterproofing and testing, licensed electrical or plumbing work, finishes and fitted carpentry. Finish with a joint inspection, agreed fixes and documents.
Overlay needs surface and threshold checks. Keeping bathroom tiles does not mean new waterproofing is included. Structural intentions need professional review before dates can be given.
Ask before agreeing a date
Are the keys confirmed? Which approvals and deliveries are still open? Who records changes, and what happens to cost and time? Who is the lead and the backup? Put the answers beside the written scope.