How to Choose a Painting Contractor in Singapore

Tintin Painting · Painting Tips · 7 min read

We're a painting contractor, so take this with the appropriate pinch of salt. But we've also cleaned up after enough bad jobs to know what separates a contractor who'll do right by you from one who won't. Here's the checklist we'd use if we were hiring.

1. Check They're a Registered Business

Ask for the UEN. Every legitimate Singapore business has one, and you can look it up on ACRA's BizFile portal in about thirty seconds. A contractor who won't give you a UEN, or who only communicates through a personal number with no business identity behind it, gives you no recourse if something goes wrong.

Ours is 202630526H, and we're happy to put it in writing before you commit to anything.

2. Insist on an Itemised Quote

A single lump-sum number tells you nothing. You want to see labour, materials, and any add-ons separated out. This matters for two reasons: you can compare quotes fairly between contractors, and you can tell whether prep work is actually included or is going to appear as a surprise line item later.

If a contractor won't itemise, that's usually because the number is padded somewhere they'd rather you didn't look.

3. Ask What Happens If They Find Hidden Damage

This is the single best question you can ask, because the answer reveals how they operate. Water damage behind a wardrobe, mould in a bathroom corner, or crumbling plaster under old paint is common in older flats and genuinely can't always be spotted at the quote stage.

The right answer: we stop, show you, and quote the additional work separately so you can decide. The wrong answers are "we'll just paint over it" (the coat will fail) or vagueness that leaves room for a surprise bill.

4. Confirm What Prep Is Included

Ask specifically: is sanding included? Filling and patching of small cracks and holes? Priming? Sealing? Prep is the difference between a paint job that looks good for six years and one that looks good for six months, and it's the first thing cut by a contractor competing purely on price.

5. Ask How Many Coats

Two coats is standard. Dark-to-light colour changes often need three. If a quote doesn't specify the number of coats, it's not a real quote — and one coat over a colour change will look patchy no matter how good the painter is.

6. Clarify Furniture and Protection

Will they move your furniture, or do you need to? Will it be covered? Are floors and skirting protected? Is everything shifted back afterwards? Some contractors quote low and then expect you to have cleared the flat yourself. Get it in writing.

7. Ask Which Paint, Specifically

Not just the brand — the product line. "We use Nippon" could mean any of a dozen products at very different price and durability points. A contractor who knows their materials will tell you exactly which product they're quoting and why it suits your rooms.

Be a little wary of anyone tied to exactly one brand across every job. Different rooms have genuinely different needs — a kitchen wall and a bedroom ceiling shouldn't necessarily get the same product.

8. Get the Warranty in Writing

What happens if paint peels or bubbles two months later? A verbal "we'll take care of it" is worth nothing when the contractor stops replying. Ask what's covered, for how long, and get it written into the quote.

9. Check Reviews That Mention Problems

Five-star reviews are easy to accumulate. What's actually informative is how a contractor responded when something did go wrong. Look for reviews describing a problem and what happened next — that tells you more than fifty generic compliments.

Also worth noting: a wall of reviews with no detail, all posted in the same week, is a pattern worth being sceptical about.

10. Meet Them Before You Commit

Any contractor should be willing to do a free site visit before quoting a firm price. Someone quoting a final figure over WhatsApp without seeing your walls is either guessing or planning to revise it upward once they arrive.

Red Flags Worth Walking Away From

• Large deposit demanded upfront before any work or site visit
• No UEN, no business address, no written quote
• Pressure to decide immediately, or a "today only" discount
• Quote significantly below everyone else with no explanation of why
• Won't specify paint products or number of coats
• Cash-only with no receipt or invoice

That last one matters more than people think. No paper trail means no recourse.

The Honest Summary

The cheapest quote is almost never the cheapest job. Prep skipped now becomes a repaint in two years. What you actually want is a contractor who explains their pricing, commits to a timeline, and is still reachable a month after they've been paid.

If you want to see what an itemised quote looks like, our rates are published and we confirm the exact figure at a free site visit.

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