Do I need approval to build a basement under a landed house?

Yes, always. A basement changes the structure of the house, so it needs planning approval, and the digging and retaining work need their own structural sign-off before anyone breaks ground. Only a qualified person can file the plans, with a professional engineer behind the structural parts, and we bring both in. How long approval takes is for the authorities to decide, so we will not promise a date, but we manage the whole process for you.

How long does basement construction take?

Months, not weeks, and the approval comes before any of it. Once we are on site, the retaining structure, the dig, the concrete work and the waterproofing take most of the programme, and the fit-out comes at the end. How long the approval takes is for the authorities to decide. We give you a stage-by-stage schedule with the quote instead of one optimistic number.

Can I add a basement to my existing house, or does it mean rebuilding?

Both are possible, but a basement is far easier when it goes in as part of a rebuild or a major extension, because the dig and the new structure are planned together. Digging under a house that stays standing can be done on some plots, but it needs the house propped and supported while the ground under it comes out, and not every plot suits it. We tell you which route your house suits at the first visit, before you spend anything on design.

Will digging next to my neighbour's house cause damage?

Not if it is engineered and watched properly, and that is what most of the design work is for. The retaining structure holds the ground still, the dig moves in stages the engineer has planned, and instruments measure any movement while the work runs. Before we start, we photograph next door and note every existing crack, so there is proof of what was there first. On a terrace, where the neighbour's wall sits closest, this part of the job gets the most attention.

Will the basement stay dry in Singapore's climate?

Yes, if the water is planned for from the start rather than fought after the first damp patch. Singapore's ground holds a lot of water and the monsoon adds more, so the waterproofing goes on the outside of the structure before the concrete is poured, drainage runs around and under the floor, and pumps in a sump clear whatever collects. Mechanical ventilation keeps the air moving. Fixing a wet basement after it is finished is far harder than building a dry one.

What do people use a landed basement for?

Car parking, a home theatre, a gym, a wine store, storage, and guest or helper rooms are the common ones. Decide before the design is fixed, because each use changes the build. Parking needs a ramp and enough headroom. A theatre needs quiet and cable runs. A gym needs strong ventilation. You cannot add headroom or a ramp later, so the use has to lead the design, not follow it.

Does a basement need a sunken courtyard or light well?

Usually, yes. The planning rules for landed homes generally expect a basement to get natural light and air, and a sunken courtyard or light well is how that is done. It is also what makes the difference between a proper room and a bunker. Where that opening sits shapes the floor above as well as the basement, so we place it early, because the stairs, the services and the usable rooms all arrange themselves around it.

Can a home lift go down to the basement?

Yes, and the time to plan it is while the basement is being built. The lift needs a pit, a shaft that lines up through every floor, and drainage for the pit, and all of that can be cast with the basement instead of cut in later at far greater cost. If a lift is even a maybe, tell us at the first visit. We design the provision in and quote the lift separately when you are ready.

A whole extra floor, without building upwards

Basement Construction

A basement gives a terrace, semi-detached or bungalow a whole extra floor without giving up the garden, the car porch or any height. It is also the most demanding thing you can do to a landed house: a deep dig beside your neighbours, a structure that holds the ground back for good, and waterproofing that has to work through every monsoon. We design it, get it approved and build it, under one contract.

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Why Choose Us

What You Get

Engineered for your plot

A professional engineer designs the retaining structure, the digging sequence and the base slab around the soil and water that are actually under your house. No two plots dig the same, so nothing here is copied from the last job.

The neighbours are protected

The dig happens a few metres from someone else's home. Before we start, we photograph and document the neighbouring properties, put monitoring instruments in, and follow the engineer's digging plan, so the ground stays where it is.

Water planned for from day one

A basement here sits in wet ground through every monsoon. The waterproofing, the drainage, the sump and the pumps are designed together with the structure, before the first pour. That is what keeps it dry, not repairs after the first stain appears.

One contract, one company to answer for it

The engineer, the digging crew, the structural work, the waterproofing and the finishing trades all sit under our contract. If water ever shows up, there is one company to call and nobody to point at.

Options

Materials & Systems

Earth retaining structure

The wall of piles or sheets that holds the ground back while we dig, and after. The engineer picks the system from the depth of the dig, the soil and water conditions, and the distance to the houses beside you.

Membrane tanking

A waterproof membrane laid down before the concrete is poured, so it ends up on the outside of the structure where the water pushes. The main line of defence for a new basement.

Waterproof concrete

Concrete with an admixture that seals its own hairline cracks when water reaches them. Usually used together with the membrane, as a second line of defence rather than a replacement for it.

Drained cavity with sump and pumps

A drainage layer behind the finishes that catches any water that gets through and sends it to a sump, where pumps clear it. A standby pump and an alarm cover the day the first pump fails.

How It Works

Our Process

We come and look

We walk the plot with you and look at the levels, the drains, how close the neighbours sit and whether machinery can get in. We also ask what the basement is for, because a car park, a home theatre and a guest room need different depths, headroom and services.

Design and approval

Our engineer and architect work out the retaining structure, the basement itself and how the water will be managed, then file the plans. Nothing gets dug before the approval is in hand, and we manage the whole process for you.

Protecting next door

We record the condition of the houses next door and share it with their owners, put monitoring instruments in, hoard the site and divert any pipes and cables in the way. This step is what keeps a basement build from turning into a quarrel with the neighbours.

The dig and the structure

The retaining structure goes in first. Then the dig, in the sequence the engineer set, with movement readings taken as we go. The base slab, the walls and the waterproofing follow, and the waterproofing is tested before anything gets buried.

Services, finishes and handover

Ventilation, lighting, power, drainage and the sump pumps go in and get tested, then the finishes. We walk the finished basement with you, show you how the pumps and the ventilation work, and hand over the drawings and the points to maintain.

Real people, real care

What working with us looks like

A thorough, free site assessment. We measure and plan around your home.

Careful, protected work by people who take pride in the finish.

A proper walkthrough and handover. We see it through to the end.

Common Questions

Basement Construction FAQ

A basement costs more than any other way of adding a floor, and the price comes from things you cannot see on a plan. The depth and size of the dig, the soil and groundwater under your plot, the retaining structure the engineer specifies, how near the neighbouring houses stand, and whether machinery can get in. What you use it for matters too. We put a number to it after a free site visit.

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Where We Work

Basement Construction anywhere in Singapore

We take on landed homes across the whole island. These are the estates we get asked about most often, each with notes on the houses and the access there.

Bukit Timah Holland Village Sentosa Cove Serangoon Gardens Watten Estate Siglap Frankel Estate Opera Estate Telok Kurau Joo Chiat East Coast Binjai Park Namly Seletar Hills Thomson

Your estate not listed? It makes no difference to us. Tell us where the house is.

Related Services

A&A Works

Add a room, a storey or an attic, or rework the whole layout. We bring the architect and engineer and handle the approvals.

Home Lifts

A lift inside your own house. We build the shaft, install the lift and finish everything around it.

Roof Waterproofing

We trace where the water actually gets in and fix the cause. One proper job instead of a patch every monsoon.