Hacking, dismantling and demolition: what each word covers in a quotation

Why one job can be called three different things

Contractors sometimes use hacking, dismantling and demolition for overlapping parts of a job. Omni’s pages mention removal of partitions and fixtures under more than one heading. These everyday labels do not determine the legal approval route: actual work and applicable rules do.

So this guide uses the three terms as working descriptions. The point is to help you write a scope that every contractor can price in the same way, and to show which questions sit behind each word. If you are comparing prices, ask each contractor to list the items, areas and finishes under each heading, and read that list against the commercial renovation quotation checklist.

Working descriptions side by side

The table gives a plain meaning for each term and the examples Omni names on its own service pages. The plain meaning is a reading aid, not a definition from any regulation, and a particular job may need more than one of the three.

Write the scope by item, not by label

Whatever word is used, a quotation can be compared only if it names what comes out and what stays. For each room, list the element, its material if you know it, the approximate area, and whether it must go, may go or must stay. Photograph each one. Omni's hacking page says its site inspection looks at the size of the area, the type of material, accessibility, surrounding structures and site-specific requirements, so give it that information at the start.

• Hard finishes: floor tiles, wall tiles, raised or screeded floors, platforms. State the area and whether a new finish is going down afterwards.
• Walls and partitions: say how each was built if you know, such as board on a metal frame, brick, glass or timber, and whether the landlord or a drawing identifies it as structural or not.
• Ceilings: the ceiling finish, and what is fixed to or above it, such as lights, air-conditioning outlets, sprinkler heads and smoke detectors.
• Fixtures and furniture: built-in cabinets, counters, shelving and signage, listed separately from loose furniture. The furniture disposal worksheet gives a table for both.
• Debris and make-good: who removes the debris, who sweeps up, and who repairs the surfaces left behind. Hacking a floor and restoring it are different lines in a scope.

Disposal of debris and bulky items

Where demolition begins and why the line moves

Omni's demolition page describes removing partitions, false ceilings, flooring, built-in fixtures and other built-up structures in homes, offices, shops, F&B units and industrial spaces. Its FAQ says approvals depend on the property type and the scope, and that for structural demolition or larger-scale works additional approvals may be required. That is the working line to hold on to: the more the work reaches the structure of the building, the less it is a matter between you and your contractor.

For an office or shop handover, most requests are for fixtures, partitions, ceilings and finishes. Even then, the landlord may specify what is to be removed, what is to be retained and how the unit should be left. The lease reinstatement clause guide and the office reinstatement checklist cover how to get that in writing before you ask for a price. If the end result is a new layout, the commercial renovation page and the drywall partition page describe what comes after the strip-out.

Questions that need an assessment before any quotation is final

A quotation prepared from photographs can describe the work as you have described it. It cannot decide whether an element is structural, what is inside it, or what the building will allow. Settle the questions below and keep the answers with the quotation. Omni's pages say site assessment comes before the quotation for hacking and demolition, and that the permits and approvals that apply depend on the premises.

Structural elements and the Qualified Person

Omni's hacking page covers the removal of selected non-load-bearing walls and partitions, and its FAQ says you should not hack any wall without first confirming whether it is structural. Treat that as the position for your own project too. A contractor can tell you what it has seen on site, but the person who confirms whether an element is structural is a Qualified Person.

BCA distinguishes works requiring plan approval and permits from insignificant building works. Structural plan submissions involve a registered civil or structural Professional Engineer acting as Qualified Person. Obtain advice on the route before works; the word dismantling on a quotation is not an exemption.

This guide does not tell you whether any wall in your unit is structural, and it does not say that any particular removal is exempt. Commercial units, HDB shops and offices and JTC premises have their own landlord rules, so ask the landlord and building management first. The commercial renovation approvals guide sets out how to assign who checks, who submits and who pays for each requirement.

Noise, working hours and who needs to be told

NEA regulates construction noise with limits depending on time and nearby premises. Its Sunday and public-holiday no-work rules have specific conditions and exceptions; they are not a blanket rule for every removal job. Check the current requirements for your site and confirm working hours with management before agreeing a programme.

Building management may set narrower hours than those national limits, and a mall or office tower may require lift booking, protection of common areas or notices to other tenants. Omni's hacking FAQ says that hacking and dismantling work may be subject to approved working hours set by HDB, condo management, mall management, office buildings or landlords. Ask for the written hours before agreeing a start date, and ask your contractor to build the sequence around them.

Send the details to Omni Contractors

To get a quotation based on the real scope, send Omni the address, floor and approximate area, photographs of each element to be removed, your list of items by room, anything the landlord or building management has said in writing, and the date you need the space ready. Say which items are retained, which have unknown structure behind them, and which areas cannot yet be inspected.

Omni says it assesses the site and advises on the scope, so share the information early and expect questions. Use the contact page or WhatsApp to send it. If the removal is part of a handover, include the landlord's checklist, and see the office reinstatement and shop reinstatement pages for the wider scope.

Contact Omni Contractors

Hacking contractor

Demolition contractor

Sources

Statements about what Omni Contractors says it does come from its own published hacking, demolition and disposal services pages, read on 16 October 2026. The public sources below were read on the same date. They are general guidance and do not decide whether any rule applies to your premises.

BCA: Structural plan submission

BCA: Permit for structural works

BCA: Building works not requiring approval

NEA: Construction noise control

NEA: Construction noise control FAQs

NEA: No-work rule on Sundays and public holidays