Two ways to buy the same job
When a tap wears out, a light fitting looks dated or a lock starts to stick, you have a choice before you book anyone. You can buy the new part yourself, from a shop or online, and pay a company for installation only. Or you can let the company supply the part and install it as one job.
Both approaches are common, and neither is right every time. This article compares them across trades: taps, light fittings, ceiling fans, door locks and curtain rails. It focuses on what changes when you supply the part: who checks that it fits, who deals with a faulty part, how warranties are worded and how labour-only pricing works. The trade guides already cover the job-specific detail, so for that see the guides to tap replacement, light installation, door lock replacement and curtain installation.
Compatibility and measurements
The biggest risk with buying your own part is that it does not suit what is already there. A company that supplies the part usually looks at photos or the existing fitting first and picks something it knows will fit. When you buy it yourself, that checking falls to you.
- Taps: check whether it is a basin, sink or wall tap, the type of mounting and whether the hoses and fittings are in the box.
- Light fittings and fans: check the ceiling type, the weight of the fitting and whether it comes with the mounting parts. Fans in particular need secure fixing.
- Locks: measure the door thickness and the existing cut-outs, and check which way the door opens. A digital lock may need a different cut-out from the old one.
- Curtain rails: measure the window width and the space above it, and check what the wall or ceiling is made of.
Faulty parts, returns and who to call
If a part you bought turns out to be faulty, the installer has done the work but the part belongs to a shop or manufacturer. In practice that often means you deal with the shop for the replacement and then pay for a second visit to fit it. Ask the installer up front what happens if the part is faulty on the day: whether they charge for the wasted trip and whether a return visit is charged in full.
Keep the box, receipt and all the parts until the job is done and working. Some shops may not accept a return once a part has been installed, or once the packaging is gone, so check the shop's return terms before the visit rather than after.
When the company supplies the part, you usually have one point of contact. If the tap leaks or the lock fails, you call the company that sold and fitted it. That is often the main thing you are paying for.
Warranty: parts versus workmanship
Warranties on home jobs often cover two separate things: the part itself and the workmanship of fitting it. The wording varies a great deal between companies, so do not assume either way. Ask each company these questions and get the answers in writing:
- Do you install customer-supplied parts, and does that change your warranty?
- If I supply the part, what does your workmanship warranty still cover?
- If you supply the part, who handles a fault with it: you, or the manufacturer?
- How long does each warranty last, and what would void it?
If a fitting fails, the answers decide whether you contact the shop, the manufacturer or the installer.
NEXT STEP
See handyman companies with their published prices, the areas they say they cover and their rating sources.
Compare handyman companiesLabour-only pricing
Some companies list labour-only prices for fitting a customer-supplied part, and separate prices for supply and install. Labour-only can look much lower, but compare totals: the part you bought, plus the labour charge, plus any travel charge or minimum charge. The handyman guide explains how to line up quotes.
Published tap rates give a useful reference point. These are each company's lowest published tap rate, with the source and the date it was captured. They are advertised rates with conditions, not quotes, and some may include the tap while others are for labour only, so check each source.
FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY
Published tap replacement and repair rates
For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published rates from 13 companies run from S$60 to S$130. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a market average or a quote.
See 13 published tap rates and sources
| Company | Service as listed | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SG1 Plumber Singapore | Water Tap Replacement | S$60 per job | sg1plumber.com |
| Huat Plumbing | Tap / Faucet Repair | From S$70 per job | huatplumbing.sg |
| Prima Technologies Pte. Ltd. (Prima Services) | Tap / Faucet Repair | From S$70 per job | primaservices.sg |
| All Plumbing | Fix leaking tap or faucet | From S$80 per job | allplumbing.sg |
| Crizto Singapore Pte Ltd | Basin/Sink Tap | S$80 per job | crizto.com |
| Plumber - Singapore Plumbing 24hrs | Supply Labour to replace kitchen sink/basin tap (normal type) | From S$80 per job | singaporeplumbing24hrs.com.sg |
| PW Plumbing Services | Tap Installation | S$80 to S$120 per job | pwplumbing.com.sg |
| Active Plumbing Singapore | Replace kitchen sink/ basin tap (normal type) | From S$90 per job | activeplumbing.sg |
| Ace Plumbing Specialist | Replace kitchen sink / bathroom tap / faucet (basic type) | From S$110 per job | aceplumbing.sg |
| NILE Plumbing | Replace Sink/Basin Tap | From S$120 per job | nileplumbingsg.com |
| Best Plumbing | Replace kitchen sink/ Bathroom tap / faucet (basic type) | From S$130 per job | bestplumbing.com.sg |
| SR Power Plumber Pte. Ltd. | Replace kitchen sink / bathroom tap / faucet (basic type) | From S$130 per job | srpowerplumber.com |
| Summer Plumbing Service | 7. Replace kitchen sink/ Bathroom tap / faucet (basic type) | From S$130 per job | sgplumbing.com.sg |
Licensed work still applies
Who buys the part does not change who should fit it. Replacing a ceiling light or installing a fan on a point is electrical work. Read EMA's guidance on engaging licensed workers for which electrical work needs a licensed worker. For taps on the water supply, PUB's page on plumbing works explains which work must be carried out by a licensed plumber. Locks and curtain rails are usually handyman work.
Own part or company-supplied at a glance
| You supply the part | Company supplies the part | |
|---|---|---|
| Choice of design | Wide, anything you can buy | Limited to what the company stocks or sources |
| Checking it fits | Your responsibility | Usually the company's |
| Faulty part | Usually back to the shop or manufacturer | Usually one call to the company |
| Warranty | Workmanship only, if offered | Often part and workmanship, check the wording |
| Returns | Shop terms, often before installation only | Handled by the company |
| Suits | A specific design, or a part you already own | Like-for-like swaps and urgent repairs |
When each suits
Supplying your own part tends to suit you when you want a specific design, such as a particular light fitting or digital lock, when you already own the part, or when you are happy to check measurements yourself. It also suits renovations where you pick fittings for several rooms at once.
Letting the company supply the part tends to suit urgent repairs, like-for-like swaps where you just want it working, and jobs where compatibility is tricky, such as an unusual tap mounting. It is also simpler when you would rather have one point of contact if something goes wrong.
Area pages such as handyman companies serving Bedok list the companies that name your town on their own websites.
NEXT STEP
See what to photograph, how tap work is priced and published rates from plumbing companies.
Read the tap replacement guideQuestions
Will a company install a part I bought myself?
Some will and some will not. Ask before you book, and ask whether supplying your own part changes the warranty. Send a photo or link to the part so they can check it suits your home.
Who handles a faulty part I supplied?
Usually the shop or manufacturer you bought it from, not the installer. Keep the box and receipt, check the return terms before the visit, and ask the installer whether a return visit is charged.
Is labour-only always cheaper?
Not always. Add the price of the part, the labour charge and any travel or minimum charge, then compare that total with a supply-and-install price for the same job.
Prices come only from the sourced company rates in the HomezyPro directory, shown with each company and capture date.