The 60-second answer: The CaseTrust-RCMA Joint Accreditation Scheme is the higher tier of CaseTrust accreditation for renovation businesses, jointly operated by CASE and the Singapore Renovation Contractors and Material Suppliers Association (RCMA) since August 2014 (RCMA CaseTrust page). RCMA membership is a prerequisite. The scheme uses the same deposit performance bond mechanism as CaseTrust-only accreditation — currently arranged through bolttech Insurance Brokers — but adds RCMA-specific contract and dispute-resolution standards.

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The Sourced Detail

Per the CaseTrust accreditation FAQ, there are two parallel schemes for renovation businesses:

  1. CaseTrust Accreditation Scheme for Renovation Businesses — open to any renovation business that meets the criteria. No RCMA membership required.
  2. CaseTrust-RCMA Joint Accreditation Scheme — open only to RCMA members.

Both schemes are designed to "raise the industry's professionalism" and require accredited businesses to:

  • Adopt the CaseTrust Standard Renovation Contract (CaseTrust info kit).
  • Purchase a deposit performance bond to safeguard customer prepayments against the firm's closure, winding up, or liquidation.
  • Provide a 12-month workmanship warranty from completion of works (per the info kit).
  • Submit to dispute resolution — including CASE mediation.

What the deposit performance bond actually does

Per the RCMA explanation, the bond protects consumers "against closure, winding up and/or liquidation of the renovation business." The bond is not insurance in the conventional sense — it's a financial guarantee.

Per the official CaseTrust FAQ, the broker arranging these bonds is bolttech Insurance Brokers: "CaseTrust will connect you with bolttech Insurance Brokers Pte Ltd to apply for insurance, after your business completes the assessment stage." The bond requires the consumer's full NRIC at point of purchase, per the same FAQ — "in line with Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) guidelines, as it is necessary to verify the identity of the policy holder in the event of a payout."

Differences between Joint and CaseTrust-only schemes

The schemes share most criteria — both audit policies, communication, personnel, and practices & systems — but the Joint Scheme adds:

  • RCMA membership prerequisite. Per RCMA's site, "Members of Singapore Renovation Contractors and Material Suppliers Association (RCMA) are eligible to apply for CaseTrust-RCMA Joint Accreditation Scheme."
  • HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors (DRC) benefits. Per the CaseTrust info kit (Silver Subsidy Framework, March 2025), accredited businesses listed in the HDB DRC "enjoy a longer listing validity of 3 years instead of 2, subject to prevailing conditions, and require only 1 year of experience in renovation works to qualify, compared to the usual 3."
  • RCMA-specific code of practice and supplementary criteria layered on top of the core CaseTrust standards.

Insurance implications

The deposit performance bond is the headline financial product in the scheme — but it is not the only insurance a CaseTrust-RCMA accredited renovation business should consider:

  • Public Liability — a worker damages a neighbour's wall during hacking; PL responds.
  • Workmanship/contract works cover — for the works in progress.
  • WICA — mandatory for site workers per MOM.
  • Fidelity Guarantee — covers theft by employees (relevant where staff handle customer cash deposits or valuables on site).
  • Cyber liability — if you store customer NRIC and address data, you are a PDPA "data controller."

The bond protects the consumer. The other policies protect your business.

What This Means for Your Business

If you're a renovation contractor weighing CaseTrust-only vs CaseTrust-RCMA, the practical question is: do you want HDB DRC listing benefits (longer validity, lower experience hurdle for new firms) and access to RCMA's industry advocacy? If yes, the Joint Scheme. If you'd rather avoid RCMA membership and dues, the CaseTrust-only scheme delivers the same consumer-facing trust mark and the same deposit bond mechanism.

Either way, the bond is mandatory. The bond is structured as a deposit performance instrument, not a general indemnity — it pays the consumer if you close, but it does NOT pay the consumer if you simply do shoddy work and refuse to fix it (that's what the dispute resolution mechanism is for, and what your warranty contract terms are for).

The CaseTrust standard renovation contract is itself a risk-management tool: it forces progress payments aligned with completion stages, removing the "100% deposit upfront" exposure that gets so many homeowners burned. From an insurance-buying standpoint, your exposure profile under the CaseTrust contract is materially lower than under unstructured contracts.

Questions to Ask Your Adviser

  1. The bolttech-arranged CaseTrust deposit performance bond — what does it cost annually, and how does it interact with my other policies?
  2. Does my PL policy carve out work I do in HDB common areas vs the unit interior?
  3. Customer NRIC data is required for the bond — what's my PDPA exposure and should I have cyber cover?
  4. If I expand from HDB renovations into commercial fit-outs, does my insurance stack need to change?
  5. What's the typical claims experience under CaseTrust deposit bonds — how often do firms call them in?

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Related Information

  • CaseTrust Renovation: the basic scheme explained
  • Workers Compensation for renovation firms: WICA basics
  • HDB DRC vs BCA registration — what's the difference?

Published 3 May 2026. Source verified 3 May 2026. COVA is an introducer under MAS Notice FAA-N02. We do not recommend insurance products. We provide factual information sourced from primary regulators and route you to a licensed IFA who can match a policy to your specific situation.