Zames Chew

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by how things work. As a child, I would spend hours tinkering with anything I could get my hands on. From taking apart old electronics, fixing broken fixtures, or piecing together small projects from scratch. I loved the challenge of solving a problem with my own two hands and bringing something broken back to life. That sense of curiosity and determination has never left me.

Fast forward to today, that childhood passion has grown into Repair.sg, a property maintenance company I am building with my younger brother. What began with a beat-up rented van has grown into a fleet of service vehicles and a team of more than twenty people who serve homes and businesses across Singapore. We cover five categories—handyman, plumbing, electrical, pest management, and air-conditioning—and have been trusted by brands like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Haidilao Hotpot, Kcuts, Zenith Education, and IKEA Singapore.

In air-conditioning, my journey began with the Air-Conditioning Unit Installer Certification from BCA Academy. This formal training gave me the technical grounding to install systems safely and effectively, skills that I had already been applying on the ground. It marked the first step in transforming a childhood fascination into a professional path.

In plumbing, I completed the Builder Certificate in Plumbing and Pipefitting at BCA Academy, which equipped me with the knowledge to install and maintain sanitary and water systems in both homes and commercial settings. Today, I am under apprenticeship for the Licensed Plumber examination, a journey that has me learning directly from licensed masters while ensuring our company’s plumbing works are always supervised and compliant.

In electrical work, I completed the Licensed Electrician Preparatory Course at Singapore Polytechnic and have already fulfilled the experiential requirements for the national Licensed Electrician test, with my exam pending. This field, more than any other, has taught me the importance of safety and precision—values that are non-negotiable when dealing with power systems in homes and businesses. Until my licensing is formalised, our in-house Licensed Electricians guide and supervise all electrical works.

In pest control, I hold the Vector Control Worker Licence issued by NEA. This certification empowers me to handle pest management safely and responsibly, ensuring that both public health and property standards are upheld for our customers. It has opened another dimension of service at Repair.sg, allowing us to provide a truly one-stop solution.

Over nine years, I have learned that my journey is not about a smooth corporate story but about perseverance, mistakes, and lessons that shaped me along the way. I started right after my O-levels with no fallback plan and graduated at the bottom of my polytechnic cohort. What carried me through was not credentials on paper but a relentless commitment to solving problems, however messy they were.

Today, Repair.sg has served more than 30,000 customers islandwide. But what I value most is not the big names or the size of the fleet—it’s the little moments. The homeowner who calls back just to say thank you. The satisfaction of knowing that we have taken a weight off someone’s shoulders. That is why I continue to pursue every licence, every certification, and every opportunity to grow. Because there is still so much more we can achieve, more problems to solve, and more ways to make a meaningful difference for the people we serve.