Are planter boxes and sunshades exterior features?
Sunshades are: the 2021 Regulations list awnings and other devices to provide shade, along with window hoods and cantilevered roofs. Planter boxes are not named as such. A concrete planter is usually part of a concrete slab or wall, and a planter hung on brackets relies on brackets, both of which are listed. Either way, the person responsible must keep them securely fixed. Loose pots on ledges can also be treated as killer litter. Check with BCA if you are unsure about a particular feature.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Air-Con Brackets, Planter Boxes and Sunshades: An Owner's Guide to Exterior Features in Singapore. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
In Singapore, the person responsible for an exterior feature, such as an air-con bracket, sunshade or planter, must keep it securely fixed so it cannot fall. Since 1 October 2025, failing to do so can bring a fine of up to S$20,000, 12 months' jail, or both. External air-con units must sit on a stainless steel bracket or a concrete ledge, installed by a BCA-trained installer.
More questions on this topic
- Who is responsible for my air-con bracket in an HDB flat?
- What material must an air-con bracket be made of?
- Can any air-con technician install or replace the outdoor unit?
- How often should air-con brackets be checked?
- What happens if BCA finds my bracket unsafe?
- Does the Periodic Façade Inspection check air-con brackets?
- Do these rules apply to my landed house?