Do I need BCA approval to put up office partitions?
Usually not. Under the First Schedule of the Building Control Regulations, erecting or altering a partition up to 10 metres high is an insignificant building work if, outside landed houses, it is built of lightweight material such as gypsum board, calcium silicate board or hollow blocks. Insignificant works need no BCA plan submission. The partitions may still need SCDF lodgement or approval if they change rooms, exits, sprinkler coverage or compartmentation, and they always need your landlord's or MCST's consent.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in A&A and Fit-Out Approvals in Singapore: Who Approves What, and When. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Most Singapore fit-outs and A&A works need several separate clearances: BCA for structural and non-exempt building works, SCDF for anything touching fire safety (plan approval, or a $90 minor A&A lodgement for small works), URA for change of use or external changes, the landlord, JTC or MCST, plus licensed electrical workers, licensed plumbers and gas workers for services. A Qualified Person coordinates the statutory submissions.
More questions on this topic
- What is the SCDF minor A&A lodgement, and when can I use it?
- My new tenant wants to turn an office into a tuition centre. Who needs to approve?
- Can my contractor submit the plans instead of a QP?
- How long do approvals for a typical office fit-out take?
- Are approvals needed for electrical and plumbing changes in a fit-out?
- What happens if works start before approval?
- Does a condo owner need MCST approval for internal renovations?