Is CRS registration the same as a builder's licence?
No. The builder's licence is a regulatory requirement under the Building Control Act for carrying out certain building works. CRS registration is BCA's registry for firms tendering for public sector construction, acting as first-level subcontractors on public projects, or hiring S Pass and Work Permit construction workers. A firm may hold one, both or neither, and you should check each separately.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in How to Choose and Verify a Contractor in Singapore: Licences, Registration, Insurance and Red Flags. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Check four things before you award building works in Singapore: the BCA builder's licence (Class 1 general builders have no value limit; Class 2 is limited to projects of S$6 million or less), the BCA Contractors Registration System workhead and grade, bizSAFE status, and insurance certificates. Then protect yourself with progress-linked payments, a performance bond where justified, and a programme you can monitor.
More questions on this topic
- What is the difference between a GB1 and a GB2 licence?
- Does my renovation contractor need a BCA builder's licence?
- What do CW01 and CR01 mean in BCA's directory?
- How do I check a contractor's bizSAFE level?
- What insurance should a contractor have?
- How much deposit should I pay a contractor?
- What happened with Greatearth in 2021?