Glossary of Singapore building terms

322 terms used by BCA, SCDF, MOM, landlords and contractors, defined in plain English and linked to the guide that explains each one in depth.

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1

100% tie-off: An industry expectation, not a phrase in the Singapore regulations, that a worker relying on a fall arrest system stays connected to a suitable anchor at all times while exposed to a fall. It is usually achieved with a twin-leg lanyard so one hook remains attached while the other is moved. Industrial rope access separately requires two independent lines. Read the guide

3

3R principle (URA conservation): URA's fundamental conservation rule for all conserved buildings: maximum Retention, sensitive Restoration and careful Repair. Original structural and architectural elements should be kept and restored, replacement is a last resort needing URA clearance, and wholesale rebuilding is treated as contrary to accepted conservation practice. It governs every design decision on a conserved shophouse. Read the guide

9

90% resolution: A resolution at a strata general meeting passed by owners holding at least 90% of the aggregate share value of those present in person or by proxy. Under section 37 of the Building (Strata Management) Act, it is needed before an owner may make an improvement that increases the floor area of the development, such as an enclosure counted as gross floor area. Read the guide

A

AAMA 501.2: A field test method for diagnosing water leakage in installed storefronts, curtain walls and sloped glazing. Water is sprayed from a specified nozzle at controlled pressure along one joint at a time, typically five minutes per five feet of joint, while an observer inside watches for leaks. It isolates joints well but does not simulate wind pressure. Read the guide
Accredited Checker (AC): An experienced engineer accredited by BCA to independently check structural designs. For A&A works that materially affect key structural elements, such as strengthening, BCA requires an AC's certificate with the structural plans. The Fourth Schedule of the Building Control Regulations sets out which works need, and which are exempt from, an AC's certificate. Read the guide
Addition and alteration (A&A) works: Building works that add to or change an existing building, as opposed to new construction. In Singapore, A&A works may need approvals from several agencies at once: BCA for building and structural works, SCDF for fire safety works, URA for change of use or external changes, plus the landlord, JTC or MCST. Small interior items may be exempt from some of these. Read the guide
Adjudication (SOPA): A fast statutory process in which an independent adjudicator, appointed through the Singapore Mediation Centre, decides how much is payable on a disputed payment claim, usually within 7 or 14 days of the adjudication starting. The determination is binding and enforceable as a court judgment with the court's permission, unless and until the dispute is finally decided by a court or tribunal or settled. Read the guide
Advance payment guarantee: A guarantee from a bank or insurer that secures money an owner pays a contractor before the corresponding work or delivery, for example for long-lead materials. If the contractor fails, the owner can call the guarantee to recover the unrecovered advance. It should match the amount advanced, reduce as the advance is deducted from progress payments, and not expire before the advance is fully recovered. Read the guide
Advertising structure: Any frame, panel, hoarding, object or other structure designed or used mainly to display advertising, including a building surface on which advertising is fixed or projected. A structure used only for outdoor display of an advertisement or signboard is a temporary building under the Building Control Act, and may need a Permit To Use. Read the guide
Air cleaning system (kitchen exhaust): Equipment in a kitchen exhaust, such as grease filters, UV-C units or electronic air cleaners, that removes grease, particles, water vapour and odour before air is discharged. NEA's Code of Practice on Environmental Health requires cooking fumes to be treated so that no visible smoke or fumes leave the exhaust. Read the guide
Air-con ledge: A concrete shelf on the façade designed to hold air-con condensing units. In HDB flats launched for sale from May 2004, the ledge is part of the flat's strata area and belongs to the owner; MND has said this cannot be applied retrospectively to older flats. HDB requires the ledge to be used only for the condensing unit and kept clean and unobstructed. Read the guide
Airwell: An open-to-sky void within a shophouse that brings light and ventilation to the interior. URA requires the airwell's original size and location to be kept. It may be covered by a lightweight, transparent or translucent roof set lower than the main roof eave, but no floor, lift or other structure may be added inside it. Read the guide
Aluminium composite panel (ACP): A cladding panel made of two thin aluminium sheets bonded to a core. In Singapore, composite panels used as external wall cladding must comply with SCDF's Fire Code clause on composite panels; SCDF has stated they must be non-combustible or certified Class 0. Replacement panels in façade repairs must therefore be checked for fire certification, not only appearance. Read the guide
Ancillary office: Office space that supports the main use of a unit, such as a supervisor's office in a warehouse, rather than being a separate business use. SCDF allows a single open stair to a factory or warehouse mezzanine of up to 60 m² per unit only if it is used as a store or ancillary office, and URA expects office space in industrial units to stay ancillary. Read the guide
Approved asbestos-removal contractor: A contractor approved by MOM to remove asbestos. Where asbestos is found before demolition, removal by such a contractor must be completed before demolition starts. The contractor notifies MOM at least one week before work, with a removal plan and survey result, and afterwards submits a waste disposal certificate and air monitoring report. Read the guide
Approved scaffold contractor (ASC): A contractor approved by MOM's Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health to erect, alter and dismantle scaffolds. An ASC is required for all scaffolds except tower scaffolds, trestle scaffolds and other scaffolds under 4 metres high, and always for suspended scaffolds, hanging scaffolds and scaffolds on cantilever or jib supports. Read the guide
Approved window contractor: A company registered with BCA's Contractors Registry under workhead RW01 that may install windows. BCA also allows GB1 and GB2 licensed builders to install windows. Installation must be done by a trained window installer with at least 12 months' experience who has passed the Safety of Windows course, and a completion certificate is submitted within 14 days. Read the guide
Asbestos: Under Singapore's Workplace Safety and Health (Asbestos) Regulations 2014, crocidolite, actinolite, anthophyllite, amosite, tremolite, chrysotile, amphiboles or any mixture containing them. Used in older buildings for strength, fire resistance and insulation, it was banned from use in buildings from the late 1980s. Its fibres, released when materials are broken, cut or drilled, can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Read the guide
Asbestos-containing material (ACM): Any building material or product that contains asbestos, such as asbestos-cement roof sheets, ceiling boards, partition and fire protection boards, floor tiles, pipe lagging, sprayed insulation and gaskets. In Singapore, buildings completed after 1 January 1991 are unlikely to contain ACM. Only laboratory testing of samples taken by a competent surveyor can confirm whether a composite material contains asbestos. Read the guide
Asbestosis: Scarring (fibrosis) of the lung tissue caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. Singapore's WSH Council guidelines note that it develops after high and prolonged exposure, with a long latency between exposure and disease. The World Health Organization lists it among the chronic respiratory diseases caused by asbestos. Because it follows heavy exposure years earlier, controlling dust during asbestos removal is the practical protection. Read the guide
Asbestos management programme: An owner's arrangements for asbestos-containing materials that remain in a building. MOM advises owners to survey the building to identify asbestos, put in place a management programme with awareness training for people working near the materials, take corrective action immediately if any material is damaged, and use an approved asbestos-removal contractor for any removal or repair. Locations should be recorded for future contractors. Read the guide
Asbestos-removal plan of work: The written plan an approved asbestos-removal contractor's competent person must prepare before removal starts, under regulation 16 of the WSH (Asbestos) Regulations 2014. It covers the nature, duration and exact location of the work, the type of asbestos, removal methods and controls on release and spread, decontamination, storage and disposal of waste, monitoring and emergency arrangements. It is submitted with the MOM notification. Read the guide
Asbestos survey: An inspection, sampling and report by a competent person on whether asbestos-containing material is present. Under the WSH (Asbestos) Regulations 2014, building works including demolition on buildings with no CSC or TOP issued on or after 1 January 1991 may start only after the survey report is received; any asbestos is removed first. Read the guide
As-built survey: A measured survey that records what has actually been constructed, including dimensions, structural member sizes, openings, connections and current use, so it can be compared with the approved plans. It is the first technical step in regularising unauthorised works and in pre-purchase or pre-lease due diligence. Read the guide
ASTM E1105: A field test method for water penetration of installed exterior windows, skylights, doors and curtain walls, in which water is sprayed on the outside while a chamber creates a uniform or cyclic static air pressure difference across the assembly. It reproduces wind-driven rain more closely than a nozzle test and can be used on buildings already in service. Read the guide
Attic (landed house): An incidental space underneath the main roof of a landed house, which URA requires to sit within the permissible building envelope. Since URA circular DC21-05 of July 2021, the attic can be placed flexibly within the two- or three-storey envelope instead of behind a 45-degree setback line. An attic adds floor area, so it normally needs planning permission. Read the guide

B

Back-buttering: Applying a thin layer of tile adhesive to the back of a tile as well as combing adhesive onto the substrate, to achieve full contact and coverage. BCA's ceramic tiling guide recommends applying adhesive to both the slab and the back of large-format panels or tiles. Poor adhesive coverage is one of the commonest workmanship causes of hollow and popped tiles. Read the guide
Balcony screen: A system of vertical fins, louvres or similar panels that URA allows on residential balconies instead of enclosure. Screens must be fully retractable or able to be drawn open, and must allow natural ventilation even when closed. URA does not allow balconies to be enclosed with walls or glass panels, and owners must follow their MCST's approved design guidelines. Read the guide
Bare shell: A reference condition in many Singapore commercial leases in which the tenant's fit-out has been removed: no tenant partitions, ceiling, raised floor or finishes, with services capped at base-building points. What exactly counts as bare shell varies between buildings, so it should be confirmed against the lease definition and the landlord's current reinstatement guidelines. Read the guide
Barrier (safety from falling): A railing, balustrade, parapet or wall that prevents people falling where there is a vertical drop of 1.0 m or more. Under Section H of BCA's Approved Document, a barrier must generally be at least 1.0 m high, have no gap in its lowest 75 mm, not let a 100 mm sphere pass in non-industrial buildings, resist climbing, and use laminated glass if glass is part of it. Read the guide
Baseline programme: The agreed construction programme at contract award, showing every activity, its duration, its dependencies and the critical path. It is the benchmark against which progress and delay are measured, and the starting point for any extension-of-time or liquidated damages discussion. Read the guide
Bills of quantities (BQ): A document, usually prepared by a quantity surveyor, listing the measured quantities of each item of work, which tenderers price with rates. When the bills form part of the contract, errors or differences in quantities are generally corrected as variations at bill rates, so the owner carries the risk of measurement errors. Small jobs often use an itemised quotation as a simpler substitute. Read the guide
bizSAFE: The Workplace Safety and Health Council's capability programme, with Levels 1 to 4 and bizSAFE STAR. Levels 1 and 2 are introductory and valid for six months; Level 3 and above require audited risk-management implementation and are valid for three years or until the external certification expires. Status is checkable online. Read the guide
Breakaway (landed house): The situation where one half of a semi-detached pair, or one house in a terrace, is demolished or rebuilt so that it no longer shares a party wall with its neighbour. The old party wall becomes an exposed wall on the neighbour's side. BCA and URA's good-practice guide asks the owner to plaster and paint it, treat exposed roofing and install flashings promptly. Read the guide
BRE Digest 251: A UK Building Research Establishment publication, Assessment of damage in low-rise buildings, that classifies visible damage into categories 0 to 5 largely by crack width. BRE treats categories 0 to 2, with cracks up to about 5 mm, as aesthetic; 3 and 4 as serviceability issues; and 5 as stability issues. It was written for low-rise masonry, so it is a vocabulary rather than a verdict for Singapore's concrete frames. Read the guide
Building apex: The highest point of a building used to test the PFI's 13-metre threshold, measured from ground level and excluding rooftop installations such as antennae. BCA's guidelines explain how setback rooftop structures are treated: if the setback distance exceeds the structure's height, the main roof level counts as the apex; otherwise the top of the rooftop structure counts. Read the guide
Building maintenance unit (BMU): A permanently installed roof machine that carries a cradle around a building's façade for cleaning, maintenance and inspection. Where a building has a BMU, BCA expects the PFI Competent Person to consider whether it can be used for close-range inspection. Its certification and reach should be confirmed before it is relied on for façade works. Read the guide
Building (Strata Management) Act 2004: The Singapore statute governing the maintenance and management of strata developments, formerly called the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act; its short title changed on 1 October 2025. It covers management corporations, developers' obligations before handover, by-laws and the Strata Titles Boards. Read the guide
Building (Strata Management) Act 2004 (B(SM)A): The Singapore statute that governs strata developments, management corporations and the Strata Titles Boards. It was called the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act (BMSMA) until it was renamed on 1 October 2025, when its building maintenance provisions were moved into the Building Control Act. Section numbers for the strata provisions, such as section 101, were retained. Read the guide
Building (Strata Management) Act (B(SM)A): The Act governing strata developments such as condominiums, including management corporations, by-laws, common property, owners' works and the Strata Titles Boards. It was called the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act (BMSMA) until it was renamed with effect from 1 October 2025. Section numbers such as 32, 33, 37, 37A and 101 were unchanged. Read the guide

C

Carbonation: The slow reaction of carbon dioxide from the air with the alkaline compounds in concrete, lowering its pH from around 12.5 to about 8.5 as a front that advances inward over time. When the front reaches the reinforcement, the steel loses its protective passive layer and can corrode if moisture is present. Regular painting and sealing cracks help slow it. Read the guide
Casement window: A window, or part of one, that opens on hinges, pivots or variable geometry stays, as defined in the Building Control (Retrofitting of Casement Windows) Order 2004. Outward-opening casement windows are the largest single category of fallen windows in BCA's yearly figures, mostly because corroded aluminium rivets in their stays could no longer hold the panel. Read the guide
CaseTrust accreditation (renovation): CASE's accreditation scheme for renovation businesses. Accredited firms must buy a deposit performance bond to protect customers' deposits, use the CaseTrust Standard Renovation Contract, and attend CASE mediation if a consumer requests it, with mediation charges borne by CaseTrust. A higher Gold tier was launched on 15 March 2026. Read the guide
Cash in lieu of reinstatement: An agreement in which the landlord accepts a payment instead of requiring the tenant to carry out reinstatement works, often because the landlord plans its own refurbishment. It should be in writing, state the sum and its basis, release the specific reinstatement obligations and confirm how the security deposit will be treated. Read the guide
Cementitious waterproofing: A waterproofing coating based on cement modified with polymers, applied in coats by brush or trowel; some products are crystalline and react within the concrete. It tolerates damp substrates and bonds well under tile adhesive, so it is common in bathrooms and other wet areas. Rigid grades bridge only small cracks, and most need protection rather than direct exposure on roofs. Read the guide
Certificate of Substantial Completion: Under the PSSCOC 2020 public-sector form, the certificate stating the date on which the works were substantially completed. The Superintending Officer must respond within 21 days of the contractor's notice and undertaking to finish outstanding work. It starts the defects liability period and ends the contractor's licence to occupy the site, subject to re-entry for defects. Read the guide
Change of use: Using premises for a purpose different from the approved use, such as converting an office into a school or a store into a showroom. URA may require planning permission, applied for through GoBusiness for a S$500 fee. Under section 61 of the Fire Safety Act, a change of use that makes existing fire safety measures inadequate also needs SCDF's prior approval. Read the guide
Change of Use Lodgment (URA): A URA scheme that gives deemed approval, on successful online submission, for pre-identified changes of use in selected commercial buildings and the first storey of qualifying shophouses. The fee is S$150 and 12 conditions apply, including no unauthorised works and the new use not having started. Other cases need a full change-of-use application. Read the guide
Chloride-induced corrosion: Corrosion of reinforcement triggered when chloride ions build up at the steel surface to a threshold, generally taken as 0.2 to 0.4% chloride by mass of cement, breaking down the passive layer even in alkaline concrete. It tends to cause localised pitting that can reduce bar section quickly, and is most relevant to coastal and marine structures and some older concrete. Read the guide
Close-range inspection: The hands-on part of a PFI: inspection with physical contact, using tapping rods, rubber mallets, borescopes or simple scanning equipment, over at least 10% of the surface area of each building elevation, along vertical drops from top to bottom. It aims to find hidden defects such as hollow plaster or tiles, debonding and failed anchorages that a visual survey cannot detect. Read the guide
Commissioner of Building Control: The statutory office within the Building and Construction Authority that approves building plans, issues permits for structural works and Permits To Use for temporary buildings, licenses outdoor signs, and enforces the Building Control Act, including orders to stop, alter or demolish works and notices to maintain exterior features. Read the guide
Common property (strata): Parts of a strata development not in any lot and used by two or more lots, plus certain items wherever located, including shared pipes and ducts, any structural element of the building, and the waterproof membrane on an external wall or roof. Load-bearing walls, columns, beams and slabs inside a unit are therefore common property, though slab underlayment and floor finishes are not. Read the guide
Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT): State Courts tribunals for neighbour disputes under the Community Disputes Resolution Act 2015, such as excessive noise, vibration, smell or obstruction affecting the enjoyment of a home. The maximum monetary claim is S$20,000, and claims must be filed within 2 years. Neighbour-caused property damage is excluded from the Small Claims Tribunals. Read the guide
Competent Person (CP): For the PFI, a Professional Engineer registered in the civil or structural discipline, or a Registered Architect, who has passed the BCA-approved Certificate in Façade Inspection course and has no professional or financial interest in the building. The CP must personally carry out or directly supervise the inspection, classifies the façade's condition and certifies the report. Read the guide
Concrete cover: The thickness of concrete between the surface and the nearest reinforcing bar. Cover protects steel from carbonation, chlorides and fire; thin or poor-quality cover lets corrosion start sooner. When reinforcement corrodes, the expanding rust cracks and pushes off the cover, which is what owners see as spalling. Engineers often measure cover when diagnosing spalling. Read the guide
Concurrent delay: Two or more delaying events affecting completion over the same period, where one is the owner's risk and another is the contractor's. Singapore law on how to treat it is not fully settled; approaches include a full extension without extra money, apportionment, or asking which cause was dominant. PSSCOC requires the certifier to take concurrent contractor delays into account. Defining it in the contract avoids disputes. Read the guide
Condition precedent (notice): A contractual requirement that must be met before a right arises, for example giving written notice of a delay event within 28 or 60 days before any extension of time can be granted. Only clear words create a condition precedent. In Singapore, missing such a notice costs the contractor the extension but does not by itself set time at large, following Diamond Glass v Zhong Kai (2022). Read the guide
CONQUAS: BCA's Construction Quality Assessment System, a standard for scoring the workmanship quality of building projects in Singapore against defined criteria. For tiled floors and walls, CONQUAS standards include no hollow sound when tapped, evenness of not more than 3 mm per 1.2 m and lippage between tiles of not more than 0.5 mm. BCA describes CONQUAS as the de facto national yardstick for workmanship. Read the guide
CONQUAS banding: BCA's rating of developers and builders, launched on 25 May 2023, from Band 1 for a very low incidence of major defects to Band 6 for a higher incidence. Bands are based on a firm's CONQUAS scores over the past six years and take validated homeowner feedback on major defects into account. They are published on BCA's Quality Housing Portal. Read the guide
Conservation Permission: URA's approval for works to buildings in conservation areas, needed whether or not BCA plans are required. Category 1 works affecting key elements are submitted by a Registered Architect, Category 2 by an architect or PE, and Category 3 minor or repair works, such as changing business signs, by the owner or contractor free of charge. No work may start before permission is issued. Read the guide
Conservation works categories (1, 2 and 3): URA's classification of works to conserved buildings. Category 1 works significantly affect key elements and need a Registered Architect; Category 2 works affect them less and need an architect or engineer; both are decided within 20 working days. Category 3 covers minor repair and one-for-one replacement, can be applied for by owners or contractors, is free and takes about two weeks. Read the guide
Contractor's all risks (CAR) insurance: A construction insurance policy covering physical loss of or damage to the works and materials during the contract, often combined with public liability cover for third-party injury and property damage. Singapore landlords commonly require evidence of CAR and public liability cover before allowing fit-out or reinstatement works to start. Read the guide
Contractors Registration System (CRS): BCA's nation-wide registry of construction firms, organised by workhead and grade. Registration is needed to tender for public sector construction, to act as a first-level subcontractor on public projects and, since 1 June 2025, to hire S Pass or Work Permit construction workers. Status can be checked in BCA's e-Directory. Read the guide
Cost of completion: The amount an owner must pay a replacement contractor, consultants and others to finish the works after the original contractor fails, compared with the balance that remained unpaid under the original contract. The excess is usually a claim against the defaulting contractor, but if that contractor is insolvent it ranks as an unsecured debt, which is why retention, unpaid balances and bonds held by the owner matter. Read the guide
Critical path: The longest chain of dependent activities in a programme, with no spare time. If any activity on it slips, completion slips. In commercial fit-outs it typically runs through design freeze, approvals, long-lead deliveries, ceiling close-up, testing and commissioning, and fire-safety certification. Read the guide
CRS grade and tendering limit: The grade attached to a CRS workhead sets the maximum value of public sector contracts the firm may tender for. For 2026/27, CW grades run from A1 (unlimited) to C3 (S$0.8 million), and CR and ME grades from L6 (unlimited) to L1 (S$0.8 million). Single-grade workheads have an unlimited tendering limit. Read the guide

D

Dayworks: A way of paying for work that cannot be measured or priced in advance, by recording the hours of labour, plant and materials used and applying agreed daywork rates. It suits small unforeseen tasks but is costly and hard to control. Good practice requires written authorisation, advance notice and daily signed sheets; PSSCOC requires sheets within 3 days as a condition of payment. Read the guide
Debonding: Loss of adhesion between layers of a finish, such as tile and adhesive, adhesive and screed, or plaster and concrete. Debonded finishes may still look intact but sound hollow and can lift or fall. On building façades, debonding of tiles and plaster is a key safety concern and is checked during the close-range tactile inspection required under BCA's Periodic Façade Inspection regime. Read the guide
Debris chute: An enclosed tube or channel for lowering waste from upper floors. Under the WSH (Construction) Regulations 2007, chutes on worksites must be enclosed on all sides except at their openings, of sound construction and rigidly supported, closed when not in use, and must discharge into an enclosed debris collection area. Debris must not be thrown or dropped in a way that endangers anyone. Read the guide
Defects liability period (DLP): A fixed period after completion, set by the contract, during which the contractor or developer must return and make good defects at its own cost. Singapore's prescribed developer Sale and Purchase Agreement fixes it at 12 months; in building contracts the length is written into the contract. The DLP is not normally a cap on liability for defective work. Read the guide
Delay certificate: A certificate issued by the architect, superintending officer or employer's representative stating that the contractor failed to complete by the completion date as extended. Under some Singapore standard forms, including the SIA conditions and the REDAS Design and Build conditions, it is the gateway to deducting liquidated damages, and it also supports an LD deduction if the claim reaches SOPA adjudication. Read the guide
Demerit Points System (DPS): MOM's system, introduced in construction in 2000 and tightened from 1 October 2022, that issues points to contractors for WSH breaches: one per composition fine, five for a partial and ten for a full stop-work order, and 25 or 50 for prosecutions after serious accidents. Points last 18 months; 25 or more leads to debarment from hiring new foreign employees. Read the guide
Demolition method statement: A written plan setting out how a structure will be demolished: sequence, zones, temporary supports, floor and machine loads, debris handling and protection of people and neighbours. Where columns, beams, floors or load-bearing walls are removed, the WSH (Construction) Regulations require it to be prepared by a Professional Engineer. Read the guide
Demolition works plans: Plans a Qualified Person submits to BCA for demolishing a building, comprising demolition plans and, where needed, instrumentation and monitoring plans. They must include an impact assessment on neighbouring structures, floor load calculations for debris and machines, the demolition sequence of every element, and protective and monitoring measures. Read the guide
Demolition work (WSH): Under the WSH (Construction) Regulations, work connected with the total or partial dismantling or razing of a building or structure, including removing or dismantling machinery or equipment. It is high-risk construction work, so it must be done under a permit-to-work system, and many office and shop strip-outs fall within it. Read the guide
Deposit performance bond (CaseTrust renovation): A bond that CaseTrust-accredited renovation businesses in Singapore must buy to safeguard customers' deposits against the business's closure, winding up or liquidation. Under the same accreditation, initial deposits are capped at 20 percent of the total cost and later payments are tied to milestones. Customers receive proof of protection showing the protected sum after making a prepayment. Read the guide
Developer (Building Control Act): The person for whom, or on whose behalf, building works are carried out. For alterations to an existing building this is usually the owner or the tenant commissioning the works. The developer must appoint the Qualified Persons (unless the builder has) and a licensed builder, and must notify the Commissioner of contraventions it knows of or ought reasonably to know of. Read the guide
Diminution in value: A way of compensating the owner for a defect that is impracticable or inconvenient to fix. Instead of rectification, the reduction in the value of the works caused by the defect is assessed and recovered from the contractor. The PSSCOC 2020 public-sector form gives the Superintending Officer this power in clause 18.3. Read the guide
Dispute settlement period: Under SOPA, the 7 days after the deadline for the payment response. If the claimant disputes the response, or no response is given, the parties may clarify and settle during this period, and the respondent may still provide or vary its payment response. If the dispute remains unresolved at the end, the claimant may apply for adjudication within the next 7 days. Read the guide
Double rent: The statutory charge a Singapore landlord may elect to impose on a tenant holding over, equal to twice the rent, under section 28(4) of the Civil Law Act 1909. The High Court has taken the view that it is based on the rent last paid. Leases may also contain a contractual double-rent clause with its own base. Read the guide
Double value: The alternative statutory charge under section 28(4) of the Civil Law Act 1909, equal to twice the value of the premises for the period a tenant holds over. Unlike double rent, it looks at the value of the premises rather than the rent last paid, which matters when market rents have risen. Read the guide

E

Earth retaining and stabilising system (ERSS): Temporary or permanent structure, such as sheet piles, contiguous bored piles or struts, that holds back soil around an excavation and limits ground movement. BCA's good-practice guide for landed estates says an ERSS should be adopted for excavation deeper than 1.5 m, designed by a Professional Engineer and submitted to BCA for approval, for example for basements and sunken pools. Read the guide
Electronic leak detection: Methods that locate breaches in a roofing or waterproofing membrane by passing a low electrical current and tracing where it flows through the defect, described in ASTM D7877. They can find small holes in exposed or covered membranes without flooding the roof. They need a conductive layer beneath the membrane to work and are meant to supplement, not replace, visual inspection. Read the guide
Enforcement notice (Planning Act): A notice URA may serve under section 28 of the Planning Act where planning control has been breached. It can require buildings or works to be altered, demolished or removed, a use to stop, or, in a conservation area, a building to be restored. It takes effect at least 14 days after service and can be challenged only by appeal to the Minister. Read the guide
Envelope control: URA's way of controlling landed house bulk since May 2015: an imaginary three-dimensional envelope set by the storey control and setbacks, within which the house, attic and roof must fit. The maximum height is 12 m in two-storey areas and 15.5 m in three-storey areas, measured from the external platform level. Existing houses doing A&A must also comply. Read the guide
Environmental Control Officer (ECO): A trained officer NEA requires on specified construction sites to manage environmental health issues such as dust, noise, waste and vector control. Sites with a contract sum above S$10 million need a part-time ECO, and above S$50 million a full-time ECO. Smaller jobs need none, but dust and noise rules still apply. Read the guide
Exclusion zone (drop zone): A cordoned area below work at height that people are kept out of in case something falls. Singapore law sets one fixed distance: a 6 m horizontal barricade around an unenclosed opening used to drop debris on a worksite. Otherwise the zone is sized by risk assessment. MOM guidance on work at completed buildings requires the area below the work to be cordoned off. Read the guide
Exclusive use by-law: A by-law under section 33 of the Building (Strata Management) Act giving one or more owners exclusive use of, or special privileges over, part of the common property, on stated conditions. It needs an ordinary resolution for up to one year, a special resolution for more than one and up to three years, and a 90% resolution for longer periods. Read the guide
Expected total cost: The probability-weighted cost of an option once all outcomes are considered: the quoted price, plus expected scope growth, plus the probability of delay multiplied by the expected length of delay and the owner's cost per week. Comparing quotes on expected total cost, and checking upper percentiles, gives a fairer answer than comparing headline prices alone. Read the guide
Extension of time (EOT): A contractual adjustment that moves the completion date because of a qualifying delay event, such as an owner variation, late information, or force majeure. An EOT protects the contractor from liquidated damages for that delay, and protects the owner by keeping a valid completion date from which LDs can run. Most Singapore standard forms require written notice within a set period. Read the guide
Exterior feature: A permanent feature installed on, forming part of, or projecting from a building's roof or exterior and prescribed by regulation, such as windows, cladding, awnings, balustrades, and signboards or brackets for external equipment installed for more than 36 months. The person responsible must keep it securely fixed; failure is an offence with a maximum fine of S$20,000. Read the guide
Externally mounted equipment: A term in the Building Control (Meaning of Exterior Features) Regulations 2021 covering air-con units and their condensing equipment, ventilation systems, photovoltaic panels, solar water heaters and antennae or dishes. The brackets and cables that attach such equipment to a building for more than 36 months are prescribed exterior features, so the person responsible must keep them securely fixed. Read the guide

F

Façade Inspector (FI): A person who assists a Competent Person with PFI inspections under the CP's direct supervision and control, typically a Resident Engineer or Resident Technical Officer accredited through the IES, ACES and BCA joint committee, who has passed the Certificate in Façade Inspection course. The FI records defects and must immediately alert the CP to any façade that appears dangerous. Read the guide
Fall prevention plan (FPP): A documented, site-specific plan to eliminate or reduce the risk of falls, required since 1 May 2014 at workplaces listed in the First Schedule of the Work at Heights Regulations, including any worksite. It covers policy, responsibilities, risk controls, safe work procedures, equipment, inspection, training, incident investigation and emergency response, and must follow the approved code of practice. Read the guide
Falls (roof gradient): The slope built into a flat roof or wet-area floor so that water drains to outlets instead of standing. Falls are normally formed in the slab or in a screed laid over it. British practice under BS 6229 targets a minimum finished fall of 1:80, and its 2018 edition advised designing for 1:40 to allow for tolerances and deflection. Back falls, which drain away from outlets, cause ponding. Read the guide
Fat-tailed distribution: A probability distribution in which extreme outcomes are much more likely than a normal bell curve would predict. Research has found construction schedule overruns to be skewed and non-Gaussian, and IT and Olympic cost overruns to follow power laws. For owners, it means the average delay understates the risk, because a few very late jobs dominate the expected cost. Read the guide
Final account: The statement that settles what a construction contract is finally worth, after variations, remeasurement, provisional sums, claims and deductions such as liquidated damages. Under PSSCOC 2020 the draft final account is due within 30 days after the defects liability period ends, and amounts the contractor does not dispute within 30 days are deemed accepted. Read the guide
Final Completion Certificate: Under PSSCOC 2020, the certificate issued within 30 days after the defects liability period expires, or after instructed defect work is finished, confirming the end of the contractor's defects obligations. The unused security deposit is returned on its issue. Like other certificates, it is not by itself conclusive that the works comply with the contract. Read the guide
Final Payment Date: In the prescribed developer Sale and Purchase Agreement, the date 12 months after the same trigger that starts the defects liability period. On that date, the 5% of the purchase price held for defects is paid out to the developer, less any authorised deductions the buyer has validly notified. Read the guide
Fire alarm isolation: Temporarily disabling specific fire detectors or alarm zones, typically to prevent false alarms from dust or heat during works. In occupied buildings it should be arranged in advance with building management or the Fire Safety Manager, limited to the smallest zone and time needed, covered by a fire watch, and reinstated, tested and recorded at the end of each shift. Read the guide
Fire Certificate (FC): A recurring certificate under section 35 of the Fire Safety Act for designated buildings, such as non-residential public buildings with an occupant load above 200 and larger industrial buildings. It follows inspection of the fire protection systems by a Professional Engineer. Certificates starting from 1 April 2026 are generally valid for 36 months instead of 12. Read the guide
Fire Code: SCDF's Code of Practice for Fire Precautions in Buildings, which sets technical requirements for means of escape, structural fire precautions, fire protection systems and ventilation. The 2023 edition was published on 25 August 2023 and applies to plans of fire safety works submitted on or after 1 March 2024, with later batches of amendments taking effect on stated dates. Read the guide
Fire Code clause 9.9: The part of SCDF's Fire Code 2023 dealing with shophouses and other buildings with timber floors or staircases that are conserved or were built before 1969. It sets fire-rated lining or flame-retardant treatment for timber floors, limits new attics to 50% of the floor below or 50 m² per compartment, protects timber escape stairs, and bars change to public accommodation. Read the guide
Fire Safety Certificate (FSC): The certificate SCDF issues after fire safety works are fully completed in accordance with approved plans, the Fire Code and the Fire Safety Act. It requires a Registered Inspector's certificate and is applied for by the Qualified Person through CORENET. Using or occupying premises without an FSC after plan-approved fire safety works is an offence. Read the guide
Fire Safety (Exemption) Order: Subsidiary legislation that exempts listed buildings and works from SCDF plan approval. It covers A&A inside existing residential flats that do not increase floor area or affect common areas, entrance doors, corridor walls or roofing; and, if a Qualified Person designs and certifies the works, detached, semi-detached and terrace houses of up to 3 storeys or 3 levels including basement and attic. Read the guide
Fire Safety Manager (FSM): A certified person whom owners of designated premises must appoint under the Fire Safety Act, for example public buildings with 9 or more storeys, an occupant load of 1,000 or more, or 5,000 m2 or more of floor area, and qualifying industrial buildings. In practice the FSM usually reviews tenant fit-out works, hot work and fire system isolations. Read the guide
Fire safety works: Works that SCDF regulates under the Fire Safety Act, including installing, altering or relocating fire protection systems such as sprinklers, hose reels and fire doors; layout changes affecting escape routes or fire compartments; ventilation and smoke control works; and change of use affecting fire safety. They need SCDF plan approval through a Qualified Person unless exempt or eligible for minor A&A lodgement. Read the guide
Fire stopping: Sealing the gaps around pipes, ducts, conduits and cables where they pass through fire compartment walls or floors, so that the compartment keeps its fire resistance. The Fire Code requires such openings to be as few and as small as practicable, with gaps filled using fire-stopping materials tested to BS 476 Part 20 or another acceptable standard. Read the guide
Fire watch: A trained person posted to watch for and respond to fire during hot works or while fire detection is isolated, equipped with suitable extinguishers and able to raise the alarm. Facility permits commonly require the fire watch to remain for a period after hot work ends; one published Singapore airport permit specifies 30 minutes, with extinguishers within 15 metres. Read the guide
Five-foot way: The covered public walkway along the front of a shophouse at the first storey, running continuously past neighbouring shophouses. In conserved shophouses, URA requires original granite slab borders to be retained and restored and the walkway's character kept; changing the flooring is a Category 3 work that still needs conservation permission before it starts. Read the guide
Food Shop Licence (SFA): The Singapore Food Agency licence needed to operate a restaurant, café, coffee shop or similar premises. It costs S$195 a year. The operator applies through GoBusiness with a scaled layout plan; SFA approves the layout before renovation, then carries out a pre-licensing inspection, virtually or by photographs, before the licence is issued. Read the guide
Friable and non-friable asbestos: Friable asbestos materials, such as sprayed insulation and some pipe lagging, crumble easily and release fibres readily. Non-friable materials, such as asbestos-cement sheets and boards, bind the fibres in a matrix. Singapore's NEA states that non-friable materials in good condition and undamaged should not pose a health hazard. Either type releases fibres when broken, cut, drilled or demolished during renovation. Read the guide
Full façade investigation: A deeper PFI investigation required when the Competent Person finds extensive or systemic defects, such as many loose panels or widespread corrosion. It needs the Commissioner of Building Control's prior approval and may include more close-range coverage, design checks, on-site or laboratory tests, removal of panels and exposure of concealed brackets, followed by repair recommendations. Read the guide
Full structural investigation (Stage 2): The second stage of a PSI, carried out with BCA's approval where the visual inspection finds suspected defects of structural significance. It may cover a localised area or the whole building and can include reviewing design records, checking plans and calculations, material tests and load tests, ending with recommended safety precautions and remedial measures. Read the guide

G

General Builder Class 1 (GB1): A BCA general builder's licence under the Building Control Act that allows a firm to undertake building works of any value. BCA lists minimum paid-up capital for companies of not less than S$300,000, and requires an Approved Person and a Technical Controller. Licences are valid for up to three years. Read the guide
General Builder Class 2 (GB2): A BCA general builder's licence restricted to projects valued at S$6 million or less, a limit set by a 2008 ministerial order replacing the Act's S$3 million default. BCA lists minimum paid-up capital for companies of not less than S$25,000. Separate contracts on the same building by the same person are aggregated. Read the guide
Genuine pre-estimate of loss: An honest and reasonable forecast, made at the time of contracting, of the loss the owner is likely to suffer from a breach such as late completion. For a fit-out it typically adds up rent on premises that cannot be used, holding-over charges, lost margin, financing and extended fees. Keeping the written build-up helps show an LD rate is not a penalty. Read the guide
Glass at height (2.4 m rule): Section N of BCA's Approved Document. Where glass forms part of a façade, roof, canopy or overhead glazing at 2.4 m or more, measures must minimise injury if it breaks spontaneously. Annealed, heat-strengthened or laminated glass is deemed acceptable; monolithic tempered or heat-soaked tempered glass needs protection such as screens or shields. The section was introduced on 1 July 2011. Read the guide
Good Class Bungalow Area (GCBA): One of 39 areas designated by URA where only bungalows are allowed. Good Class Bungalows need a minimum plot of 1,400 m², at least 18.5 m wide and 30 m deep, with site coverage of 35% (sub-control) and 45% (overall) and setbacks of 7.5 m at the front and 3 m at the sides and rear. URA's A&A plan lodgment route does not apply. Read the guide
Goodwill Repair Assistance (GRA): An HDB scheme for spalling concrete and ceiling leaks due to wear and tear in sold flats after the defects liability period. MND has stated in Parliament that under the GRA, HDB arranges the repair and co-pays 50% of the repair cost, while flat owners otherwise remain responsible for maintaining their flat interiors. Owners should confirm current eligibility and terms with HDB. Read the guide
Grease trap: A chamber that separates fats, oil and grease from kitchen waste water before it enters the sewer. PUB requires grease traps for all food shops and food processing establishments, sized to BS EN 1825 or to PUB's standard designs, with toilet waste kept separate. PUB recommends cleaning at least every two weeks by a licensed general waste collector. Read the guide
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scanning: A non-destructive method that sends radar pulses into concrete to locate reinforcement, post-tensioning tendons, conduits and voids before coring or cutting. It needs skilled interpretation and has limits in congested reinforcement or over metal decking, so results should be read together with structural drawings and a Professional Engineer's decision on where coring is acceptable. Read the guide

H

Handback: The formal return of leased premises to the landlord at the end of a tenancy, normally after reinstatement and a joint inspection, marked by the return of keys and access cards and the landlord's written acceptance. Completing handback before the lease expiry date avoids holding-over charges and starts the deposit refund process. Read the guide
Hazardous work at height: Work at height where a person could fall more than 3 metres, including into a depth. In workplaces that are factories under the WSH Act, which include construction worksites and shipyards, hazardous work at height may only be carried out under a permit-to-work issued by an authorised manager after evaluation by a WAH safety assessor. Read the guide
Heat-soak test (EN 14179-1): A destructive screening process in which tempered glass is reheated in an oven and held at a set temperature so that panes containing critical nickel sulphide inclusions break in the factory rather than on the building. Since the 2016 revision of EN 14179-1, the holding temperature is 260 plus or minus 10 °C. It reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of spontaneous breakage. Read the guide
Heat-strengthened glass: Glass that is heat-treated like tempered glass but cooled more slowly, giving it more strength than annealed glass but less than tempered glass. It generally breaks into larger pieces that tend to stay in the frame. BCA's Approved Document lists it among glass types not prone to spontaneous breakage, and it is often used as the plies of laminated glass in façades and overhead glazing. Read the guide
Heightened Safety Period (HSP): A period of intensified WSH enforcement declared by MOM from 1 September 2022 after a spate of workplace deaths, and ended on 31 May 2023. Measures included debarment of firms with serious lapses from hiring new foreign employees and personal accountability of chief executives. Some measures, such as external audits after a stop-work order, were retained afterwards. Read the guide
High-risk construction work: Work types listed in Part III of the WSH (Construction) Regulations: demolition, excavation and trenching deeper than 1.5 m, crane lifting operations, piling and tunnelling. They may only be carried out under a permit-to-work issued by the worksite's project manager after a safety assessor has evaluated the measures and inspected the site. Read the guide
Holding over: A tenant remaining in possession of premises after its tenancy has ended. Under section 28(4) of Singapore's Civil Law Act 1909, a tenant holding over is chargeable, at the landlord's option, with double rent or double value for the holding-over period, and many leases add their own holding-over terms. Read the guide
Hollow tile: A tile that gives a dull, drummy sound when tapped because of voids or lost bond beneath it. BCA's ceramic tiling guide notes that hollowness can come from air voids in the bedding, an irregular subsurface, or a separated waterproofing membrane, which is an acoustic effect rather than a bond failure. CONQUAS requires tiled floors and walls to give no hollow sound when tapped with a hard object. Read the guide
Home Improvement Programme (HIP): HDB's upgrading programme for older flats. Its essential improvements, which HDB describes as necessary for public health and safety and fully funded by the Government for Singapore Citizens, include repair of spalling concrete and structural cracks and replacement of certain waste and soil pipes. Before works start, HDB surveys flats to identify structural cracks and spalling concrete that need repair. Read the guide
Hot work: Any work that produces heat, flames or sparks capable of igniting materials, such as welding, cutting, grinding and brazing. In occupied buildings it is usually controlled by a hot work permit covering removal or shielding of combustibles, fire extinguishers, a fire watch during and after the work, and limits on fire alarm isolation. SS 510:2017 is the related Singapore Standard. Read the guide
Household shelter (HS): A civil defence shelter within a home, built with strengthened walls, floor, ceiling and a special door to protect occupants in a war emergency. Under the Civil Defence Shelter Act, works likely to impair it need the Commissioner's written permission. SCDF allows only limited works, such as cement-mortar floor tiles within 50 mm and drilling the internal face up to 50 mm for removable fixtures. Read the guide
Housing Developers Rules: Subsidiary legislation under the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act that prescribes the Sale and Purchase Agreements licensed developers must use: Form 4 for non-strata homes and Form 5 for strata units. The forms cannot be changed without the Controller of Housing's approval, which gives every buyer the same core defects protection. Read the guide

I

Indemnity bond (conditional bond): A performance bond under which the issuer is liable only after the beneficiary proves that the contractor breached the contract and that loss resulted. It is slower to realise than an on-demand bond. In Tradesmen v Ten-League [2025] SGHC 114, the Singapore High Court treated a bond as an indemnity bond after examining its wording and the contract, and restrained a call that did not state any breach or loss. Read the guide
Independent engineer: An engineer appointed and paid directly by the building owner rather than by the contractor, so that the engineer's client is the party who owns the risk. Singapore law allows builder-appointed engineers, but owner appointment removes the conflict between the contractor's cost and programme interests and the engineer's duty to certify safety and report contraventions. Read the guide
Industrial rope access: A method of working at height in which trained technicians are suspended by two independently anchored ropes, a working line and a safety line. Singapore's Work at Heights Regulations require self-locking devices on the working line, anchorages installed to a Professional Engineer's design and inspection each shift. SS 588 is the approved code of practice. Read the guide
Industrial rope access system: A system that lets a person raise or lower themselves in a harness supported by ropes, with equipment to anchor them. Singapore's Work at Heights Regulations require at least two independent lines (working and safety), anchorages installed to a Professional Engineer's design, and inspection by a competent person at the start of every shift, with records kept for two years. Read the guide
Infection control risk assessment (ICRA): A structured assessment made before construction or maintenance in a healthcare facility to prevent infection from dust, fungal spores such as Aspergillus, and disturbed water systems. The infection prevention team, project manager and facility manager define scope, at-risk patients, ventilation impacts and routes, then set containment, monitoring and cleaning requirements before works start. Read the guide
Infrared thermography (thermal imaging): The use of a thermal camera to show surface temperature differences. Wet areas often appear cooler because evaporation draws heat, so thermography can reveal the extent of hidden dampness on ceilings, roofs and façades. It is indirect evidence and does not prove the leak source on its own. For façade inspections, BCA refers inspectors to Technical Reference TR 119:2024. Read the guide
Insignificant building works: Building works that need no plan submission to BCA because they are listed in the First Schedule of the Building Control Regulations. Examples include lightweight partitions up to 10 m high, demolishing non-load-bearing walls, suspended lightweight false ceilings and small services openings in ordinary slabs. The list was expanded for works carried out on or after 1 April 2025. Other agencies' rules still apply. Read the guide
Insolvency set-off: The rule in section 219 of Singapore's Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act that, in an insolvent winding up or judicial management, mutual debts and dealings between the company and a creditor must be set off, so that only the balance is provable or payable. For an owner, an unpaid contract balance or retention can be set off against completion and delay claims against an insolvent contractor. Read the guide
Inter-floor water seepage: Water passing from the floor slab of an upper unit into the ceiling of the unit below, usually through a failed bathroom or kitchen waterproofing membrane, a floor-trap joint or a pipe. BCA describes it as one of the most common issues in Singapore strata developments. The owners of both units are expected to investigate jointly, often with the help of the MCST or managing agent. Read the guide
Ipso facto clause: A contract term allowing a party to terminate or change the contract because the other party becomes insolvent or enters an insolvency process. Section 440 of Singapore's Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act stops such termination by reason only of insolvency during judicial management, scheme and certain moratorium proceedings, for contracts made on or after 30 July 2020. It does not prevent termination for a genuine default. Read the guide
IRATA: The Industrial Rope Access Trade Association, whose international scheme certifies rope access technicians at three levels. Progressing a level requires at least 1,000 logged hours over at least 12 months, and certification must be revalidated every three years. Only Level 3 technicians may act as rope access safety supervisors. It is widely used as evidence of competence in Singapore. Read the guide
ISO 14644 cleanroom class: A classification of air cleanliness under ISO 14644-1:2015 based on the maximum concentration of airborne particles. Each step is ten times cleaner: ISO Class 5 allows 3,520 particles of 0.5 micrometres or larger per cubic metre, ISO 7 allows 352,000 and ISO 8 allows 3,520,000. Contractors working in classified areas must not push counts above the class limit. Read the guide

J

Joint inspection: A site inspection attended by the tenant (and its contractor) and the landlord or managing agent to agree reinstatement scope before work, or to check and accept the premises at handback. The outcome is usually a signed defects list and, after rectification, a clearance or acceptance that supports the release of keys and the security deposit. Read the guide
JTC plan consent: JTC's approval, as landlord, for A&A works by tenants in JTC buildings. JTC sorts works into List A (no JTC consent needed), List B (QP-endorsed plans) and List C (no QP endorsement), with submissions made through CORENET. JTC consent does not replace approvals from BCA, SCDF or other agencies. Read the guide

K

Killer litter: Singapore's term for objects thrown or falling from high-rise flats, such as potted plants, poles or loose items left on ledges and window sills, that could seriously injure people below. MND has said HDB carries out enforcement checks on potential killer-litter objects placed on air-con ledges where necessary. MCSTs can address it through by-laws and regular estate checks. Read the guide

L

Laminated glass: Two or more panes of glass bonded together with a plastic interlayer that holds the fragments in place if the glass breaks. The panes can be annealed, heat-strengthened or tempered. Under BCA's acceptable solution, glass forming part or all of a barrier must be laminated, and laminated glass is accepted for façades, roofs and canopies at height because it is not prone to spontaneous breakage. Read the guide
Latent defect: A defect that cannot be seen on reasonable inspection at completion and appears later, for example water seepage behind finishes or a failed waterproofing membrane. Latent defects often surface after the defects liability period, so claims depend on the Limitation Act, including the knowledge-based period for negligence claims in section 24A. Read the guide
Leq (equivalent continuous sound level): The steady sound level that would carry the same acoustic energy as the actual fluctuating noise over a stated period, such as 5 minutes, 1 hour or 12 hours, measured in A-weighted decibels (dBA). NEA's construction noise limits are set as Leq values measured one metre outside the affected building, so loud bursts must be offset by quieter periods. Read the guide
Licensed corporation or partnership (PEB): A company, partnership or limited liability partnership licensed by the Professional Engineers Board to supply professional engineering services in Singapore. Conditions include engineering work being controlled by a PE with a practising certificate and, for limited corporations, paid-up capital of at least S$500,000 and professional liability insurance. Licences are annual. Read the guide
Licensed electrical worker (LEW): An electrician, electrical technician or electrical engineer licensed by EMA to design, install, repair, inspect and test electrical installations within their licence class. Non-domestic installations above 45 kVA must hold an electrical installation licence and appoint an LEW to take charge; the appointed LEW must be told of any modification during a fit-out. Read the guide
Licensed gas service worker (LGSW): A worker licensed by EMA to install, test, maintain and repair gas appliances connected to piped gas, and to certify them safe for use. Since 14 February 2008, employing or instructing an unlicensed gas service worker has been an offence with a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment, or both. Read the guide
Licensed general waste collector (GWC): A company licensed by NEA to collect and transport general waste in specified classes. Construction and renovation debris falls under Class A. NEA requires renovation waste such as hacked concrete and tiles to go to a licensed recycling facility, not into building bins, and illegal dumping carries fines and possible jail. Read the guide
Limitation period: The time within which a court action must be started. Under Singapore's Limitation Act 1959, actions founded on contract or tort generally must be brought within 6 years of the cause of action accruing. Negligence claims can also use a 3-year period from knowledge, subject to a 15-year long-stop. Tribunals such as the SCT have their own shorter filing limits. Read the guide
Liquid-applied membrane: A waterproofing coating, such as polyurethane, acrylic or a hybrid, applied by brush, roller or spray to cure into a seamless layer, often with reinforcing fabric at corners and penetrations. It suits roofs with many penetrations, planters, balconies and overlays on old roofs. Performance depends heavily on achieving the specified thickness and applying it to a dry, sound substrate. Read the guide
Liquidated damages (LDs): A sum fixed in the contract, usually per day or week, that the contractor pays the owner if the works are not completed by the completion date as extended. In Singapore an LD clause is enforceable if it was a genuine pre-estimate of likely loss when the contract was made, and is struck down as a penalty if it is extravagant and unconscionable compared with the greatest conceivable loss. Read the guide
Live premises: A building or space that remains occupied and operating while construction, fit-out or repair works are carried out, such as an open mall, an occupied office tower, a running semiconductor fab, a hospital or a place of worship. Works must protect occupants and the public, follow building management rules on hours and permits, and avoid disrupting critical operations and services. Read the guide
Lodgment scheme (BCA): A BCA route introduced in December 2023 under which a Qualified Person lodges plans, with declarations of compliance, for building works listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Building Control Regulations, such as certain single-level platforms, instead of waiting for full plan approval. False declarations are offences, and supervision and permit requirements still apply. Read the guide
Lodgment works (Ninth Schedule): Low-risk building works listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Building Control Regulations whose plans a Qualified Person lodges with BCA and which are deemed approved on acknowledgement. They include a single-level platform up to 4 m high and 100 m² with spans up to 6 m and cantilevers up to 3 m. Permit and supervision requirements still apply where relevant. Read the guide
Long-lead item: Equipment or material whose ordering and delivery time is long relative to the programme, such as air-conditioning equipment, switchboards, specialist glazing or imported finishes. Long-lead items should be ordered as soon as their part of the design is frozen, because late delivery often holds up ceiling close-up and testing. Read the guide
Long-stop (section 24B): The overriding time bar in the Limitation Act for negligence, nuisance and breach of duty claims covered by section 24A. No action may be brought more than 15 years after the last act or omission alleged to be negligent, even if the damage has not yet appeared or been discovered. Read the guide
Look-ahead programme: A short-range, detailed programme, typically covering the next two to four weeks, showing what will happen on site and what must be ready for it, such as approvals, deliveries and access bookings. Updated weekly alongside the baseline, it helps surface delays while they can still be recovered. Read the guide
Lump sum contract: A contract in which the contractor agrees a fixed price for the scope described in the drawings, specification or quotation. The price is fixed for that scope only; it is adjusted for variations, provisional sums and any other adjustments the contract allows. The more completely the scope is described, the more genuinely fixed the price is. Read the guide

M

Maintenance period: The SIA building contract's name for the defects liability period. It starts on the Completion Certificate, and during it the contractor must make good defects that appear. Reported Singapore cases on SIA contracts describe 12-month maintenance periods, with a possible extension for recurring defects. Read the guide
Memorandum of Consent (SCT): A form signed by both claimant and respondent that allows the Small Claims Tribunals to hear a claim above S$20,000 but not exceeding S$30,000. It is uploaded when the claim is filed. Without it, a claimant must abandon the excess over S$20,000 or file in the Magistrate's Court. Read the guide
Mesne profits: Damages for the use and occupation of land by someone with no right to be there, such as a former tenant who stays after the lease ends. They are typically measured by the value of that use and occupation, and Singapore landlords commonly claim them together with possession, or alongside or as an alternative to double rent. Read the guide
Mesothelioma: A cancer of the lining of the lungs (pleura) or abdomen (peritoneum), most cases of which are associated with asbestos exposure. Singapore's WSH Council guidelines give a latency of 15 to 50 years and note that low, intermittent or indirect exposure can be sufficient. It is one of the common occupational lung diseases reported in Singapore and a reason why asbestos disturbance during renovation is tightly regulated. Read the guide
Mezzanine floor: An intermediate floor built within a storey, usually over part of the floor plate, often in steel for storage or an ancillary office. In Singapore it is a floor for BCA purposes, a storey under SCDF's Fire Code and usually gross floor area for URA, so it generally needs structural, fire safety and planning clearances unless a narrow exemption applies. Read the guide
Minor A&A lodgement: SCDF's route for small fire safety works listed in the Schedule to the Fire Safety (Building and Pipeline Fire Safety) Regulations, in a building already holding a TFP or FSC. A Qualified Person lodges certified plans for a S$90 fee instead of seeking plan approval. It excludes works affecting compartmentation, risers or floor area, conservation projects, and changes to more than 9 sprinkler heads. Read the guide
Minor addition and alteration (Minor A&A) lodgement: An SCDF route for minor fire-safety-related works listed in the Schedule to the Fire Safety (Building and Pipeline Fire Safety) Regulations. A registered architect or professional engineer lodges the plans through CORENET, with the building owner's consent, instead of going through full fire safety plan approval. Read the guide
Minor structural defect (PSI): A category in BCA's standard Periodic Structural Inspection report template, between non-structural and structural defects. BCA's examples include minor reinforced concrete cracks under 2 mm wide and under 30 mm deep, localised concrete spalling under 300 mm in its longest direction, and surface rust on steel members with no loss of thickness. The engineer's judgement governs classification. Read the guide
Mobile elevating work platform (MEWP): A machine such as a boom lift or scissor lift that raises a work platform. MEWPs suit low- to mid-level façade work, canopies and soffits where ground conditions and vehicle access allow. Operators must be trained, and SS 616 is Singapore's approved code of practice for their safe use. Read the guide
Moiety (of retention): One half. In SIA contracts the retention is released in two moieties: the first on the Completion Certificate, less a reasonable sum for outstanding work, and the second at the end of the maintenance period once defects have been made good. Singapore courts use the term when discussing clause 31(9) of the SIA conditions. Read the guide
Moisture meter: A hand-held instrument that indicates the relative wetness of a surface by measuring its electrical properties, either with pins pushed into the material or by sensing through the surface. It is useful for mapping how far a damp patch extends and whether it is drying after a repair. Readings are relative and can be distorted by metal or salt deposits, so they should be repeated on a recorded grid. Read the guide
Movement joint: A deliberate gap, filled with a compressible backer rod and flexible sealant, that lets tiled or plastered areas expand and contract without cracking or lifting. BCA's ceramic tiling guide recommends movement joints at structural joints, restraining surfaces and changes of substrate, and in bays every 5 to 7 m on interior floors, or 3.6 to 7 m where exposed to direct sunlight. Read the guide

N

Nickel sulphide (NiS) inclusion: A microscopic particle of nickel sulphide that can form during glass manufacture. In tempered glass it may be frozen in a high-temperature form that later changes phase and expands at ordinary temperatures. If it lies in the tensioned core, the expansion can start a crack that shatters the whole pane without any impact, sometimes years after installation. It is the main reason for heat-soak testing. Read the guide
Noise management plan (NMP): A plan that NEA requires contractors on larger construction projects near residential or noise-sensitive premises to submit before work starts. It sets out how the developer and contractor will meet the permissible construction noise limits and reduce disturbance to nearby residents, for example through quieter methods, barriers, scheduling and monitoring. Read the guide
Noise-sensitive premises: Buildings that receive stricter construction noise protection in Singapore, such as hospitals, schools, institutions of higher learning and homes for the aged sick, together with residential buildings within 150 metres of a construction site. Sites near them must install noise monitoring systems, and the no-work rule on Sundays and public holidays applies near homes and hospitals. Read the guide
Nominated contractor (landlord's): A contractor or consultant the landlord requires tenants to use for specified work on base-building systems, such as sprinklers, fire alarm, building management system or chilled-water connections. Their scope and price sit outside, or are added to, the tenant's own contractor's work and must be planned for early. Read the guide
Non-load-bearing wall: Under the Building Control Regulations, a wall or vertical panel that supports no load other than its own weight. Only such walls can be demolished, opened up or reinstated as insignificant building works without BCA plans. Whether a wall meets this definition depends on the structural design, so a Professional Engineer should confirm it before hacking. Read the guide
Non-structural crack: A crack confined to finishes or non-load-bearing elements, typically caused by drying shrinkage of plaster, render or screed, or by thermal movement between different materials. In Singapore homes the commonest example is a straight hairline crack along the joint between a block wall and a concrete beam or column, which HDB advises sealing with flexible sealant or elastomeric paint. Read the guide
Normalisation (of quotations): Adjusting competing quotations so they cover the same scope before comparing prices. Every exclusion, assumption and provisional item across all quotes is listed, missing items are priced into the quotes that left them out, and provisional sums are set to the same owner-chosen figures. The lowest normalised total, not the lowest headline price, is the fair comparison. Read the guide
Notice of deductions: A buyer's written notice, under the prescribed developer Sale and Purchase Agreement, claiming deductions from the 5% held by the stakeholder, for example the cost of rectifying defects the developer failed to fix. It must be served on the stakeholder and the developer on the same day, at least 7 working days before the Final Payment Date. Read the guide
Notice of Vacant Possession: The notice a developer gives a buyer under the prescribed Sale and Purchase Agreement when it delivers vacant possession, stating the date of delivery. The 12-month defects liability period runs from the earlier of actual vacant possession or the 15th day after the buyer receives the TOP or CSC documents and completion notice. Read the guide
Notice to maintain: A notice the Commissioner of Building Control may serve under section 25E of the Building Control Act when a building or exterior feature is not in good repair or securely fixed. It can require use to be suspended, an inspection by a suitably qualified person, or repairs, at the recipient's cost. Non-compliance carries up to S$20,000, 12 months' imprisonment, or both. Read the guide
No-work rule: NEA's prohibition, introduced in 2011, on construction work at sites less than 150 metres from a residential building, hospital or home for the aged sick, from 10 pm Saturday to 7 am Monday and from 10 pm on the eve of a public holiday to 7 am the day after. NEA may permit quieter or essential work under conditions. Read the guide

O

Occupier (WSH Act): Under Singapore's Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006, the person who has charge, management or control of premises. The occupier must take reasonably practicable measures to keep the workplace, its access and egress, and its equipment safe for everyone on the premises. An MCST controlling common property such as a roof or façade is often the occupier when contractors work there. Read the guide
Offer of amicable resolution: Under Order 5 of Singapore's Rules of Court 2021, a written offer to settle a dispute or resolve it other than by litigation. A party should make one before starting an action unless it has reasonable grounds not to, keep it open for at least 14 days, and not reject one without reasonable grounds. Refusals can affect costs. Read the guide
On-demand bond: A performance bond, also called an unconditional bond, under which the issuer pays when the beneficiary makes a demand in the form the bond requires, without proving breach or loss. Singapore courts will restrain a call only for fraud or unconscionability, and the applicant must show a strong prima facie case. The label on the bond is not decisive; courts read its wording and the underlying contract. Read the guide
Open time (tile adhesive): The maximum interval after adhesive is spread during which tiles can still be embedded and bond properly. If tiles are pressed into adhesive that has skinned over after its open time, the bond is weak. BCA's ceramic tiling guide lists tiles applied after the open time has lapsed among the causes of adhesion failure, and says adhesive selection should suit site conditions. Read the guide
Outdoor advertising licence: A licence from BCA's Commissioner of Building Control to display a signboard or advertisement outdoors, under the Building Control (Outdoor Advertising) Regulations as amended from 2 November 2026. BCA applies URA's sign guidelines. Each business premises may claim a one-time aggregate exemption for signboards totalling not more than 5 m², on declaration. Read the guide
Overhead protection: Physical protection, such as a covered walkway, catch platform or protective hoarding roof, that shields people below from falling objects. Regulation 25 of the WSH (Construction) Regulations 2007 makes it the occupier's duty to ensure adequate overhead protection on a worksite against objects that could fall on or hit persons. Breach can lead to a fine of up to S$50,000, two years' jail, or both. Read the guide
Overlay or screening net: Netting that envelops a scaffold to stop tools, materials and debris falling from it. Regulation 23 of the WSH (Scaffolds) Regulations 2011 requires any timber or metal scaffold erected on the outside of a building, other than a tower scaffold, to be enveloped with overlay or screening nets. MOM inspectors check for inadequate scaffold netting during routine inspections. Read the guide

P

Party wall: A wall shared between two semi-detached or terrace houses, or between neighbouring shophouses, usually load-bearing and sitting on the boundary. BCA and URA advise against hacking an existing party wall to embed new columns or beams, or using it as formwork, and recommend independent structure and foundations. In conserved shophouses, URA requires the first 3 m behind the shopfront to be retained. Read the guide
Payment claim: A written claim under SOPA for a progress payment, stating the claimed amount with an itemised breakdown, quantities and calculations. It is served on the date the contract specifies or, if the contract is silent, by the last day of each month, with one claim a month in that default case. Claims must be served within 30 months of the work last being carried out. Read the guide
Payment response: The respondent's written reply to a SOPA payment claim, stating the amount it will pay and, for any shortfall, the reasons and calculations. It is due by the contract date, capped at 21 days, or within 14 days if the contract is silent. Objections left out of the payment response generally cannot be raised later in adjudication, so a response should always be sent. Read the guide
Pay-when-paid clause: A contract term making one party's obligation to pay conditional on its receiving payment from someone else, for example a main contractor paying a subcontractor only after the owner pays. Under section 9 of Singapore's Security of Payment Act, such provisions are unenforceable for construction work and related goods and services, so a main contractor cannot rely on the owner's non-payment. Read the guide
PE Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics: Subsidiary legislation under the Professional Engineers Act that binds every registered PE and licensed practice. It requires complete fidelity to the client, written disclosure of connected interests, no trade commissions or undisclosed payments from others, no soliciting work or paying for introductions, prime regard to the public interest, and reporting of known contraventions of written law. Read the guide
Pecuniary penalty (Building Control Act s 21): A sum the Commissioner of Building Control may require for unauthorised building works, of up to 10 times the plan approval fees that were or would have been payable, whether or not a prosecution is brought. It can be appealed to the Minister within 14 days. Once accepted, the works it covers are treated as not having contravened section 20. Read the guide
PE endorsement: A Professional Engineer's signature on plans, calculations, reports or certificates submitted to an authority. Under the Professional Engineers Act, documents that a law requires a PE to sign are invalid if signed by anyone other than a registered PE with a practising certificate in force for that work. The PE Code also requires the plans to have been prepared, checked or verified by the PE or supervised staff. Read the guide
Penalty rule: The rule that a contractual sum payable on breach is unenforceable if it is not a genuine pre-estimate of loss but an extravagant sum meant to deter breach. Singapore's Court of Appeal kept the traditional Dunlop test in Denka Advantech v Seraya Energy (2020), declined the UK Cavendish legitimate-interest approach, and held that the rule applies only to sums payable on breach of contract. Read the guide
Performance bond: Security, usually issued by a bank or insurer, that an employer can call if the contractor fails to perform, commonly around 5 to 10 percent of the contract sum. An on-demand bond pays on a compliant demand; a conditional bond requires proof of breach and loss. Singapore courts restrain on-demand calls only for fraud or unconscionability. Read the guide
Periodic Façade Inspection (PFI): BCA's regime, in force since 1 January 2022, under which owners of buildings taller than 13 metres and more than 20 years old must, when served a notice, appoint a Competent Person to inspect the façade and exterior features, submit a report and carry out the recommended repairs. Later notices may be given from the seventh year after the year of the last notice. Read the guide
Periodic Structural Inspection (PSI): A mandatory inspection by a structural engineer, required every 5 years for non-residential buildings and every 10 years for residential buildings, excluding landed houses used only as homes. The engineer must survey the building's condition, the loading on the structure, and evidence of structural works carried out without approved plans. Read the guide
Permitted hours: The times a building's house rules allow particular types of work, especially noisy works such as hacking, demolition and drilling. In Singapore office towers these are often nights, Saturday afternoons and Sundays, and they vary widely between buildings, so they strongly affect the duration of fit-out and reinstatement works. Read the guide
Permit to carry out structural works: A BCA permit required, together with approved structural plans, before structural building works start. It is applied for jointly by the developer, the Qualified Person and the builder, and BCA's published processing time is 7 working days for complete documents. Starting works without it is an offence under section 20 of the Building Control Act. Read the guide
Permit To Use (PTU): BCA's permit allowing a temporary building to be used or occupied for a stated period. A civil or structural PE designs the structure, applies through CORENET e-Submission, supervises erection and submits a certificate of supervision before the PTU is issued. For signs, a PTU is needed where the sign or structure exceeds 10 m² or the structure reaches 4 m high. Read the guide
Permit-to-work (work at height): A documented approval system required for hazardous work at height, where a person could fall more than 3 metres, in workplaces that are factories under the WSH Act, including construction worksites. The supervisor applies, a work-at-height safety assessor inspects and endorses, and an authorised manager issues, reviews daily and may revoke the permit. Read the guide
Person responsible (exterior feature): The party the Building Control Act holds accountable for keeping an exterior feature safe. It is usually the owner of the premises, or whoever has charge of the feature's maintenance. For HDB common property it is the Town Council, and for strata common property the MCST or its managing agent. For windows, grilles and shutters forming part of a flat, it is the flat owner or the person with daily charge. Read the guide
PFI notice: The written notice BCA serves under section 28 of the Building Control Act requiring a façade inspection. It identifies the building and states the period for completing the inspection. The owner must appoint a Competent Person within two months of the notice date. BCA aims to send an advisory at least a year before a building's notice so owners can plan funds and access. Read the guide
Plan lodgment (URA, landed A&A): A URA route that lets a Qualified Person lodge A&A plans for an existing landed house and declare compliance with set criteria instead of waiting for a full evaluation. It is not available in Conservation Areas, Good Class Bungalow Areas or Special Control Areas. The lodgment authorisation is valid for two years from URA's acknowledgement letter and can be extended up to two times. Read the guide
Polymer-modified repair mortar: A cement-based mortar with added polymers to improve bond, flexibility and durability, used to rebuild concrete after spalled and damaged material is removed and the steel treated. HDB's spalling repair steps call for patching with polymer-modified cement mortar after a bonding agent is applied. Structural repairs need mortars of a class and product specified by the engineer. Read the guide
Ponding (standing water on roofs): Water that remains on a flat roof or deck long after rain has stopped, usually because of inadequate falls, structural deflection, outlets set too high or blocked drains. Ponding adds load, speeds up ageing of membranes, finds small defects and, in Singapore, can breed mosquitoes. Persistent ponding should be corrected by re-grading, adding or lowering outlets, or an engineer's assessment of deflection. Read the guide
Ponding test (flood test): A watertightness test in which the drains of a bathroom, roof or planter are temporarily sealed, the surface is flooded and left for a set time while the space below is checked for leaks. BCA's Quality Mark scheme ponds bathrooms and roofs above living areas for at least 24 hours on the finished floor, with bathrooms flooded to at least 25 mm. Roofs need a structural load check first. Read the guide
Popped tiles (tenting): Floor or wall tiles that suddenly lift, often into a ridge or tent shape with an audible crack, when compressive stress from thermal and moisture movement exceeds a bond that has already weakened. MND has attributed tile dislodgement in HDB flats to differential thermal expansion and contraction and the natural deterioration of the bond between tile and screed. Missing movement joints are a common contributing cause. Read the guide
Portable grease interceptor: A compact, movable grease separator installed inside a food shop. PUB permits it only where the premises has URA change-of-use approval and discharging into a standard or non-standard grease trap is not feasible, and it must comply with BS EN 1825 or ASME A112.14.3 and be accessible for cleaning. Read the guide
Post-tensioned (PT) slab: A concrete slab in which high-strength steel tendons are stressed after the concrete hardens, allowing longer spans and thinner slabs. Cutting a tendon during coring releases stored force and removes prestress, and a cut strand needs professional repair. Singapore's exemption for small slab openings does not apply to prestressed elements or flat slabs. Read the guide
Practising certificate: The annual certificate from the Professional Engineers Board that allows a registered PE to practise. It runs from issue until 31 December of the year it covers. To renew, a PE must meet continuing professional development requirements, currently at least 40 professional development units per renewal period, of which at least 20 must be structured activities. Read the guide
Pre-construction survey: A record of the condition of neighbouring properties, including existing cracks and defects, made by the builder before works start, with a copy given to the neighbours. BCA and URA recommend it for landed works, especially piling and excavation, because it is the main evidence for separating pre-existing defects from damage caused by the works in any later claim. Read the guide
Pre-licensing inspection: SFA's check of a food shop after renovation and before operations begin, carried out by virtual inspection or photo submission. Applicants needing a virtual inspection must book a slot at least 5 working days ahead. After the inspection, the applicant receives a payment notice and must pay within 28 days or the application lapses. Read the guide
Prescribed and additional by-laws (MCST): Rules governing life in a Singapore strata development. Prescribed by-laws set out in the strata management regulations form the baseline; an MCST may also pass additional by-laws, for example on renovation hours, deposits and contractor conduct. Owners must follow by-laws once enacted, even if they did not vote, and disputes can be taken to the Strata Titles Boards. Read the guide
Prevention principle: The principle that a party cannot hold the other to a deadline that its own acts made impossible to meet. In construction, if an owner delays the works and the contract has no extension-of-time mechanism covering that delay, the original completion date falls away and the owner may lose the right to liquidated damages for that period. Read the guide
Prime cost (PC) sum: An allowance for work or materials from a specialist or supplier that the owner will nominate or select, such as sanitary fittings or a specialist lighting package. The contract sum is adjusted to the actual price of that specialist, plus the main contractor's agreed mark-up and attendance, meaning on-site support such as hoisting, power, protection and coordination. Read the guide
Principal (SOPA): Under Singapore's Security of Payment Act, the person liable to pay the respondent for the construction work, goods or services that are the subject of the claimant's contract. In a typical chain, the owner is the principal of the main contractor, which is the respondent to a subcontractor's claim. The principal may make direct payment under section 24 and receives copies of some SOPA notices. Read the guide
Professional Engineer (PE): An engineer registered with the Professional Engineers Board under the Professional Engineers Act 1991. Registration requires recognised qualifications, the PEB's examinations, at least four years of practical experience (24 months in Singapore) and a professional interview. Only a registered PE may use the title 'Er.' and only one with a practising certificate in force may sign documents the law requires a PE to sign. Read the guide
Professional Engineers Board (PEB): The statutory board that registers professional engineers in Singapore, issues practising certificates, licenses corporations and partnerships supplying engineering services, sets standards of conduct and ethics, and handles disciplinary matters. Its public directories let owners check whether an engineer holds a current practising certificate or has been suspended or deregistered. Read the guide
Proof of debt: The formal claim a creditor files with the liquidator of a company being wound up, stating the amount owed with supporting documents such as contracts, invoices, valuations or judgments. Where the Official Receiver is liquidator, proofs can be filed online for a small fee; private liquidators issue their own forms. Proofs without supporting documents may be rejected, and unsecured creditors are paid only after liquidation costs and preferential debts. Read the guide
Provisional sum: An allowance in a quotation or contract for work that cannot be defined well enough to price at tender, such as signage not yet designed. It is replaced by the value of the work actually instructed and done, so the final cost can go up or down. Defined provisional sums give enough detail for the contractor to plan; undefined ones do not. Read the guide
PSSCOC: The Public Sector Standard Conditions of Contract published by the Building and Construction Authority for Singapore government construction projects. The current Construction Works edition is the 8th edition of July 2020, with later amendments, and a simplified PSSCOC-lite was issued in 2025. Its clauses on programmes, extension of time, liquidated damages, variations and payment are useful models for private contracts. Read the guide
PUB licensed plumber: A plumber licensed by PUB to carry out regulated water service works, such as pipes, tanks and water heaters, and sanitary plumbing works, such as toilets, sinks and discharge pipes. Since 1 April 2018 it has been an offence to engage an unlicensed plumber for these works. A few simple tasks, such as replacing taps, are excluded. Read the guide

Q

Qualified Person (QP): Under the Building Control Act, a registered architect or professional engineer with a practising certificate in force. On a project, a QP is appointed to prepare the plans and a QP to supervise the works, by the developer or, if the developer has not, by the builder. QPs must exercise due diligence and notify the Commissioner of Building Control of contraventions they know of. Read the guide
Quality Mark (QM): A BCA certification for good workmanship in private homes, launched on 1 July 2002. BCA assesses every unit, and the certificate lists units scoring at least 85 out of 100 on internal finishes and free of major defects and water seepage. It is mandatory for residential Government Land Sales sites sold on or after 30 June 2022 and otherwise voluntary. Read the guide

R

Racking systems (URA GFA treatment): URA excludes racking from gross floor area only if it is standalone, modular, not an integral part of the building, used for storage related to the main use of an industrial development, and people access it only to store and retrieve goods. Platforms where people work are floors and usually count as GFA. Read the guide
Rear service block: The rear part of a traditional shophouse, behind the main building and rear court, typically containing service rooms. URA's conservation guidelines treat its original openings and fabric as elements to retain and restore; its unauthorised demolition was part of the 32 Desker Road prosecution in 2025 to 2026. Read the guide
Reasonably practicable: The standard qualifying most duties under Singapore's WSH Act: a duty holder must do what is reasonably practicable to ensure safety, weighing the risk against the means to control it. Under section 47, the accused bears the burden of proving it was not practicable to do more. Keeping records of checks made is how owners and contractors demonstrate this. Read the guide
Reconstruction (landed house): A landed house proposal that goes beyond URA's A&A limits: adding more than 50% of the existing approved gross floor area, replacing more than 50% of the existing approved external walls, or changing structural elements over more than 50% of the existing approved floor area. URA asks for such proposals to be lodged as new erection or reconstruction and assessed against current guidelines. Read the guide
Reference class forecasting: Forecasting a project's cost or duration from the actual outcomes of a set of comparable past projects, instead of from the details of the current plan. It counters optimism bias by taking the outside view. For an owner choosing a contractor, the practical version is to ask how long that contractor's comparable jobs actually took, not only what its programme promises. Read the guide
Registered Inspector (RI): A Registered Architect or Professional Engineer with at least 10 years' experience who is registered with SCDF to inspect completed fire safety works and certify their compliance before a TFP or FSC is issued. The owner appoints the RI, who must have no professional or financial interest in the project. There are RIs for architectural and for mechanical and electrical aspects. Read the guide
Regularisation: The process of bringing unauthorised works into compliance. A Qualified Person surveys and assesses the works, then seeks retrospective approval from BCA, SCDF or URA as needed; works that cannot comply are strengthened, altered or removed. BCA may impose a pecuniary penalty of up to 10 times the plan fees, after which the covered works are treated as not contravening the Act. Read the guide
Reinstatement: The work a tenant must carry out at the end of a lease to return the premises in the condition the lease and the landlord's reinstatement guidelines require. In Singapore offices, malls and industrial buildings it typically covers removing partitions, ceilings and flooring, cutting M&E services back to base-building points, reinstating sprinklers and detectors, and making good damage, followed by a joint inspection. Read the guide
Reinstatement guidelines: A landlord's written rules setting out what tenants must remove, keep and restore at handback, and how the works must be done. Large Singapore landlords issue them alongside the lease and house rules, sometimes only on request, and may revise them. The current version, read together with the lease, defines the reinstatement scope. Read the guide
Remeasurement: A pricing method in which the quantities of work are measured as actually built and paid at tendered rates, rather than fixed in advance. It shifts quantity risk to the owner and suits uncertain work such as repairs where the extent is unknown. Bills of quantities may mark some items as provisional quantities that are remeasured on completion. Read the guide
Renovation deposit (MCST): A refundable sum an MCST collects before an owner's renovation starts, held against damage to common property, uncleared debris and other costs. Amounts are set by each MCST: one development asks for a S$1,000 minimum, another S$500 for minor and S$2,000 for major works. Refunds usually follow a post-works inspection of common property. Read the guide
Repair mortar classes (EN 1504-3): The European standard EN 1504-3 groups concrete repair mortars into classes R1 to R4 according to performance requirements. Manufacturers describe R3 and R4 as structural repair mortars, with R4 having a compressive strength of over 45 MPa. The EN 1504 series, including Part 9 on general principles, is widely referenced in specifying concrete repair and protection. Read the guide
Reportable safety incident (exterior feature): Under the Building Control (Reportable Matters) Regulations 2025, in force from 1 July 2025, an incident where a person dies or is injured, or a fallen exterior feature damages other property, because of the feature's condition. The person responsible must notify the Commissioner of Building Control within 6 hours of becoming aware or reasonably suspecting it. Read the guide
Retention money: A part of each progress payment that the owner keeps back as security for completion and for fixing defects. In reported SIA-form cases, 10% of each certificate was retained up to a limit of 5% of the contract sum, with half released on completion and the balance at the end of the maintenance period. The figures come from the contract, not from statute. Read the guide
Retrofitting of Casement Windows Order 2004: Subsidiary legislation under the Building Control Act, in force since 1 October 2004. It requires the person responsible for outward-opening casement windows on residential buildings to have an Approved Window Contractor replace all aluminium rivets at the variable geometry stays with type 304 stainless steel rivets complying with BS EN 10088 or equivalent, and to report the completed works to BCA. Read the guide
Roof mezzanine (conserved shophouse): A new floor inserted within the roof space of a conserved shophouse, similar to an attic. URA requires it to be set back at least 1.5 m from the inner face of the front façade, or 2.5 m if it is lower than the top of the uppermost window, built in timber, without dormers. The Fire Code limits its area in timber-floored shophouses. Read the guide

S

Safe / Require Repair / Unsafe: The three condition classes a Competent Person must assign to each façade type in a PFI report. Safe means no repair is needed and the façade is unlikely to deteriorate soon. Require Repair means deterioration without imminent danger. Unsafe means a dangerous condition needing immediate attention, with precautions such as cordons, hoarding and removal of loose elements. Read the guide
Safety barrier integrated with a window: A full-height or three-quarter-height window that also acts as the barrier preventing a fall where there is a vertical drop of 1,000 mm or more. Replacing or reinstating one needs a Professional Engineer's design and plan submission to BCA, unless the owner adopts BCA's Standardised Designs. The work must be done by an Approved Window Contractor or builder with a trained installer. Read the guide
Safety equipment (section 37A): Items a condo owner may install despite any contrary by-law: window grilles or screens, balustrades, railings and fences against falls, devices restricting window or door openings, insect screens, intruder alarms and locks. The owner must install them competently, repair any damage to common property and keep their appearance in keeping with the building, usually by following MCST design guidelines. Read the guide
Safety stopper and angle strip: Small components on sliding windows. A safety stopper prevents the sliding panel from travelling past its limit and out of the frame. An angle strip keeps the panel seated in its track. BCA attributes most fallen sliding windows to missing or worn stoppers and angle strips, combined with excessive outward force when the panel is opened or closed. Read the guide
Safe working load (SWL): The maximum load a rack, platform or floor is designed to carry safely in use. MOM expects the safe working load of storage racks to be prominently displayed and respected, including the weight of stacked racks above. For demolition, the WSH Council advises that a Professional Engineer should determine floor safe working loads allowing for debris and machines. Read the guide
Secondary settlement (conservation): A category of URA conservation area, including Balestier, Joo Chiat, Geylang, Jalan Besar, Tanjong Katong and Tiong Bahru, where owners may conserve the main shophouse and add a new rear extension. URA sets the extension's maximum height area by area, and any part above the main roof eaves must be set back at least 600 mm clear of the conserved building. Read the guide
Section 101(8) presumption: A rule in the Building (Strata Management) Act 2004 that applies in Strata Titles Board proceedings. If the ceiling of a unit, or its plaster or board finishes, shows dampness, moisture or water penetration, the defect is presumed to be in the unit or common property immediately above, unless the contrary is proved. It shifts the burden of proof; it does not make the upper owner automatically liable. Read the guide
Section 24A knowledge period: The rule in the Limitation Act that, for negligence, nuisance or breach of duty claims other than personal injury, allows the later of 6 years from accrual or 3 years from the date the claimant knew enough to sue, including knowledge obtainable with reasonable expert advice. Singapore courts describe the knowledge needed as reasonable rather than absolute or certain. Read the guide
Security deposit: A refundable sum, commonly about three months' gross rent in Singapore commercial leases, held by the landlord as security for the tenant's obligations. It is usually refunded without interest after expiry, less any sums owed, such as arrears, holding-over charges or the cost of incomplete reinstatement. Read the guide
Security of Payment Act (SOPA): The Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2004, which gives anyone carrying out construction work or supplying related goods or services under a written contract in Singapore a statutory right to progress payment and fast adjudication of disputes. Its current form reflects amendments in force since 15 December 2019. Residential works not needing Building Control approval are excluded. Read the guide
SIA Building Contract: The suite of standard building contracts published by the Singapore Institute of Architects for private projects administered by an architect. The current suite is the SIA Building Contract 2016, in Without Quantities, With Quantities, Design and Build and Sub-Contract versions. Much reported case law concerns the earlier 9th Edition (2010) Lump Sum conditions, so clause numbers should be checked against the edition used. Read the guide
Signboard (outdoor advertising): Since 2 November 2026, an advertising structure that displays only informational content about the premises it is fixed to, such as the business name, logo, operating hours, contact details or statutory notices. Signs carrying promotional content, or information about a different place, are promotional signs and follow the advertisement requirements. Read the guide
Simplified process (Order 65): A streamlined court procedure under the Rules of Court 2021 that applies to all originating claims in the Magistrate's Court, and to District Court claims if all parties consent. Parties produce key documents with their pleadings, certain interim applications are barred, and the court may order a simplified trial with strict time limits. Read the guide
Sinking fund: One of the two funds a strata management corporation (MCST) maintains from owners' contributions, intended for long-term expenditure such as repainting, major equipment replacement and cyclical maintenance. BCA encourages MCSTs to build it gradually for anticipated major works. Façade inspections and the repairs that follow are natural items to plan through the sinking fund over the seven-year PFI cycle. Read the guide
Small Claims Tribunals (SCT): Part of Singapore's State Courts, for claims up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 if both parties sign a Memorandum of Consent, filed within 2 years of the event giving rise to the claim. They hear contracts for goods and services, including renovation contracts. Lawyers cannot represent parties, and claims are filed online through the CJTS. Read the guide
SOPA direct payment (section 24): A remedy under section 24 of Singapore's Security of Payment Act. If a respondent fails to pay an adjudicated amount, the respondent's principal, such as the owner paying a main contractor, may serve a notice of payment and, if the respondent does not show proof of payment within 2 days, pay the claimant directly. The principal may deduct that payment from what it owes the respondent or recover it as a debt. Read the guide
Spalling concrete: Concrete that cracks and breaks away from a structure, usually because embedded steel reinforcement is corroding and expanding. On façades it is both a falling-object hazard and a sign of structural deterioration. Repairs generally involve breaking out unsound concrete, treating or replacing steel and reinstating with repair mortar; major repairs are building works needing a Professional Engineer. Read the guide
Specialist Builder licence: A BCA licence required for specialist building works of any value in six categories: piling; ground support and stabilisation; instrumentation and monitoring; structural steelwork; pre-cast concrete; and in-situ post-tensioning. It applies to whichever firm carries out the specialist work, including subcontractors. Read the guide
Special resolution (strata): A resolution of a management corporation requiring a higher majority than an ordinary resolution, used among other things to make, amend or repeal additional by-laws under section 32 of the Building (Strata Management) Act, such as renovation rules or architectural guidelines. Any by-law made this way has no effect until lodged with the Commissioner of Buildings, within 45 days. Read the guide
Specified material (asbestos): A material listed in the First Schedule of Singapore's WSH (Asbestos) Regulations 2014 that must be surveyed for asbestos before work on it, whatever the building's age, unless documentary proof shows it is asbestos-free. The list covers cable penetration insulation, fire protection boards, panels, walls and doors, gaskets, refractory linings, sprayed insulation, and thermal insulation of pipes, boilers, pressure vessels and process vessels. Read the guide
SS 341: The Singapore Standard specifying performance requirements and test methods for safety glazing materials used in buildings where people may strike the glass. The current listing is SS 341:2001, confirmed in 2012. BCA's Approved Document requires glass in barriers and in façades, roofs, canopies and overhead glazing at height to comply with it. The related code of practice for human-impact glazing is SS 653:2020. Read the guide
SS 637:2018: The Singapore Standard code of practice for waterproofing of reinforced concrete buildings. It covers waterproofing systems commonly used for basements, floors, walls, roofs and precast elements, including protection against water with or without hydrostatic pressure. It replaced CP 82:1999. As a code of practice, it should be named expressly in specifications and contracts if a contractor is to be held to it. Read the guide
Stakeholder (Singapore Academy of Law): The neutral party that holds part of the purchase price of a new private home under the prescribed Sale and Purchase Agreement. The Singapore Academy of Law releases the sums on stated events, holds 5% until the Final Payment Date, pays undisputed deductions to the buyer, and keeps disputed amounts until the dispute is settled. Read the guide
Statutory demand (company): A written demand for payment left at a company's registered office. Under section 125(2)(a) of Singapore's Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act, if the company owes the creditor more than S$15,000 then due and neglects for 3 weeks to pay, secure or compound the debt, it is deemed unable to pay its debts, which allows the creditor to apply to court for a winding-up order. Read the guide
Stay of proceedings for arbitration: A court order, under section 6 of the Arbitration Act 2001, pausing a court action brought on a matter that the parties agreed to arbitrate. The application must be made before delivering a pleading or taking another step in the action, and the court grants it unless there is sufficient reason why the matter should not be arbitrated. Read the guide
Step-in rights: Contract rights that let an owner take over and complete the works after terminating a contractor, typically by using the contractor's materials, temporary works and plant on site, taking assignment of its subcontracts and supply contracts, receiving its drawings and records, and engaging others to finish at the defaulting contractor's cost. They reduce delay when a contractor fails mid-project. Read the guide
Stop-work order (SWO): An order issued by MOM's Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health under section 21 of the WSH Act, halting all or part of the work at a workplace that is unsafe or where a duty has been breached. Failing to comply carries a fine of up to S$500,000 plus S$20,000 per day. Under MOM's demerit system, a full SWO earns a contractor 10 points. Read the guide
Storage platform (First Schedule item 1(za)): A single-level platform used solely to store goods in an industrial building, not accessible to the public, up to 4 m high and 50 m², with beam or slab spans up to 6 m and cantilevers up to 3 m. Since 1 April 2025 such a platform, and a stair or ladder serving only it, is exempt from BCA plan approval, but SCDF and landlord rules still apply. Read the guide
Storey (Fire Code): Under SCDF's Fire Code 2023, any floor or part of a floor, expressly including platforms, mezzanines, attic levels and M&E floors. Because racking platforms and mezzanines that occupants use count as storeys, they need a Qualified Person's fire safety assessment, SCDF plan approval and a Registered Inspector's check before a Fire Safety Certificate. Read the guide
Storey shelter (SS): A civil defence shelter serving a storey of a residential block; in condominiums it typically sits on common property managed by the MCST. Like household shelters, storey shelters are regulated under the Civil Defence Shelter Act, co-regulated by SCDF and BCA, and must not be hacked or altered in ways likely to impair their use. Read the guide
Strata Titles Boards (STB): Tribunals that hear disputes between unit owners and management corporations in Singapore strata developments, including inter-floor water leakage. Cases start with mediation and go to a hearing if they do not settle. The application fee is $500 and covers two mediation sessions. Board orders bind the parties and can be enforced in the State Courts. Appeals to the High Court are limited to points of law. Read the guide
Strata Titles Board (STB): A tribunal under the Building (Strata Management) Act that resolves disputes in strata developments, including defects, water seepage, by-law disputes and unreasonable refusals by an MCST to consent to an owner's alterations. Applications cost S$500, parties must attend mediation, and if it fails the Board hears the case; its orders are enforceable through the State Courts. Read the guide
Struck by falling objects (SBFO): An incident type in MOM's workplace safety statistics covering injuries from objects falling onto a person. MOM recorded 2 SBFO deaths and 28 major injuries in 2025, down from 5 and 36 in 2024. The WSH Council's 2021 Guidelines on Safeguarding Against Falling Objects set out the hierarchy of controls for this hazard. Read the guide
Structural crack: A crack that reflects distress in a load-bearing element, such as a beam, column, slab, load-bearing wall or foundation, or that affects structural capacity. Warning signs include diagonal cracks near beam supports, cracks along reinforcement with rust staining, widening or tapered cracks, and cracks with sagging or sticking doors. BCA's PSI template classes structural cracks as structural defects needing an engineer's attention. Read the guide
Structural plan approval: BCA's approval of the structural design for building works, required before structural works begin. Only a Qualified Person who is a Professional Engineer in the civil or structural discipline can apply. For A&A works that do not affect structural stability, BCA asks for PE-endorsed plans with an Appendix D certificate; works materially affecting key structural elements need an Accredited Checker's certificate. Read the guide
Structural sealant glazing: A glazing system in which silicone sealant bonds glass or panels to the supporting frame and carries load, rather than only keeping out water. Failure of the bond can release a glass unit. BCA's PFI guidelines cite de-glazing and sealant pull-out tests as on-site tests for such systems, and ASTM C1401 is the standard guide for their design and use. Read the guide
Structures without redundancy: Structural elements whose failure is not backed up by alternative load paths, such as cantilevers, cantilever balconies, hanging structures, tension columns, nibs and corbels. BCA's PSI guidelines require engineers to inspect all such structures, opening up finishes where necessary, because a single defect can lead to collapse without warning. Read the guide
Subsidiary proprietor (SP): The legal term in Singapore strata law for the owner of a lot, such as a condominium unit or strata office. Subsidiary proprietors are bound by the prescribed and additional by-laws, must obtain MCST authorisation for works that affect the building's appearance or structure, and can apply to a Strata Titles Board or the court in disputes with the management corporation. Read the guide
Suspended scaffold (gondola): A working platform hung on wire ropes from roof outriggers or other overhead supports and raised or lowered by winches or climbers. Under MOM rules the outriggers must be designed and inspected by a Professional Engineer, installed by an approved scaffold contractor, and the gondola tested and examined by an Authorised Examiner before use. SS 598 is the code of practice. Read the guide

T

Tapping test (hollow-sound test): A simple inspection method in which tiles, plaster or concrete are tapped with a light hammer, tapping rod or rubber mallet and the sound is compared: a sharp ring indicates sound material, a dull sound indicates voids or delamination. It is used for tile handover checks under CONQUAS, for PFI close-range inspection, and by PSI engineers to map the extent of spalling. Read the guide
Tell-tale (crack monitor): A simple gauge, usually two overlapping plastic plates with a grid and cursor, fixed across a crack so that opening, closing and sideways movement can be read at intervals. A dated tell-tale shows whether a crack is static or active, which is often more important than its width. Readings over several months help an engineer separate seasonal thermal movement from progressive structural movement. Read the guide
Tempered (toughened) glass: Glass that has been heated and rapidly cooled so that its surfaces are in compression and its core in tension. It can be up to four to five times as strong as annealed glass of the same thickness and breaks into many small, generally blunt pieces. It cannot be cut or drilled after toughening, and a small inclusion or edge chip can cause the whole pane to shatter. Read the guide
Temporary building: Under the Building Control Act, a structure of not more than two storeys of short-lived materials or permitted for a limited period, a site office, workers' quarters or show-flat linked to permanent works, or a structure used only to display an outdoor advertisement or signboard. Temporary buildings are regulated by the Building Control (Temporary Buildings) Regulations 2018. Read the guide
Temporary Fire Permit (TFP): A permit SCDF may issue to allow occupation for a limited period when fire safety works are satisfactorily completed but minor deviations remain outstanding. It requires the Registered Inspector's Form 2 certificate. The full Fire Safety Certificate is issued later, once all fire safety works are completed. Read the guide
Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) / Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC): The permits BCA issues when a building may be occupied (TOP) and when it is fully completed in compliance with building rules (CSC). They set the age clocks for periodic inspections: the PSI counts from the first TOP or CSC, whichever is earlier, while the PFI counts from the last TOP granted for the whole building, or the last CSC if no such TOP was granted. Read the guide
Temporary propping: Props, shores or braces installed to carry loads while structural elements are removed, altered or weakened. The WSH (Construction) Regulations prohibit demolition where an adjacent structure may become unsafe unless shoring, bracing or similar measures are provided. A Professional Engineer normally designs the propping and the sequence for installing and removing it. Read the guide
Time at large: The situation where there is no valid contractual completion date, usually because the owner caused delay and the contract could not extend time for it. The contractor must then complete within a reasonable time, and the owner can claim only general damages for proven loss beyond that, not liquidated damages. Singapore's Court of Appeal applied this in Jurong Primewide v Crescendas Bionics (2019). Read the guide
Toe-board: A vertical board along the edge of a work platform that stops tools and materials being knocked off. Under Singapore's Scaffolds Regulations 2011, toe-boards at least 90 mm high, plus two or more guard-rails, are required on every side of a scaffold work platform where a person could fall more than 2 metres. The Construction Regulations also require them on cantilevered and material platforms. Read the guide
Toehold: In BCA's barrier rules, a foothold that could help someone climb a barrier: an opening in mesh or perforated sheet more than 50 mm wide and 30 mm high, or a kerb or protrusion more than 50 mm wide with a chamfer gentler than 45 degrees. A toehold within 600 mm vertically of the floor, a step or another toehold is climbable, and the barrier must extend 850 mm above the last climbable one. Read the guide
Tool tethering: Attaching hand tools to the worker or structure with lanyards, straps or slings so they cannot fall if dropped. The WSH Council's Guidelines on Safeguarding Against Falling Objects recommend purpose-designed tethers and tool bags. Tethering is not prescribed by name in Singapore's regulations, but it is a common way to meet the general duty to take reasonably practicable measures. Read the guide
Torch-on membrane: A roofing membrane made of reinforced, polymer-modified bitumen sheets (APP or SBS) that are softened with a gas torch and bonded to the substrate and to each other at overlapping laps. It is robust and quick to lay on large, simple roofs. Its weak points are lap quality and complex details, and because it uses an open flame it must be managed as hot work. Read the guide
Toxic industrial waste collector (TIWC): A collector licensed by Singapore's National Environment Agency to collect and transport toxic industrial waste. For asbestos, NEA requires the removal contractor to engage a licensed TIWC capable of handling asbestos; approved collectors need NEA's written permission to dispose of asbestos at Semakau Landfill, and sealed, labelled containers must be barged directly there without using compactors. Read the guide
Trained air-conditioning unit installer: An individual certified by BCA under the Building Control Regulations to install air-con units on the exterior of a building or projecting from it. Owners must engage one for such work, including repair and replacement. The installer must fit a support system to the Seventh Schedule or HDB-approved specifications and report the completed work to BCA within 14 days. Read the guide
Trained window installer: An individual certified by BCA to install or retrofit windows. Under the Building Control Regulations and the 2004 Retrofitting Order, only a trained window installer, or a person under their supervision, who is a director, partner, sole proprietor or employee of the Approved Window Contractor or builder engaged, may install an exterior window or retrofit casement window rivets. Read the guide

U

Unauthorised building works: Building works carried out without an approval the law requires: BCA plan approval or a structural permit, SCDF approval for fire safety works, or URA planning or conservation permission. Under the Building Control Act, carrying out, permitting or authorising works without approved plans or a permit carries a fine of up to S$200,000, two years' imprisonment, or both. Read the guide
Unconscionability exception: The Singapore ground, separate from fraud, on which a court may restrain a call on an on-demand bond. It requires a strong prima facie case of unfairness or conduct lacking in good faith, such as calling for an excessive sum, relying on the beneficiary's own breach, or using inflated estimates. The Court of Appeal in CKR v Asplenium (2015) accepted that parties may contractually exclude this exception. Read the guide
Unsafe exterior feature offence (BC Act s 25H): Since 1 October 2025, section 25H of the Building Control Act makes it an offence for the person responsible to fail, without reasonable excuse, to keep an exterior feature securely fixed so that it or its support will not collapse. The maximum penalty is a S$20,000 fine, 12 months' jail, or both. A fallen feature showing deterioration not caused by accident or acts of nature is presumed to be a failure. Read the guide
Upturn (upstand): The part of a waterproofing membrane that is turned up a wall, parapet, kerb, pipe or door threshold so that standing water cannot get behind it. HDB's recommended wet-area repair turns the membrane up to 150 mm against walls, kerbs and pipes. Upturns that are too low, unprotected or poorly terminated are among the most common causes of roof and bathroom leaks. Read the guide

V

Variable geometry stay: The hinged metal arms, often called friction stays, that let a casement window swing outward and hold it open. The arms are joined by small rivets that carry the weight of the sash each time it moves. Singapore's 2004 Retrofitting Order requires aluminium rivets at these stays on residential casement windows to be replaced with type 304 stainless steel rivets. Read the guide
Variation order (VO): A written instruction that changes the contracted work: adding or omitting work, changing quantities, quality, specification, levels or positions, or changing timing. A properly instructed variation adjusts the contract sum and may extend time. Whether an oral instruction can still be paid depends on how strictly the contract makes written instructions a condition of payment. Read the guide

W

WAH safety assessor: A competent person appointed by the occupier of a factory to evaluate each application for a work-at-height permit, inspect the location with the supervisor and endorse the safety measures. MOM's guidance is that the supervisor applying for a permit should not also assess it. A registered WSH Officer may act as assessor without attending the specific assessor course. Read the guide
Waterproofing membrane: A continuous layer that stops water passing through a roof, floor, wall or basement. It may be a sheet bonded in place, a liquid coating that cures into a seamless film, or a cementitious coating. In wet areas it typically sits between the structural slab and the screed under the tiles. Most failures occur at details such as upturns, outlets, penetrations and laps rather than in the open field. Read the guide
Weather sealant: Sealant used to close joints in façades, windows and claddings against water and air, without carrying structural load. It can fail by peeling from the substrate (adhesive failure), tearing within itself (cohesive failure) or with a failing substrate. Durable replacement means removing old sealant, preparing and priming the surfaces and installing new sealant with correct joint backing. Read the guide
Weep holes: Small drainage openings at the bottom of window frames, curtain wall transoms and cavity walls that let water which has passed the outer seal drain back out. They are essential to drained façade systems. Sealing weep holes to stop water appearing outside is a common mistake that traps water inside the frame and can create or worsen interior leaks. Read the guide
Wet chemical fire suppression system: A fixed system over a commercial cooking line that discharges a wet chemical agent to smother and cool burning cooking oil. SCDF's Fire Code requires one on the hood where F&B outlets share a kitchen exhaust, of an approved type based on standards such as NFPA 17A, and many landlords require one for every kitchen. Read the guide
Wind load: The pressure and suction that wind exerts on a structure, which usually governs the design of signs, banners, hoardings and event structures. In Singapore, wind actions are designed to SS EN 1991-1-4 with its Singapore National Annex. A sign's fixings must resist the resulting sliding, pull-out and overturning forces, with allowance for corrosion over the sign's life. Read the guide
Window Safety Day (6/6 and 12/12): BCA's half-yearly outreach reminder, on 6 June and 12 December, for homeowners to check, clean and change worn window parts. It reflects BCA's and MND's advice that windows should be checked and maintained at least once every six months, with any worn or corroded parts changed by an Approved Window Contractor. Read the guide
Winner's curse: The tendency of the winner of a competitive auction to be the bidder who erred most optimistically. In construction tendering the lowest bid is statistically more likely to contain an under-estimate of uncertain costs. The shortfall often returns to the owner through variation claims, reduced quality or slower progress. The term comes from a 1971 study of oil-lease bidding. Read the guide
Work at height: Under the Workplace Safety and Health (Work at Heights) Regulations 2013, work where a person could fall from one level to another and injury is reasonably likely because of the distance. There is no minimum height in the definition. The first rule is avoidance: work at height must be avoided where it can reasonably be done safely at ground level. Read the guide
Workhead (CW01, CR01): A category of work in BCA's Contractors Registration System. CW01 is General Building, including A&A works involving structural changes; CR01 is Minor Construction Works, covering minor building, civil and landscape works not governed by the Building Control Act, including minor A&A. Each workhead is registered at a grade. Read the guide
Work Injury Compensation (WIC) insurance: Insurance MOM requires employers to buy for all employees doing manual work and for non-manual employees earning S$2,600 or less a month, covering statutory compensation for work injuries. Subcontractors must insure their own employees. Failing to provide adequate insurance is an offence. Read the guide