A&A and Fit-Out Approvals in Singapore: Who Approves What, and When

Addition and alteration (A&A) works and interior fit-outs in Singapore are regulated by at least five agencies and one private gatekeeper, and each of them asks a different question. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) asks whether the building will still stand up and whether the works are of a kind that needs plans at all. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) asks whether people can still escape and whether fire protection still works. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) asks whether the use and the outside of the building are still what was planned. The landlord, JTC or the Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) asks whether you are allowed to touch their building at all. Then EMA, PUB and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) govern who may do the electrical, plumbing, gas and high-risk work.

The mistake owners and tenants most often make is to treat “approval” as a single event. It is a set of parallel and sequential clearances, some of which (a $90 SCDF lodgement, a no-submission insignificant building work) are quick, and some of which (structural plan approval, change of use, conservation permission) shape the whole programme. This guide maps them: which works trigger which approval, who prepares and submits each one, what the published processing times are, and where projects typically go wrong.

It is written for non-residential premises (offices, retail, industrial and institutional buildings) with notes for condominium units. It reflects the rules as at 9 November 2026, including the expanded list of insignificant building works that took effect on 1 April 2025 and BCA’s outdoor signage changes that took effect on 2 November 2026. If you want a quick first pass for your own project, the Approval Navigator lets you tick the kinds of work you plan and shows the approvals likely to apply.

Small jobs are where the risk concentrates. MOM’s 2025 figures show that injuries on A&A and renovation works fell only slightly year on year (103 to 95), while regular construction sites improved faster (60 to 45).³⁴ The same pattern shows up in buildings: the mezzanine that collapsed in a Toa Payoh warehouse in January 2025, trapping three people, had been installed without BCA or SCDF approval.³² Approvals and an independent engineer are not paperwork reserved for big projects; on a small job they are often the only check there is.

The cast: who does what on an A&A project

Before the agencies, the people. Almost every statutory submission in Singapore must come from a Qualified Person (QP): a Registered Architect with the Board of Architects or a Professional Engineer (PE) with the Professional Engineers Board, holding a valid practising certificate.⁶ The QP prepares and signs the plans, submits them, and supervises the works the plans cover. Which QP is “appropriate” depends on the work; for structural plans, only a PE in the civil or structural discipline can apply.⁴

A practical point: the QP’s statutory duties run to the regulator and the public, not just to whoever pays the fee. That is why the question of who appoints the engineer matters, and why we cover it in PE endorsement explained.

BCA: building works, structural works and what is exempt

The default rule and the penalties behind it

Under the Building Control Act, building works need approved plans and, for structural works, a permit. Section 20(1) makes it an offence to commence or carry out, or to permit or authorise, building works whose plans have not been approved, or for which no permit under section 6 is in force. The maximum is a fine of S$200,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both, plus up to S$1,000 a day while the contravention continues and S$2,000 a day if it continues after conviction.⁷ Breaching a condition of an approval or permit carries up to S$20,000 or 12 months.⁷ Separately, section 21 lets the Commissioner of Building Control impose a pecuniary penalty of up to 10 times the prescribed plan fees, whether or not there is a prosecution.⁷

Insignificant building works: the exemption list

The exemption is narrower than many contractors assume. BCA calls works that need no plan submission insignificant building works, and they are exactly the items in the First Schedule of the Building Control Regulations 2003 — nothing more.¹ That list was expanded for works carried out on or after 1 April 2025.³ The items that matter most for fit-outs are:

Source for the table: the First Schedule as currently in force.² “Lightweight material” is defined to include timber board, plywood, plasterboard, gypsum board, calcium silicate board, fibre-based cement board, metal sheet, lightweight-aggregate concrete products, and hollow or autoclaved aerated concrete blocks.² A “non-load bearing wall” is one that supports no load other than its own weight.²

Two cautions. First, “exempt from BCA plan submission” does not mean exempt from anything else. BCA itself reminds owners that insignificant works must still comply with safety and good practice, other agencies’ requirements such as URA’s, caveats and MCST by-laws.¹ Second, the exemption depends on facts the contractor often cannot see: whether a wall is really non-load-bearing, or whether a slab is post-tensioned. Item 15 expressly excludes flat slabs and prestressed elements for a reason. Our companion guide on hacking walls, slabs and household shelters covers how to tell.

When the works are structural

If the works touch structure — new openings in reinforced concrete walls or slabs beyond item 15, removing beams or columns, new mezzanines outside item 1(za), new heavy plant loads, strengthening — you need structural plan approval and a permit to carry out structural works.⁴⁵

• Only a QP who is a PE in the civil or structural discipline can apply for structural plan approval.⁴
• For A&A works where the building’s structural stability or integrity is not affected, BCA asks for PE-endorsed plans with a certificate in the form of its “Appendix D”.⁴
• Where works materially affect key structural elements (BCA gives strengthening works as an example), an Accredited Checker’s certificate is required.⁴
• Plans without AC certification are processed within 7 working days of a complete submission; plans with AC certification within 10 days for a first submission and 14 working days for subsequent ones; joint submissions in CORENET X’s Construction Gateway within 20 working days.⁴
• The permit is applied for jointly by the developer, the QP and the builder, together with or after plan approval, and is processed within 7 working days of complete documents.⁵

BCA’s pages note that CORENET X was to be mandatory for all new projects by 1 October 2026,⁵ so confirm with your QP which portal your submission now uses.

Some small structures can use BCA’s lodgment scheme instead of full approval: works listed in the Ninth Schedule, such as certain single-level platforms up to 4 m high and 100 m², lodged by a QP who declares compliance. False declarations are offences, and supervision and permit requirements still apply.³⁰

Building plans for non-structural A&A

Works that are neither insignificant nor structural (for example, changes to escape staircases, accessibility provisions or building envelope) need building plan approval through a QP. BCA requires the QP to obtain URA’s written permission first where planning permission is needed.⁶ Since 1 April 2023, civil defence shelter aspects are included in building plan and structural plan submissions rather than submitted separately.⁶

SCDF: fire safety plan approval, minor A&A lodgement, and the FSC

What counts as “fire safety works”

SCDF requires plan approval for fire safety works, which it describes as including: installing, altering, removing or relocating fire protection systems such as hose reels, sprinklers and fire doors; design or layout changes affecting escape routes or fire compartments; works involving combustible materials, air-conditioning or ventilation, or LPG for non-residential use; and change of use where the new use affects fire safety requirements.⁹ Under section 55 of the Fire Safety Act, the person for whom the works are proposed applies for plan approval through an appropriate QP; carrying out fire safety works before approval, or otherwise than in accordance with approved plans, carries a maximum fine of S$200,000, two years’ jail, or both.¹²

The minor A&A lodgement route

For small works in buildings that already hold a Temporary Fire Permit (TFP) or Fire Safety Certificate (FSC), regulation 4(4) of the Fire Safety (Building and Pipeline Fire Safety) Regulations replaces plan approval with a lodgement, as long as the works fall within the regulations’ Schedule.¹⁰ The QP (a Registered Architect, or a PE in civil, structural, mechanical or electrical engineering) lodges the plans on CORENET before work starts, and SCDF says works may proceed after lodgement.¹¹ The fee is S$90.¹⁰ The applicant or tenant must obtain consent from the building owner or MCST first.¹¹

Source: the Schedule, paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 to 7.¹⁰ For partition works in units other than shops and offices, the result must not be a room larger than 200 m².¹⁰ Paragraph 2 items (such as sprinklers and detectors) are not available for “excluded buildings”: places of large public congregation such as religious premises, childcare and healthcare premises, and buildings with high fire loads or hazards.¹⁰

The QP’s title-block certification on the lodged plans is a real undertaking: either that the works do not affect the existing fire protection system, or that the QP supervised the modification of the sprinkler or fire alarm system.¹¹

Completion: TFP, FSC and the Registered Inspector

Where fire safety works went through plan approval, the building cannot simply be reoccupied when the contractor leaves. The owner must engage a Registered Inspector (RI) to inspect and certify the works; the QP then applies on CORENET for the TFP or FSC. There is no application fee, SCDF responds within three working days, and it may select the project for inspection, usually within 10 days.¹³ Using or occupying premises without the FSC is an offence.¹³ Our SCDF fire safety guide for fit-outs covers this stage, the common failure points and the RI’s role in detail.

URA: planning permission, change of use and conserved buildings

Planning permission and its exemptions

URA’s starting point is that planning permission is required for development and building works, including changing the use of premises.¹⁴ Its exemption list removes most interior fit-out from that net. For non-residential buildings, the list exempts re-partitioning or re-arranging approved uses within tenanted areas (as long as there is no change in primary use, quantum or floor area, and common areas are not affected), lightweight partitions, false ceiling replacement, floor and wall finishes, air-conditioning works, external painting, and works that do not materially affect the external appearance or floor area.¹⁵ Replacement windows and doors are exempt where there is no GFA increase or setback reduction.¹⁵ Signboards are exempt except on the façade of national monuments or buildings in a conservation area.¹⁵ The list carries carve-outs, notably for conserved buildings and monuments, and URA tells owners to check other authorities and comply with caveats, by-laws and MCST rules.¹⁵

So the URA triggers on a fit-out are usually three: a change of use, anything that changes the external appearance or adds floor area (a new shopfront projection, enclosing a terrace, a mezzanine that counts as GFA), and any work to a conserved building.

Change of use

URA’s guide gives a simple example — shop to commercial school — and says such a change may require planning permission, assessed against Master Plan zoning, prevailing guidelines and the impact on neighbours.¹⁶ The owner, landlord, consultant or QP applies through GoBusiness with the owner’s letter of consent (and JTC’s, HDB’s or SLA’s where they are the landlord). The processing fee is S$500, non-refundable, and decisions generally take 10 working days, longer if the submission is incomplete or other agencies are consulted.¹⁶ URA’s most practical advice is easy to skip: do not commit to the tenancy or renovation works before you have URA’s decision.¹⁶

A change of use is also a fire safety event. Section 61 of the Fire Safety Act requires prior approval for a change of use that would make the existing fire safety measures inadequate, with a maximum of S$200,000, two years’ jail, or both.¹² An office converted to a classroom or a store converted to a showroom changes occupant load, exit capacity and sometimes sprinkler hazard class, so the QP should assess SCDF requirements at the same time as the URA application.

Conserved buildings

Work on a building in a conservation area needs Conservation Permission from URA, regardless of whether BCA plans are required.¹⁷ URA sorts works into three categories:

Source: URA conservation submission guidance.¹⁷ For Category 3 works, no work may start before Conservation Permission is issued; for Category 1 and 2 works, BCA building plan approval and the permit follow URA’s permission.¹⁷

The private gatekeepers: landlord, JTC and MCST

Statutory approval does not give you the right to work in someone else’s building. Every commercial lease, JTC tenancy and strata development adds its own layer, and it usually comes first.

Commercial landlords typically require a fit-out submission with drawings, method statements, insurances, a deposit and the contractor’s credentials before any work. SCDF’s minor A&A guidance makes landlord or MCST consent an express precondition of lodgement.¹¹ Building managers commonly run their own permit-to-work and hot-work systems and set working hours for noisy trades; these are contractual, not statutory, but a breach can stop a job as effectively as a regulator. See working in live premises for how this plays out in occupied malls, offices and fabs.

JTC requires tenants carrying out A&A works in its buildings to obtain JTC’s plan consent and clearances from the relevant authorities. Its handbook sorts works into List A (no JTC consent needed, but other authorities’ submissions still required), List B (QP endorsement on plans required) and List C (no QP endorsement), and submissions go through CORENET.²¹ For new partitions, JTC asks for deadweight, thickness and height, a PE (civil) endorsement, and for works affecting fire protection installations, SCDF’s notice of approval.²¹

MCSTs regulate works through by-laws. BCA’s strata management guide explains that MCSTs may require approval before works in a lot, PE endorsement for structural works, and evidence of URA, SCDF and Commissioner of Building Control approvals; works affecting the appearance or structural integrity of the building need MCST authorisation under section 37(4) of the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act (renamed the Building (Strata Management) Act from 1 October 2025, when its maintenance duties moved into the Building Control Act); and works that affect gross floor area need a 90% resolution at a general meeting.²⁰

Services: electrical, plumbing and gas

Electrical works (EMA)

EMA’s licensing regime is about who may do the work and who is responsible for the installation. Only licensed electrical workers may design, install, repair, maintain, inspect and test electrical installations, within their class: licensed electricians up to 45 kVA at 1,000 V and below; licensed electrical technicians up to 150 kVA (design) and 500 kVA (operation); licensed electrical engineers without load limit, subject to licence conditions.²³ Non-domestic installations with an approved load above 45 kVA (equivalent to 63 A three-phase at 400 V) need an electrical installation licence, and the licensee must appoint an LEW of the appropriate class, inform the appointed LEW of any modification, and ensure that any electrical work is carried out only by an LEW.²³ A different LEW may carry out fit-out modifications, but must coordinate connection and disconnection with the appointed LEW and hand over the completed works.²³ Tenants who buy electricity en bloc through the landlord or MCST are generally covered by the landlord’s licence.²³

Plumbing and sanitary works (PUB)

PUB requires all regulated water service and sanitary plumbing works to be carried out by PUB-licensed plumbers, and since 1 April 2018 it has been an offence for anyone to engage an unlicensed plumber for such works.²² A short list of simple works (replacing taps and mixers, some cistern parts, installing or replacing wash basins and floor traps, clearing blockages) may be done by handymen.²² New sanitary works can also need PUB clearance through a QP; ask your QP or licensed plumber which applies before the layout is fixed, because toilet and pantry positions are often constrained by existing stacks and floor traps.

Gas works (EMA)

Since 14 February 2008, the installation, testing, maintenance and repair of gas appliances connected to piped gas must be done by a licensed gas service worker, who certifies the appliance safe for use; employing or instructing an unlicensed worker is an offence with a maximum fine of S$10,000, imprisonment, or both.²⁴ For F&B fit-outs, gas and LPG installations are also fire safety matters for SCDF.⁹

Site safety and environmental requirements

Fit-outs are construction work, and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) regime applies.

• Work at height. Under the WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations, a permit-to-work is required for work where a person could fall more than 3 metres, in workplaces defined as factories, which include construction worksites.²⁶ Where the fall risk is controlled by adequate edge protection, a permit may not be required.²⁶ See work-at-height law and occupier liability.
• Scaffolds. Scaffolds with a height of 4 metres or more at the uppermost lift (excluding handrails) must be erected, altered and dismantled by an MOM-approved scaffold contractor; tower and trestle scaffolds are excluded from this requirement.²⁷
• Asbestos. In older buildings, suspected asbestos-containing materials must be removed by an approved asbestos-removal contractor, who must notify MOM at least one week before removal starts, with a plan of work and survey results.²⁸
• Noise. NEA sets noise limits for construction sites, progressively stricter after 7 pm and 10 pm; for residential buildings within 150 m the Monday-to-Saturday limits are 75 dBA (Leq 12 hours) from 7 am to 7 pm, 65 dBA (Leq 1 hour) from 7 pm to 10 pm, and 55 dBA (Leq 1 hour) from 10 pm to 7 am.²⁵ In occupied commercial buildings the binding constraint is usually the landlord’s house rules. Our guide to construction noise and working hours has the detail.

Signage and façade changes

Outdoor signs are a separate licensing system run by BCA. A licence is needed to display an outdoor advertising sign or signboard; a single signboard or series of related signboards with a total area of not more than 5 m² is exempt by declaration.²⁹ Applications go through BCA’s Advertisement Licensing System with the owner’s and MCST’s endorsement; BCA typically assesses complete applications in 7 working days, with about two more weeks if URA evaluation is needed.²⁹ Amendments in force from 2 November 2026 redefine “signboard” as a structure displaying only informational content about the premises, introduce an express approval scheme, and raise the maximum fine from S$5,000 to S$20,000 with up to 12 months’ imprisonment.³³ Heavier signs and their supports also raise structural questions; see signboards and structures needing PE endorsement.

The big matrix: who approves what

This is the summary most readers want. “Likely” means the approval is commonly triggered by that kind of work; whether it applies to your job depends on the specific conditions discussed above, and a QP should confirm.

Sequencing: a realistic order of play

How long does this take? The published agency service standards are short: 7 working days for a complete structural plan without AC certification, 7 working days for the permit,⁴⁵ around 10 working days for a URA change of use,¹⁶ 20 working days for URA Category 1 and 2 conservation decisions,¹⁷ and 3 working days for SCDF’s response to a TFP or FSC application.¹³ What makes approvals feel slow is everything around those clocks: incomplete submissions, landlord review cycles, written directions and resubmissions, and design changes after submission. The guide on realistic fit-out timelines quantifies where those weeks go.

What goes wrong, and how to avoid it

Starting before the permit

The most common and most expensive error is mobilising the hacking crew before the structural permit is issued, usually because the handover date was fixed before the approvals plan was. Section 20 exposure attaches to whoever permits or authorises the works, not only the contractor.⁷ If you discover works that should have been approved, our guide to regularising unauthorised works sets out the route.

Assuming “lightweight partition” means “no approval”

A drywall partition is a BCA insignificant work, but it can still be an SCDF matter if it creates a new room that pushes travel distance beyond the Fire Code limit, blocks sprinkler coverage, or encloses an exit route. SCDF’s own enforcement material lists unapproved partitions among common offences and highlights escape routes, sprinkler and detector coverage and travel distances as the points a QP must assess.³¹

Mezzanines and racking

SCDF treats racking systems, platforms and mezzanines accessible to occupants as a floor or storey under the Fire Code, so they need QP assessment and plan approval before installation.³¹

Change of use discovered at licensing stage

Tenants sometimes complete a fit-out and only then apply for the operating licence, only to learn the use is not approved for the unit. URA’s guidance to secure its decision before committing to tenancy or renovation exists precisely to avoid that.¹⁶

Services done by the wrong people

Sockets added by a general worker, a water heater installed by a handyman, a gas hob connected by the kitchen supplier: each is a licensed-worker breach.²²²³²⁴ They also tend to surface at the worst time, during the landlord’s handover inspection or an insurer’s claim review.

Conservation buildings treated like any shophouse

Changing a business sign or repainting a shophouse façade in a conservation area is a Category 3 matter needing Conservation Permission before the work.¹⁷ Owners who treat these as routine maintenance often learn otherwise from a URA notice.

Using this guide

Approvals are where programme risk and legal risk meet. The safest approach is to classify every work item at the design stage, get the QP’s written classification, and keep the approval status visible in the programme. For a structured first pass, use the Approval Navigator; for terms used here, see the glossary; and for the specific technical areas, continue with structural hacking and household shelters and SCDF fire safety for fit-outs. If you are planning A&A works, our addition and alteration services page describes how we scope them.