Mezzanines, Lofts and Storage Platforms in Singapore: BCA, SCDF, URA and JTC Approvals

A mezzanine looks like furniture. It arrives on a lorry as steel columns, beams and decking, goes up in a few days, and doubles the storage in a warehouse unit or adds an office above a workshop. That is exactly why so many are installed without approval: the buyer thinks of it as equipment, and the vendor sells it that way.

Singapore law does not. A platform people walk on is a floor. Under the Building Control Regulations, a “floor” includes a horizontal platform forming the surface of a storey, whatever it is made of.¹ Under SCDF’s Fire Code, a “storey” includes platforms, mezzanines and attic levels.⁷ And URA counts intermediate load-bearing floors as gross floor area.¹⁶ Three regulators, three separate questions, and one structure that has to satisfy all of them, plus JTC or the landlord.

This guide sets out when a mezzanine, loft or storage platform is exempt from BCA approval and when it is not, what SCDF requires for escape, fire resistance and sprinklers, how URA treats the floor area, what JTC and landlords ask for, how to think about loads and racking standards, and what to check before you buy or lease premises that already have one. It draws on the January 2025 Toa Payoh collapse, where a mezzanine installed without approval came down on the people under it.

What counts as a mezzanine, loft or platform

The terms are used loosely in the trade. The regulators care about function, not names.

• Mezzanine: an intermediate floor within a storey, usually over part of the floor plate. In factories and warehouses it is typically steel-framed with a steel or timber deck, used for storage or an ancillary office.
• Storage platform: a single-level raised deck used to store goods, often with goods stored underneath as well.
• Loft: in homes and small shops, a raised storage or sleeping deck within a room.
• Rack-supported platform: a walkway or picking floor carried on the racking itself, so the racking becomes the structure.
• Racking: shelving for goods that people do not walk on, except to store and retrieve goods.

If people stand or walk on it, treat it as a floor until a Qualified Person (QP) tells you otherwise. That single rule would have prevented most of the cases that reach the news.

Who asks what: the approval map

Sources: Building Control Regulations,¹ Fire Code,⁷ SCDF,¹³ URA,¹⁵¹⁶ JTC,¹⁷ MOM.¹⁹

BCA: when structural approval is needed

The Building Control Act requires approved plans and, for structural works, a permit before building works start. Section 20 makes it an offence for any person who commences or carries out, or permits or authorises, building works without approved (or deemed approved) plans or without a required permit. The maximum penalty is a fine of S$200,000, two years’ imprisonment, or both, plus daily fines for a continuing contravention.⁵ Note the words “permits or authorises”: the owner or tenant who orders the work is within reach of the offence, not just the installer.

There are three routes: exempt, lodgment, and full plan approval.

Route 1: exempt “insignificant building works”

The First Schedule of the Building Control Regulations lists works that need no plan approval. Two items matter here. Both were revised or added for works from 1 April 2025.¹

Source: Building Control Regulations 2003, First Schedule.¹

Read the storage-platform conditions literally. “Solely for storage of goods” rules out a platform with desks on it, a packing station, or an office. “Industrial building” rules out a shop, an office unit or a home. “Not accessible to the public” rules out showrooms. And every one of the dimensional limits must be met, not most of them.

BCA’s guidance on exempt works adds two cautions: owners should consult a QP when in doubt, and exempt works still need approvals from other authorities where those apply.⁶ An exemption from BCA is not an exemption from SCDF, URA or the landlord.

Route 2: BCA’s lodgment scheme (platforms up to 100 m²)

Since December 2023, BCA has run a lodgment scheme for listed low-risk works.³ The Ninth Schedule of the Building Control Regulations lists, as lodgment works, any single-level platform where the span of frame between two supports does not exceed 6 m, any cantilever does not exceed 3 m, the height above the adjoining ground or floor level does not exceed 4 m, and the area does not exceed 100 m², together with a staircase or ladder used solely to reach it.²

Under lodgment, a QP prepares and lodges the plans, and on acknowledgement they are deemed approved by the Commissioner of Building Control.³ It is faster, not lighter:

• A QP still designs, signs and is responsible for the plans.
• BCA states that the permit to commence structural works continues to apply where applicable, and construction supervision requirements are unchanged.³
• BCA may audit lodged plans; non-compliance or false declarations are offences, and BCA may refuse further lodgments.³

Note that the Ninth Schedule item for platforms does not repeat the “storage only” and “industrial building” conditions of the First Schedule exemption.² That makes lodgment the natural route for a platform between 50 m² and 100 m², or a small platform outside an industrial building, provided the QP confirms it qualifies.

Route 3: structural plan approval and a permit

Everything else, including larger mezzanines, multi-level platforms, platforms over 4 m high, longer spans, and anything that changes the existing structure, goes through normal structural plan approval. When the structural plan is approved, a permit is required before the structural works start; it is applied for jointly by the developer, the QP and the builder, and BCA’s stated processing time for the permit is 7 days.⁴

Two features push a “simple” mezzanine into this route more often than owners expect:

• Fixing into the existing slab or columns. A free-standing platform still transfers its load through base plates into the floor slab. If that slab was not designed for the new point loads, the existing structure may need checking or strengthening, which is structural work in its own right. See our guide on hacking walls, slabs and structural elements.
• Staircase openings and edge protection. A stair that needs a new slab opening, or guardrails fixed to the existing structure, adds structural scope.

What “exempt” does not mean

An exempt platform still has to be safe. The occupier’s duties under workplace safety law do not depend on BCA approval, and MOM has said plainly that storage racks must be designed for the intended load and properly installed.¹⁹ An exempt platform still needs edge protection, a safe means of access and a known safe working load.

SCDF: a mezzanine is a storey

The Fire Code defines “storey” as any floor or part of it, including platforms, mezzanines, attic levels and M&E floors.⁷ SCDF’s 2025 enforcement briefing to Fire Safety Managers puts it directly: under clause 1.4.100, racking systems, platforms and mezzanines accessible by occupants are considered a floor or storey. Before such works start, a QP must assess feasibility against the Fire Code and submit plans to SCDF for approval, and a Registered Inspector (RI) must inspect the completed works before a Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) is applied for.¹³

Means of escape

A mezzanine adds people and a new place for them to be trapped. SCDF’s briefing notes that adding a mezzanine changes the building’s layout and occupant load, and that the QP must make sure escape from the mezzanine is appropriate and sufficient.¹³

For factory and warehouse units, the Fire Code sets a specific relaxation. One open staircase may serve mezzanine floors within an above-ground factory floor (clause 9.6.1a(2)) or warehouse floor (clause 9.8.1a(2)) only if all of the following are met:⁸⁹

Source: SCDF Fire Code 2023, clauses 9.6.1a(2) and 9.8.1a(2).⁸⁹

Two practical consequences follow. First, a mezzanine larger than 60 m² per unit cannot rely on that single open stair; the QP has to design a compliant second means of escape or other arrangement. The Fire Code’s own illustration notes that where the allowable common path of travel is exceeded, the mezzanine needs a second remote exit access.⁸ Second, “ancillary office” means ancillary. A mezzanine that becomes the company’s main office, a showroom or a dormitory is a different use with different rules.

Spiral stairs are restricted. The Fire Code allows a spiral staircase to serve as a required exit only if it is external and unenclosed, serves only mezzanine floors, balconies or a storey with an occupant load of not more than 25 persons, is non-combustible, has a tread length of at least 750 mm, and is not more than 10 m high.¹² An internal spiral stair to a warehouse mezzanine therefore usually cannot be counted as an exit.

Fire resistance of the structure

Unprotected steel loses strength quickly in a fire. The Fire Code requires any column or beam that supports a gallery to have the same fire resistance as the gallery, and gives the column and beam supporting a mezzanine floor as an example.¹⁰ Combined with the 1-hour requirement for mezzanine structure in factory and warehouse units,⁸⁹ this usually means intumescent paint, board encasement or a tested system on the steel. Budget for it at the quotation stage; it is a common omission in “supply and install” mezzanine quotes.

Sprinklers, detection and alarms

A solid mezzanine deck creates a shadow under which ceiling sprinklers and detectors cannot reach. SCDF’s briefing lists assessing the need to extend sprinklers or detectors to the area underneath the mezzanine, and verifying that fire alarms are audible and visual alarms adequate on the mezzanine, as part of the QP’s work.¹³ In high-rack storage warehouses, the Fire Code requires sprinkler coverage to be extended to areas shielded by access platforms, and the platform supports to have the same fire resistance as the warehouse’s elements of structure.⁹ On manual call points, the Code allows the mezzanine floor of a factory or warehouse unit (where it complies with the single-stair clauses) to rely on call points on the main floor, provided no one on the mezzanine has to travel more than 30 m to reach the nearest one.¹¹

Extending sprinklers is fire safety work in its own right, needs a QP (in JTC buildings, JTC lists fire protection works as needing a PE (Mechanical) endorsement¹⁷) and is often the longest lead item in a mezzanine project.

Plan approval, RI inspection and the FSC

Under section 56 of the Fire Safety Act, no person may carry out, or permit or authorise, fire safety works unless SCDF has approved the plans, and works must follow the approved plans. The maximum penalty is S$200,000, two years’ imprisonment, or both, with daily fines for continuing offences.¹⁴ After completion, section 60 requires an application for a Fire Safety Certificate; failure to comply carries a fine of up to S$10,000 plus daily fines for continuing offences.¹⁴ For the wider SCDF process, including minor A&A lodgements and the RI’s role, see our guide to SCDF fire safety approvals for fit-outs.

URA: does the mezzanine add gross floor area?

URA’s GFA handbook states that intermediate load-bearing floors are included as GFA.¹⁶ A mezzanine is an intermediate floor, so in most cases it adds GFA. That matters because the development’s approved GFA is capped by its plot ratio. If the building is already at its permitted GFA, there may be no room for the extra floor area, and URA’s clearance should be checked before the steel is ordered.

URA treats racking more favourably, but on narrow terms. Racking systems are excluded from GFA if they are standalone modular systems that do not form an integral component of the building (for example, not reinforced concrete construction) and are used for storage purposes in industrial developments. The storage must relate to the main industrial use, and human access should be for storing and retrieving goods only. URA also tells applicants to obtain BCA clearance for structural safety and SCDF clearance for fire safety for the racking.¹⁵

The line between “racking” and “mezzanine” is therefore about people. Racking with a catwalk used only to pick and put away stock may sit within URA’s exclusion; a deck used as a packing area or office is a floor. If in doubt, assume it is GFA and let the QP confirm.

Two other URA points arise often:

• Use. An office mezzanine in an industrial unit must remain ancillary to the industrial use. A mezzanine converted to a showroom, retail area or dwelling is a change of use. See our master guide to A&A approvals for URA’s change-of-use process.
• Landed homes. Mezzanines and attics in landed houses are governed by URA’s landed housing envelope controls and storey rules, not the industrial rules above. See our guide on landed house A&A approvals.

JTC and landlord consent

Statutory approval is half the story; the lease is the other half.

JTC premises

JTC requires tenants carrying out additions or alterations to seek JTC’s plan consent and clearance from the relevant authorities. Its Space Submission Handbook sorts works into three lists.¹⁷

Source: JTC Space Submission Handbook (PCP-WI-09).¹⁷

JTC’s fitting-out guidelines also state that tenants must not drill into or hack the floor structure without JTC’s written consent.¹⁸ Most mezzanine base plates are bolted down, so this applies to nearly every installation.

Private landlords and strata buildings

Private industrial landlords usually require their own approval of drawings, PE endorsement and evidence of statutory approvals before installation, plus reinstatement at the end of the lease. In strata developments, the management corporation’s by-laws and approval process apply as well; see our guide on MCST renovation approval. Remember that a mezzanine you install is normally a mezzanine you must remove at handback; factor that into the business case and see our office reinstatement guide for how reinstatement obligations are typically framed.

Load ratings, slab capacity and racking standards

Two loads, not one

A mezzanine has to carry its own design load, and the existing slab has to carry the mezzanine. The second check is the one that gets skipped.

An illustrative example shows why. Suppose (Illustrative) an 80 m² storage platform is designed for stored goods of 3 kN/m², and the deck and steel weigh 0.5 kN/m². The total load is about 3.5 × 80 = 280 kN. If it stands on nine columns, each base plate delivers roughly 31 kN to the slab. Spread over a 150 mm × 150 mm base plate, that is about 1,380 kN/m² locally (Illustrative). The slab’s design load per square metre says little about whether it can take that concentrated force without punching or cracking. A PE has to check the existing slab, the location of beams below, and whether larger base plates or load-spreading steel are needed.

Display the safe working load

MOM’s WSH circular on storage racks, issued after fatal rack collapses in warehouses, sets out what it expects: racks must be structurally stable and designed for the intended use; the safe working load should be prominently displayed; stacked racks must account for the weight of the racks and goods above; there must be safe means of access, including work-at-height measures; the design should be re-assessed before any change of use or change in goods stored; and racks should be inspected regularly, with defective parts repaired or replaced before use.¹⁹ MOM said it would step up inspections, with Stop Work Orders, Remedial Orders, prosecution and composition fines among possible actions.¹⁹

The same logic applies to a mezzanine: a load notice at the stair, stating the uniformly distributed load the deck is designed for, is cheap and prevents the “we just kept adding stock” failure.

Racking standards

Singapore has no separate racking statute; occupiers rely on the general duties above and on engineering standards. Two European standards are widely used for steel storage systems:

• EN 15512, for the structural design of adjustable beam pallet racking. Its 2020 edition aligns more closely with the Eurocodes and was amended in 2022 (EN 15512:2020+A1:2022).²¹
• EN 15635, for the application and maintenance of steel static storage equipment, including safety and inspection of equipment in use and rules for measuring and classifying damage to uprights and bracing.²⁰

Ask the racking supplier which standard the design follows, for its load tables and installation tolerances, and for an inspection regime. For rack-supported platforms and multi-tier picking modules, the racking is the building structure, so the BCA, SCDF and URA questions above apply to the whole system, not just the deck.

A worked example: an 80 m² platform in a flatted factory

This is a composite scenario to show how the rules interact. It is illustrative, not advice for a specific site.

A tenant in a JTC flatted factory wants an 80 m² steel platform, 3.2 m high, with a 1 m-wide steel stair, to store packaging and to house two desks for the warehouse supervisor.

• BCA. At 80 m², it exceeds the 50 m² First Schedule exemption, and the desks would breach “solely for storage” anyway.¹ If the QP keeps spans within 6 m and cantilevers within 3 m, the platform fits the Ninth Schedule lodgment limits of 4 m height and 100 m².² The QP lodges the plans; the permit and supervision requirements continue to apply where applicable.³
• SCDF. It is a storey.⁷ At 80 m² it exceeds the 60 m² limit for a single open stair, so the QP must design a compliant second exit or another compliant arrangement.⁸ The structure needs 1-hour fire resistance; sprinklers and detection may need extending underneath; an RI inspects; an FSC follows.⁸¹³
• URA. As an intermediate load-bearing floor, it is likely GFA.¹⁶ The QP checks the development’s approved GFA.
• JTC. “Construction of mezzanine floor and storage platform” is a List B item needing PE (Civil) endorsement; any sprinkler extension needs PE (Mech).¹⁷ Bolting into the slab needs JTC’s written consent.¹⁸

Had the tenant kept it to 48 m², storage only, within the spans and height limits, BCA plan approval would not have been needed,¹ but SCDF, URA and JTC would still have been relevant. Size reduces the paperwork; it does not remove it.

The approval sequence

Buying or leasing premises that already have a mezzanine

Unapproved mezzanines turn up in due diligence for factory and warehouse units more than almost any other item. Our guide to unauthorised works and regularisation covers the regularisation process in detail. Before you sign:

Key takeaways

• If people walk on it, it is a floor for BCA, a storey for SCDF and usually GFA for URA.
• BCA’s exemption is narrow: storage-only platforms in industrial buildings up to 4 m and 50 m², with span limits, and timber lofts up to 5 m².
• Platforms up to 100 m² may use BCA’s lodgment route, but a QP still designs and lodges them.
• SCDF approval, RI inspection and an FSC are needed for occupant-accessible mezzanines and platforms, regardless of BCA’s exemption.
• In factory and warehouse units, a single open stair works only up to 60 m² of mezzanine per unit, for store or ancillary office use.
• Check the existing slab, not just the new steel, and post the safe working load.
• Use the approval navigator for a first view of which approvals your works need.