Which approvals should you check before a commercial renovation?

Start with the premises and the actual proposed work

Prepare the address, property type, existing floor plan and proposed layout. Mark the partitions, walls, doors, ceilings and floor finishes that may be removed or added. Explain whether the unit remains occupied and whether the use of any room will change. These details help the owner, building manager and relevant professional identify what needs checking.

Keep a named responsibility beside each requirement: who checks it, who submits it if necessary, who pays any applicable charges, and what document confirms the position. Do not assume that a contractor quotation or a preferred start date is an approval. Ask for the responsibilities to be clear before the work begins.

Compare the written renovation quotation

Separate the landlord decision from building-management arrangements

Check the lease, landlord instructions and fit-out or reinstatement requirements for the unit. Ask building management about its working hours, noisy-work restrictions, lift booking, loading access and required protection of common areas. A layout accepted by the landlord can still need separate building-management arrangements.

For a move, keep the new unit's renovation brief separate from the old unit's handover checklist. Removing furniture is a different scope from restoring partitions, finishes or services. Confirm the required condition of each unit and avoid combining two different approval and handover responsibilities into one vague work item.

Lease reinstatement responsibilities

Ask about building and structural requirements

BCA identifies insignificant building works that do not require its plan submission, but an exemption from one submission is not a general exemption from every requirement. Its guidance also distinguishes clearances from other authorities and other applicable obligations. Use the current rules for the exact proposed work, rather than assuming that every internal alteration is exempt.

Where the scope raises building or structural questions, ask the relevant Qualified Person which approvals apply. BCA advises consultation with a QP and links to the current First Schedule of Insignificant Building Works. Its private-property examples should not be treated as a blanket rule for every commercial unit. This guide does not assess whether a particular wall is structural or approve a proposed removal.

BCA: building works not requiring approval

Check whether the layout affects fire safety

SCDF describes fire-safety works that include changes to fire-protection systems, escape arrangements and fire compartments. Its plan-approval process identifies Qualified Persons as the professionals who prepare and submit applicable plans on behalf of the owner or occupier. Adding partitions or changing a layout is therefore a reason to check the effect on the existing fire-safety arrangements.

SCDF also has exemption and minor addition-and-alteration routes. Minor-work lodgement and full plan approval are different processes. Ask the QP which route fits the actual layout and scope before relying on a general statement that the work is small. This guide does not promise approval, a fixed processing time or an SCDF submission service from Omni.

SCDF: plan approval, exemptions and submission routes

Use the correct HDB route for the property

HDB shops and offices have their own addition-and-alteration lists, lodgement criteria, clearance categories and conditions. HDB-flat renovation guidance is a separate residential route. Confirm whether the premises are an HDB commercial unit or a flat before applying a rule copied from another property type.

HDB's commercial A&A page describes works requiring clearance and the conditions for its listed routes. Check the exact work against those lists and ask the owner or registered tenant to establish the applicable process. An HDB rule applying to the premises is not proof that a contractor brand holds HDB registration.

HDB: addition and alteration works for shops and offices

Bring the confirmed requirements into the quotation

Once the responsible people have clarified the position, send the current floor plan, proposed work, building requirements and required dates with the quotation brief. Identify any approval-related tasks or charges as included, excluded or not yet confirmed. Ask which parts of the proposed sequence depend on a clearance before agreeing the start date.

For partitions, describe the completed wall assembly and its intended use rather than relying only on a board label. For hacking, identify the items to remove and how the debris and retained areas are treated. These scope questions support a clearer quotation; they do not replace the owner, building manager or QP's assessment of the actual unit.

Commercial renovation scope

Drywall specification questions

Hacking and removal scope