Mezzanine in industrial premises: what to check before leasing, altering or using an existing platform

An existing platform is not proof of approval

A mezzanine or raised platform found in an industrial unit may have been installed by a previous tenant, with or without the required approvals. Before using, altering or relying on a mezzanine, ask for the approved plans, the approved use, load and design records, access and escape arrangements and professional confirmation that the structure is authorised.

Lightweight, demountable or bolt-together platforms do not automatically qualify for a different approval route. The applicable requirements depend on the size, use, structural design and effect on fire safety, not only on the construction method.

JTC consent: separate from authority approvals

JTC requires consent for fitting-out and renovation works in its premises, including any addition of floor area. A mezzanine adds usable area and may change the approved GFA. Ask JTC whether the proposed or existing mezzanine is covered by the current consent and lease conditions. See JTC's fitting-out guidance (checked 18 October 2026).

JTC consent does not replace BCA structural approval or SCDF fire-safety submission. These are separate processes managed by separate authorities.

JTC premises renovation planning

URA: use and gross floor area

A mezzanine may count towards the approved gross floor area and affect the URA use quantum. If the mezzanine is used for office or ancillary purposes, it may consume part of the maximum 40% ancillary allocation. Ask URA or the appointed planning consultant how the mezzanine area is counted in the approved GFA and whether the proposed use is permitted.

Do not assume that a mezzanine area is excluded from GFA simply because it is open-sided or below a certain height. The counting rules depend on the planning permission and URA's current handbook.

URA 60:40 use quantum explained

BCA: building and structural requirements

BCA's building plan submission and structural plan submission requirements apply to structures that add floor area, carry loads or affect the building's structural system. BCA has conditional lodgment rules for certain categories of work, but these carry their own scope conditions (checked 18 October 2026).

Ask the QP whether the proposed or existing mezzanine requires structural plan submission, whether it falls within a lodgment category and what professional design, supervision and certification responsibilities apply. A mezzanine that was built without structural approval may need retrospective assessment. No engineering, load or egress design is provided in this guide.

BCA's lodgment examples include a single-level platform only where all four limits are met: support-to-support span no more than 6 m, cantilever span no more than 3 m, height above adjoining ground or floor no more than 4 m, and area no more than 100 sqm. These are eligibility conditions for a submission route, not a no-approval exemption. QP declarations, required plans and calculations, statutory duties and any applicable structural-work permit remain. The 100 sqm BCA example must not be confused with the different SCDF 60 sqm staircase provision.

SCDF: fire safety and escape from a mezzanine

A mezzanine adds an occupied or storage level with its own escape, detection and compartment requirements. The means of escape from the mezzanine, the separation from the floor below and the effect on existing fire-protection systems are all questions for the QP to assess under the applicable SCDF provisions.

SCDF clause 9.6.1a(2) concerns one open staircase serving mezzanine floor(s) within an aboveground factory floor. All conditions apply together: aggregate mezzanine accessible floor area per factory unit no more than 60 sqm; non-combustible open stair at least 1 m wide; travel distance complying with Table 2.2A; mezzanine structural elements with at least one-hour fire resistance; mezzanine habitable height no more than 24 m; and use only as store and/or ancillary office. This is a specific escape provision for that factory arrangement, not a universal mezzanine size allowance or approval exemption.

If the mezzanine is used for storage, the storage-area thresholds and purpose-group requirements in SCDF clauses 9.6 and 9.8 may also apply. Distinguish a storage racking or access platform from an occupied office floor; the fire-safety requirements differ.

SCDF office renovation approval

Factory and warehouse storage fire safety

What to confirm before committing

Establish these records before signing a lease that relies on a mezzanine or briefing a contractor to alter one. The table is a planning aid; it does not replace professional assessment.

Discuss the renovation scope with Omni Contractors

Omni quotes on partition, ceiling, flooring and finishing works within a confirmed structural and fire-safety scope. Professional design, structural submissions and QP or PE appointments for mezzanine structures are separate responsibilities. Send Omni the confirmed layout, approved plans and building requirements so the quotation identifies the included fit-out works and the items arranged separately.

Sources checked 18 October 2026: JTC fitting-out, BCA building plan submission, BCA structural plan, BCA lodgment scheme, SCDF clause 9.6. This guide is a planning checklist, not structural or fire-safety advice. Confirm professional appointments and any structural works separately from the fit-out quotation.

Discuss commercial renovation with Omni