Before starting on building works, the relevant plans (refer to Building Control Regulations: Application for approval of plans of building works) need to be submitted to BCA for approval through a Qualified Person (QP).
A QP is a person who is:
- Registered as an Architect with the Board of Architects (BOA) or a Professional Engineer with the Professional Engineers Board (PEB)
- Has a valid practising certificate issued by the BOA or PEB.
The appropriate QP for the different types of building works are listed in the Third Schedule of the Building Control Regulations. For example, building plans for a warehouse or factory may be submitted by an Architect or a Professional Engineer, but plans for a retaining wall must be submitted by a Professional Engineer.
Before applying
Before applying for building plan approval, the QP needs to do the following:
- Obtain written permission from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
- Prepare the building plans
- Consult the relevant technical departments and incorporate their requirements onto the building plans
How to submit building plans
The fee should be paid at the first plan submission to BCA.
The QP will need to submit building plans with the prescribed plan fee through the CORENET e-Submission System.
The process of building plan submission is represented in the following flow chart and table.
Service Standard
Building Plan applications will be processed within 7 working days upon submission of complete documents. If the application requires more extensive evaluation1, longer processing time may be required.
If the project is submitted under CORENET X, then Building Plan will be included as part of Construction Gateway as a joint submission for cross-agency review, and the application will be processed within 20 working days.
1: BCA may require longer time to evaluate submissions if the QP has demonstrated poor submission quality in his/her previous submissions, such as having a high number of Written Directions.