As-Built Submission Requirements in Singapore: A QP's Guide

An as-built submission is the set of record plans, certificates and supporting documents that the Qualified Person (QP) lodges once building works are complete, so that the authorities can clear the project for Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) and Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC). For structural works, the supervising QP submits Form C1 and/or C2, the design QP submits Form C3, and the record plans must reflect every departure from the approved plans. Deadlines are short, and an incomplete package holds up TOP and CSC.

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TL;DR

The QP (Supervision) submits Form C1 and/or C2 and the QP (Design) submits Form C3, on completion of structural works or within 14 days of the QP ceasing duties.
Piling has its own clock: the notice of completion, record piling plan and certificate of supervision are due within 28 days of completing the piling works.
Immaterial changes need record plans and a QP certificate. Material changes need approval of amended plans before the work is built.
Under CORENET X, the Completion Gateway is where as-built plans, models and certificates are lodged, with IFC-SG models for structural elements.
The structural record plan set is a condition for CSC, so gaps in it surface late and cost time.

What an as-built submission covers
Structural record plans and the C-forms
Deadlines that run on short clocks
Site records that support the submission
Design changes: material or immaterial
Submission through CORENET X
Other as-built items by project type
How as-built records connect to TOP and CSC
A working sequence for the project team
Our perspective
Support for as-built and completion submissions
FAQ
Sources

What an as-built submission covers

The term covers more than drawings. BCA’s presentation on submission requirements and TOP/CSC lists the post-construction items as ST as-built plans, Certificates of Supervision, the Builder’s Certificate and TOP/CSC clearances. The same material explains that the QP, being a Professional Engineer (PE) for civil and structural work or a Registered Architect, designs the works, prepares the plans, supervises construction, submits amendment and as-built plans, and applies for TOP and CSC. As-built structural plans are prepared by a PE.

Two layers of obligation apply:

Record of what was built. Record plans and calculations that incorporate every departure from the approved plans.
Certification that it was built properly. Certificates of supervision, and for some projects, supporting test records and sustainability or buildability declarations.

Separately from the Building Control Act, Section 20A of the Planning Act allows the competent authority to require as-built plans prepared by a registered land surveyor, with the surveyor’s declaration, at any time after works commence and before TOP or CSC. Whether this applies depends on the project and the authority’s requirement.

Structural record plans and the C-forms

The core structural requirement is set out on BCA’s Record Structural Plan (C-Forms) page. In summary:

Form	Submitted by	Purpose
C1	QP (Supervision)	Certificate of Supervision of Piling Works and Notice of Completion
C2	QP (Supervision)	Certificate of Supervision of Structural Works
C3	QP (Design)	Submission Certificate of Record Structural Plans and Calculations, declaring whether there are immaterial departures from the approved plans

The QP (Supervision) submits C1 and/or C2 on completion of all structural works or within 14 days of ceasing to carry out duties under the Building Control Act. The QP (Design) submits C3 on the same basis, stating whether any minor structural departures or deviations exist.

If there are immaterial changes

Where C3 declares immaterial changes, the submission consists of:

the record plan;
the QP’s certificate on structural adequacy or stability;
an Accredited Checker (AC) certificate, if applicable; and
the design calculations.

Presentation of the record plans

BCA requires record plans to be clear and legible and endorsed by the QP and, where applicable, the AC. The standard endorsement and the endorsements under Regulations 18(3)(b) and 18(3)©, if applicable, appear on the first and last sheets. The total number of plans, the sheet number and the project reference number must be shown on every plan. Rejected submissions are often caused by missing endorsements or inconsistent sheet numbering rather than by engineering errors, so a final document control check before lodgement is worth the time.

Deadlines that run on short clocks

The Building Control Regulations 2003 fix the timing. Under Regulation 23, the supervising QP must:

Submit a notice of completion of all piling works, a record plan showing full details of the piling, and a certificate of supervision within 28 days of completing the piling works.
On completion of all building works, submit a certificate that the works were carried out under his supervision.
Within 14 days of ceasing to carry out duties under the Act, submit a summary report of all building works supervised and a certificate of that supervision.

BCA’s C-forms page repeats the piling rule: C1 and C3, with the record piling plans, within 28 days. For public housing, HDB’s Guidelines on Civil and Structural Plan Submission apply the same 28-day period to as-built piling plans and require the as-built civil and structural plans once all such works are completed.

The 28-day and 14-day periods are the reason as-built preparation should begin during construction, not after the last pour. Records collected on site, as described in the next section, are the raw material for the final package.

Site records that support the submission

Regulation 22 of the same regulations requires the supervising QP to keep specified records at the site. The list is long, and the full text of the regulations should be read for the complete schedule. The items most relevant to as-built work include:

the approved structural plans with all amendments;
a record of all departures or deviations relating to structural elements;
the site investigation report and pile load test records;
cement, sand and aggregate tests, and concrete cube test records;
tests on steel reinforcement, welding records and welders’ certificates;
records of inspection and approval at each stage of the building works;
instrumentation and monitoring reports, and actions taken when limits were exceeded;
mill certificates and test results for structural steel sections;
tests on fixings of external claddings and safety barriers; and
inspection and measurement records for the lightning protection system’s electrical continuity and the earth-termination system.

The departures record matters most. Every item on it should trace to a corresponding change on the record plans and a decision on whether the change is material. A practical checklist for the supervision side is available in our site supervision plan guide, and the wider obligations of the QP are covered in Qualified Person duties in Singapore.

Design changes: material or immaterial

The distinction decides whether an as-built submission is routine or becomes an approval problem. Under the 2013 amendment to Regulation 18, for changes to building works other than the structural design:

Material changes: the QP submits building plans to the Commissioner of Building Control for approval before construction.
Immaterial changes: the QP need only prepare and submit the record plans and a certificate stating that, to the best of his knowledge and belief, the departures are completed in accordance with the Act and Regulations and do not affect the objectives and performance requirements in the Fifth Schedule relating to the approved plans, plus any other certificate or document the Commissioner requires.

In practice, a changed beam depth, a relocated opening or a revised reinforcement detail found on site should be assessed immediately by the design QP, not at handover. If it is material, the amendment must be approved before that part is built. Leaving the assessment to completion converts a design question into a CSC problem. The wider approval path is described in our guide to BCA plan submission requirements and what structural submission involves.

Submission through CORENET X

BCA agencies receive submissions through the CORENET systems. Under CORENET X, the Completion Gateway is where QPs submit as-built documents, plans and models, including record plans and certificates of supervision. QPs may also apply separately to individual agencies for their TOP and CSC clearances before making the TOP or CSC application to BCA. The three-gateway process is the default for building projects. Simpler typologies, such as single-unit residential developments, standalone pavilions and linkways, and racking systems, follow the Direct Submission Process, a single-stage plan application before TOP and CSC.

Structural deliverables at the Completion Gateway

CORENET X’s structural submission and IFC-SG requirements (22 November 2023) describe the completion package:

A complete set of as-built IFC-SG models for all structural elements and details.
2D drawings limited to general notes and special details, such as slab reinforcement detailing, complex structure and transfer plate detailing, irregular sections, precast joints, prestressed details and steel connections.
Design calculation reports from the QP, the AC and, where needed, the QP (Geotechnical) and AC (Geotechnical).
Supporting documents, including the Certificate of Supervision of Piling Works, the Certificate of Supervision of Structural Works and the relevant annexes and forms.

The model must match the constructed structure, which makes model updating part of site coordination. Teams that produce models in standard BIM authoring tools need a reliable export path; BIM IFC file workflows illustrate how IFC output is handled in practice. Our guides on CORENET X BIM submission for QPs and BIM e-submission requirements cover model preparation in more depth.

Other as-built items by project type

Buildability

Projects subject to buildability requirements must submit the Buildable Design Score (B-Score) and the Buildability Detailed Design and Implementation Plan (BDIP) at the Building Plan stage and at TOP/CSC. According to the CORENET X buildability document, the Completion Gateway submission, before the TOP application, includes as-built calculations of the Buildable Design Score (BS03), as-built BDIP and productivity plans, the as-built C-Score calculation form, the as-built CIP, and the Certificate of Compliance for Constructability Score (CCS01).

Environmental sustainability

For new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major additions and alterations, BCA’s environmental sustainability requirements make the QP and other appropriate practitioners jointly responsible for meeting the minimum standard. A declaration and submission form accompany the Building Plan, and on completion a declaration and as-built submission form go in before the TOP application.

HDB projects

HDB(C&S) expects the QP to submit as-built civil and structural plans, digitally signed by the QP and AC where required, in PDF after all civil and structural works are complete. The package comes with one set of supplementary design calculations for any amendment, one set of supplementary AC amended calculations where applicable, and Form HDB(C&S)-QPAPP01. As-built piling plans must show:

the as-built pile penetration length, the pile set for driven piles, and the location and type of pile load tests;
as-built pile eccentricities, with the QP’s calculation verifying structural and geotechnical resistance if eccentricities exceed the permissible tolerance; and
the QP’s calculation verifying geotechnical resistance if the as-built penetration is significantly less than the design length.

All of this is in HDB’s published guidelines.

How as-built records connect to TOP and CSC

CSC is where gaps become expensive. As amended in 2013, Regulation 42(2)(f) makes it a condition of CSC that the record plans of the detailed structural plans, design calculations and building plans, incorporating all departures from the approved set, have been submitted to the Commissioner of Building Control. The Commissioner’s wider CSC test includes completion in accordance with the Act, submission of every required report and certificate, compliance with written directions and with requirements endorsed on the approved plans, and approval of the full as-built structural set.

BCA’s service standard for non-complex ST plans, BP and TOP/CSC applications is 7 working days, with the clock realistic only when documents are complete and consistent. The same presentation lists optional express services: Express TOP Inspection at S$3,000, schedulable within the next 5 working days, and Express TOP application at S$500 for minor projects and S$1,000 for major projects, with TOP issued within 1 working day if all documents are in order. Fees can change, so confirm them on BCA’s pages before budgeting. BCA’s guidelines for ST plan applications set out how plans are prepared and submitted for CSC and TOP purposes.

A working sequence for the project team

Open a departures log at the start of construction. Each entry records the change, the date, who assessed it and whether it is material.
Get material changes approved before building them. Immaterial ones go into the record plan.
Update the model and drawings as the work progresses, so that the IFC-SG model, the 2D special details and the calculations describe the same structure.
Compile test and inspection records weekly. Concrete cubes, reinforcement tests, pile load tests and monitoring data should be indexed against the structural elements they cover.
Time piling submissions to the 28-day limit. Piling completes early, so its paperwork should not wait for the superstructure.
Run an endorsement and numbering check. First and last sheets, plan counts, sheet numbers and project references.
Lodge the completion package (C-forms, record plans, calculations, buildability and sustainability as-built forms) and then the TOP or CSC application.

Our perspective

Most delays at completion are traceable to decisions made months earlier, when a site change was handled informally. In our work on authority submissions, the projects that clear TOP and CSC smoothly are those where the design QP and the supervising QP have shared one departures register from the first month.

We prepare structural and geotechnical designs, PE endorsements and BCA, URA, SCDF, JTC, LTA, PUB and NEA submissions as one coordinated service, so the as-built record is built from the same documents that secured the original approval. That continuity is what keeps record plans, calculations and certificates consistent, and it is the reason we encourage owners and developers to involve the engineering team in as-built planning before construction begins.

Our aim is timely, clearly communicated submissions at competitive fees, with the QP’s statutory duties respected at every step.

Aman

Support for as-built and completion submissions

AECTechnicalSG provides PE endorsements, statutory authority submissions and structural engineering support for developers, contractors, architects and building owners in Singapore. Our team can review a departures log, prepare record plans and calculations, and coordinate the completion package with the relevant authorities.

See our full list of services, read about PE endorsement and authority submissions, or contact us with the project details.

FAQ

Who submits the as-built documents?

The QP does. For structural works, the QP (Supervision) submits Form C1 and/or C2 and the QP (Design) submits Form C3, with record plans prepared by a PE. The QP also applies for TOP and CSC.

How soon after completion must the as-built structural documents be submitted?

The C-forms are due on completion of all structural works or within 14 days of the QP ceasing his duties. Piling documents, comprising the notice of completion, record plan and certificate of supervision, are due within 28 days of completing the piling works.

What if the building differs from the approved plans?

The design QP must classify each departure. Material changes require approval of amended plans before construction. Immaterial changes are recorded on the record plans and covered by the QP’s certificate and, where applicable, the AC’s certificate and calculations.

Are as-built models required under CORENET X?

For structural works lodged at the Completion Gateway, the package requires a complete set of as-built IFC-SG models for all structural elements, together with limited 2D special details, calculation reports and certificates of supervision. Simpler projects under the Direct Submission Process follow a different route, so the project type should be confirmed first.