Section 49 — Regulations

(1)The Minister may make regulations for carrying out the purposes of this Act and for any matter which is required under this Act to be prescribed.

(2)Without limiting subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations for or in respect of all or any of the following matters:

(a)the regulation or prohibition of the exhibition of advertising signs, skysigns, aerial signs and projected advertisement in or on any premises and the regulation of the size and construction of those signs and advertisements;

(b)the submission of plans of building works, the authorisation of persons qualified to submit the same and their duties and responsibilities, and the nature or classification of plans which each person may submit; (ba) the minimum or maximum number of qualified persons required or permitted to prepare the plans of any description of building works;[Act 23 of 2023 wef 18/12/2023]

(c)the manner of making applications for and granting of approval of plans of building works and permits to carry out building works; (caa) the manner of lodgment of plans of lodgment works;[Act 23 of 2023 wef 18/12/2023] (ca) the establishing of objectives and performance requirements for the design and construction of buildings;

(d)the structural strength and stability of buildings or proposed buildings, including —

(i)precautions against overloading;

(ii)measures to safeguard adjacent buildings;

(iii)underpinning;

(e)the design and construction of buildings, including —

(i)the preparation of sites for building works;

(ii)exterior features;

(iii)the design and installation of any fixed installation;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 01/01/2022]

(iv)the natural lighting and ventilation of buildings;

(v)the headroom of rooms, cubicles and staircases and other spaces within buildings;

(vi)the suitability and use of materials and components;

(vii)environmental sustainability measures that improve the total quality of life and minimises adverse effects to the environment, both now and in the future; (ea) the minimum standards of environmental sustainability for buildings or classes or types of buildings, and the method by which such standards may be assessed; (eb) the manner in which an assessment of environmental sustainability of a building or an audit of the energy efficiency of a cooling system of a building is to be carried out; (ec) the qualifications required, and the application process, to be registered as an energy auditor and the grounds on which such registration may be cancelled or suspended; (ed) the preparation and submission of reports, certifications or other documents in relation to a design score, an as‑built score, an energy efficiency improvement plan or an energy audit under Part 3B;[Act 28 of 2024 wef 30/09/2025]

(f)the demolition of buildings and the safety precautions to be taken in respect thereof; (fa) the reporting of dangerous occurrences (as defined in section 25A) in premises at which building works are carried out;

(g)prohibiting or regulating the occupation of buildings;

(h)the control and regulation of measures for energy conservation in buildings;

(i)the provision of embankments and retaining walls;

(j)measures to improve efficiency and standardisation in the construction industry relating to design, processes, construction techniques, products and materials;

(k)the regulation of persons authorised to carry out installation of any exterior feature, including prescribing the qualifications and training of such persons, and their duties and responsibilities in connection with installing the exterior feature;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 01/10/2025] (ka) the regulation of a façade inspector within the meaning of Part 5, including the appointment of a façade inspector and the duties of a façade inspector in connection with a façade inspection;[Act 28 of 2024 wef 30/09/2025]

(l)the regulation of the carrying out of any registrable activity within the meaning of Part 5B with the aim of ensuring that such activity is carried out safely and competently, including —

(i)requiring persons performing specified functions in relation to fixed installation works to be the holders of certain qualifications, and providing for the grant, issue, cancellation, suspension or variation of such licences, permits, certificates, authorisations or approvals; and

(ii)applying the provisions of Parts 2 and 5 and the building regulations to fixed installation works and persons who carry out these works with such prescribed exceptions, modifications and adaptations as the differences between fixed installation works and other building works require;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 09/12/2022] [Act 15 of 2026 wef 01/07/2026] (la) the regulation of the operation and maintenance of any fixed installation, with the aim of ensuring that the fixed installation is operated safely and competently, including —

(i)requiring periodic maintenance, inspection and testing of the fixed installation; and

(ii)prohibiting or restricting, pending investigation, continued operation or access to or interference with any premises where any safety incident associated with a fixed installation has occurred;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 09/12/2022] (lb) the maintenance of buildings, exterior features and façades of buildings (whether or not common property or limited common property) with the aim of ensuring that the building, exterior feature or façade is safe;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 09/12/2022]

(m)the control, regulation and supervision by registration, licensing, inspection or otherwise of places to which the public has access;

(n)the prescribing of documents, books or records to be kept and reports or certificates to be made under this Act;

(o)the time and manner of making, and the information and documents to be provided in respect of, an application for a temporary occupation permit and a certificate of statutory completion;

(p)the manner in which the duties and responsibilities of accredited checkers and specialist accredited checkers are to be discharged;

(q)the manner in which appeals may be made to and determined by the Minister under this Act and the information to be supplied by the Commissioner of Building Control in connection therewith;

(r)the granting of permits for the erection, demolition and occupation and the control of buildings required for a limited time or constructed of short-lived materials;

(s)the procedure for the sampling of building materials under section 33;

(t)the prescribing of forms necessary for the administration of this Act; and

(u)the prescribing of fees and charges for the purposes of this Act.[18/2003; 34/2004; 47/2007; 22/2012]

(2A)Regulations made under this section may provide that —

(a)any particular objective and performance requirement for the design and construction of any building is deemed to be complied with if the building is constructed with such specifications, materials, designs or methods of construction as may be specified by the Commissioner of Building Control; and

(b)the Commissioner of Building Control may issue in any form that he or she thinks fit, and from time to time amend, one or more Approved Documents setting out the specifications, materials, designs or methods of construction which are, without affecting any alternative means of achieving compliance, deemed to comply with the relevant objective and performance requirement for the design and construction of buildings prescribed in those regulations.[18/2003]

(2B)The building regulations may make different provisions for different types of buildings, exterior features of buildings, façades of buildings, common property and limited common property, and fixed installations.[Act 12 of 2020 wef 01/01/2022]

(3)The Minister may, in making any building regulations under this section, provide that any contravention of or failure to comply with any provision thereof shall be an offence and may prescribe punishment by a fine not exceeding $20,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or with both.[47/2007; 22/2012]