I REFER to the letter, 'Step up scrutiny to curb illegal renovations' (July 3). We acknowledge Mr Ng Wai Hong's concerns about illegal renovations and appreciate this opportunity to address them.

We assure readers the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) places great emphasis on structural safety of all building works.

Before construction can begin, owners or developers are required to engage qualified professionals, such as a professional engineer or registered architect, to submit building plans for approval by the Commissioner of Building Control (CBC).

These qualified professionals are well versed with the requirements of building regulations, as well as Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) development control parameters such as building setbacks, building coverage, intensity and height.

With the building owner/developer and builder, the qualified professionals have statutory responsibilities to ensure building works are in compliance with the Acts & Regulations.

In addition to certification and supervision by the qualified professionals, BCA carries out random and spot inspections at construction sites to ensure works are carried out according to approved plans and meet regulatory requirements.

On completion, BCA will check all new buildings before issuing the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP).

Notwithstanding the above, there are some minor renovation works which building owners can carry out without approval of plans or a permit from the CBC, as they do not affect the structural integrity of the building.

These are illustrated in our Build It Right guide which is available at the BCA website (www.bca.gov.sg).

BCA takes a serious view of any non-compliance with its building regulations, whether during construction or after issue of the Certificate of Statutory Completion.

We will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against parties responsible if investigation reveals non-compliance such as unauthorised building works at any point in time.

We would like to remind readers it is prudent for potential buyers of an existing property to check it is free from unauthorised structures.

Legal searches are some checks done routinely during conveyancing to surface any unauthorised structures that are investigated by BCA and URA.

Potential buyers may, with the consent of the owner, buy a copy of the approved plans from BCA.

Ong Chan Leng
Director (Special Functions Division)
Building and Construction Authority

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 16 July 2008.