How are landed renovation and A&A different in Singapore?
In Singapore, interior renovation usually improves the existing approved house, while A&A changes or adds to it more substantially. URA classifies landed A&A using several criteria, not a single percentage. The correct route depends on approved records, retained walls and structure, added floor area, roof or storey changes and the proposal, and should be confirmed with the appointed Qualified Person.
This is planning guidance, not legal, engineering or regulatory advice. Current requirements should be confirmed with the relevant authority or appointed professional.
Three terms describe different levels of change
| Term | Practical starting point | What still needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| Interior renovation | Repairs, finishes, kitchens, bathrooms, carpentry or services within the existing house | Whether structural, planning, drainage, electrical, plumbing or other requirements are triggered |
| Additions and alterations (A&A) | Changes or additions assessed within URA's prevailing landed A&A criteria | Approved records, GFA, retained external walls, structural change, roof and attic proposal |
| Reconstruction | A proposal outside the A&A criteria, or one treated as reconstruction under the prevailing guidance | The full planning, design, building and professional route for that proposal |
The label in a brief or quotation does not decide the route. The proposed drawings and the relationship between the approved and existing house do.
Why a single 50% shortcut is unreliable
URA's current landed guidance evaluates more than additional floor area. It also addresses removal and replacement of approved external walls, structural change, roof work and attic floor area. Storey-height or landed-housing-form changes can affect classification independently of one percentage.
A project can look visually modest while still needing a different route because of where and how the building changes. Conversely, a substantial internal renovation is not automatically A&A merely because it has many trade items.
Start with approved records and the actual site
- Approved drawings: identify the authorised footprint, floors, roof and earlier additions where records are available.
- Existing condition: compare what is on site with the records; do not rely only on an agent's floor plan.
- Proposed change: mark walls, structure, floor area, roof, openings, levels and external works that may change.
- Professional route: ask the appointed Qualified Person and relevant consultants what submissions or checks depend on that scope.
What this means for homeowners
Do not ask for a firm construction comparison while the classification and retained-building assumptions are still open. First request a written scope boundary: what remains, what changes, which records are missing, and which decisions depend on professional or authority confirmation.
That boundary makes the later quotation more useful because design, approvals, temporary work, structural work and renovation finishes are less likely to be mixed under one vague label.
How LIMM Works approaches the first review
LIMM Works can organise the homeowner's intended outcome, site photographs and available plans into a practical initial scope. Where the proposal may extend beyond interior renovation, the next step is to identify the professional and authority checks required before treating feasibility, programme or construction scope as confirmed.
For questions about cost composition rather than classification, use the separate landed renovation cost and scope guide.
Connect the planning question to published work.
The completed entry photograph shows glazing, a sheltered threshold and adjoining finishes. It does not establish the property's approved plans, submission route, structural scope or classification.
Confirm current requirements against the actual work.
These primary sources support the regulatory or technical context above. Requirements and the applicable route may change with the property and proposal.
Review the real property and scope.
Send the property type, floor plan, current site photographs and intended changes for an initial project review.
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