The Approved Person and the Technical Controller: who qualifies, and how.
Two named individuals stand behind every licensed builder in Singapore, and the education each one needs is different. Get them wrong and the licence stops before it starts. This is what BCA actually requires of an Approved Person and a Technical Controller, by licence class, plus the entirely separate set of personnel categories the Contractors Registration System uses at each grade and workhead.
By Veronica Tan, Managing Director · Updated July 2026. Based on the Building Control (Licensing of Builders) Regulations and BCA's June 2025 Specific Registration Requirements. Requirements change; we confirm the current position for your case.
The Approved Person (AP) and the Technical Controller (TC) are the two key appointments a licensed builder must make. The AP runs the business: they must be a director or board member, must not be an employee, and their degree can be in any field provided they have three years of experience. The TC supervises the works: their qualification must be in a construction-related field, with five years of experience, and for a General Builder Class 1 licence it must be a degree, not a diploma. Both belong to the Builders Licensing Scheme. The Contractors Registration System is a separate scheme with its own personnel vocabulary, RP, P and T, and no Approved Person at all.
Two schemes, two vocabularies, endless confusion
Almost every mix-up we see in this area comes from one source: people treat "BCA registration" as a single thing when it is actually two separate regimes that happen to share a regulator.
The Builders Licensing Scheme gives you legal permission to carry out building works. It is where the Approved Person and Technical Controller live. If someone says "AP" or "TC", they are talking about a licence.
The Contractors Registration System, the CRS, is the national registry of construction firms. It governs public sector tendering and, since 1 June 2025, whether you can hire and renew foreign construction workers. Its personnel requirements are expressed as RP, P and T. The terms "Approved Person" and "Technical Controller" appear nowhere in any CRS document.
So if you are reading a Specific Registration Requirements table and looking for the Technical Controller column, you will not find one. And if you are filling in a licence application and looking for where to enter your P and T counts, there is no such field. Many construction firms need both a licence and CRS registration, which is exactly why the two get conflated.
The Approved Person: what the role requires
The Approved Person is defined in the Building Control (Licensing of Builders) Regulations as the individual under whose charge and direction the management of the builder's business is to be at all times: in plain terms, the responsible head of the business. Two structural conditions apply before you even reach qualifications:
- The Approved Person must be a director or a member of the board of management of the company.
- The Approved Person must not be an employee of that company.
That combination rules out the common instinct of hiring someone in to fill the role. The AP has to be part of the ownership or governance of the business, which for most founder-run construction companies means the founder.
There is also a conduct condition: the AP must not have acted as the approved person or technical controller of a builder whose licence has been revoked.
One person can hold both appointments. We have confirmed this with BCA: provided the individual meets the conditions of each role, a founder-director can serve as Approved Person and Technical Controller at the same time. For a small construction company that is usually the practical answer.
| Licence | Qualification | Experience required |
|---|---|---|
| General Builder Class 1 (GB1) | Bachelor's or postgraduate degree in any field | 3 years |
| Diploma in a construction-related field | 5 years | |
| BCA "Essential Knowledge in Construction Regulations and Management for Licensed Builders" course | 10 years, in Singapore | |
| General Builder Class 2 (GB2) | Diploma in a construction-related field, or a degree in any field | 3 years |
| BCA Essential Knowledge course | 8 years, in Singapore | |
| Specialist Builder | Diploma in a construction-related field, or a degree in any field | 3 years |
| BCA Essential Knowledge course | 8 years, in Singapore |
The important and frequently missed point: the AP's degree can be in any subject at all. A finance graduate who has run a construction business for three years qualifies. This is the more forgiving of the two roles, because BCA is testing whether someone competent is accountable for the business, not whether they can supervise a slab pour.
The Technical Controller: what the role requires
The TC is the individual under whose personal supervision the execution and performance of the building works is carried out. This is the technical appointment, and the bar is correspondingly higher.
BCA's recognised construction and construction-related fields are: architecture, civil or structural engineering, mechanical or electrical engineering, construction or project management, quantity surveying or building science, and facilities or estate management. That list is broader than most people assume, and it is worth reading carefully before concluding that nobody in your company qualifies. Project managers and quantity surveyors are in it. Mechatronics is not.
| Licence | Qualification | Experience required |
|---|---|---|
| General Builder Class 1 (GB1) | Bachelor's or postgraduate degree in a construction-related field. A diploma does not qualify. | 5 years in the execution of construction projects, after obtaining the qualification |
| BCA Essential Knowledge course | 10 years, in Singapore | |
| General Builder Class 2 (GB2) | Diploma, bachelor's or postgraduate degree in a construction-related field | 5 years |
| BCA Essential Knowledge course | 8 years, in Singapore | |
| Specialist Builder | Bachelor's or postgraduate degree in civil or structural engineering from a recognised institution | 5 years in specialist works of that specific class |
Three things to take from that table.
GB1 requires a degree; GB2 accepts a diploma. This is the single most consequential difference between the two classes, and it is often the reason a firm applies for GB2 rather than GB1 in its first years. The experience requirement is five years either way.
The Specialist Builder bar is higher again. The degree must be specifically in civil or structural engineering, from an institution recognised by the Professional Engineers Board for registration or accepted for Resident Engineer applications, and the five years of experience must be in the specific class of specialist work you are applying for. A general construction degree does not carry you into specialist works.
The BCA course route trades qualification for time. If nobody holds the academic qualification, BCA's Essential Knowledge in Construction Regulations and Management for Licensed Builders course opens an alternative, but it demands ten years of Singapore construction experience for GB1 and eight for GB2. It is a route for a seasoned local operator, not a shortcut for a new arrival. Confirm the current position with BCA before relying on it for the TC role specifically.
The licence itself, for context
| Licence | Minimum paid-up capital | Project value it permits |
|---|---|---|
| General Builder Class 1 | SGD 300,000 | Any value |
| General Builder Class 2 | SGD 25,000 | Up to SGD 6m |
| Specialist Builder | SGD 25,000 | Within the specialist class held |
Specialist Builder licences cover six classes: piling works, ground support and stabilisation works, site investigation work, structural steelwork, pre-cast concrete work, and in-situ post-tensioning work. Licences are granted for up to three years.
Now the other scheme: CRS personnel categories
Switch to the Contractors Registration System and the vocabulary changes completely. There is no AP and no TC. Instead there are three personnel categories, plus a handful of BCA Academy certifications.
| Code | Meaning | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| RP | Registerable Professional | A degree in Architecture, Civil or Structural, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. Used in CW and CR only. |
| P | Professional | A degree in Civil or Structural, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Architecture, Building or equivalent approved by BCA. In the ME group the definition narrows to Mechanical or Electrical and Electronics Engineering only. |
| T | Technician | A diploma in the same fields, awarded by BCA Academy, Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic or Temasek Polytechnic. |
| SDCP | Specialist Diploma in Construction Productivity | Conducted by BCA Academy. Required at the top grades. |
| ACCP | Advanced Certificate of Construction Productivity | Conducted by BCA Academy. |
| CCPP | Certified Construction Productivity Professional | Certified by BCA Academy. |
| MEC | Building services qualification | A specific list of BCA Academy, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic building services and green building qualifications. Required for the ME15 workhead. |
Note what the T definition does and does not say. It names six institutions: BCA Academy and the five local polytechnics. That is materially narrower than the builder's licence rules, which speak in terms of construction-related fields rather than named schools. If your intended technician holds a diploma from elsewhere, including an overseas institution or a Singapore private education institution, do not assume it will be accepted as a T without checking. This is one of the most common sources of a rejected CRS application. Where the qualification does not meet the definition, we can put the person on a pathway that does.
How many personnel each grade needs
| Grade | CW | CR | ME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry: C3, Single Grade or L1 | 1 RP, P or T | 1 T | 1 T with 3 years of experience |
| C2 or L2 | 1 RP or P, or 2 T | 1 T with 3 years of experience | 1 T with 3 years of experience |
| C1 or L3 | 1 RP or P, plus 1 T | 2 T | 2 T |
| B2 or L4 | 3 personnel, at least 1 RP and 1 ACCP, SDCP or CCPP | 2 T, one with 5 years | 2 T, one with 5 years |
| B1 or L5 | 6 personnel, at least 2 RP and 1 SDCP or CCPP | 1 P, or 2 T with one at 8 years | 1 P, or 2 T with one at 8 years |
| A2 or L6 | 12 personnel, at least 4 RP and 1 SDCP or CCPP | 2 P with 5 years, including 1 SDCP | 2 P with 5 years, including 1 SDCP |
| A1 | 24 personnel, at least 8 RP and 1 SDCP or CCPP | Not applicable | Not applicable |
The TR group sidesteps the codes entirely and simply requires one person with a recognised degree or diploma in a building-related field, with trade diplomas from BCA Academy or equivalent accepted. RW01 redefines T altogether: for window contractors, a "T" is someone holding an HDB Certificate of Attendance in Safety of Windows.
Employment conditions that apply to all of them
- Personnel must be full-time employees of the applicant firm. Consultants and part-timers are not accepted, however well qualified.
- A Singaporean or Permanent Resident technical employee must be paid at least SGD 2,400 a month.
- Foreign personnel must hold a valid work pass, with the expiry date and employer verifiable.
That last point connects the two halves of this article. If the person who will be your Technical Controller is a foreign hire, their Employment Pass and the licence application have to be planned together, because in construction the EP salary is benchmarked to a sector that pays modestly. We cover that interaction in our complete Employment Pass guide.
If nobody in your company qualifies
This is the position a large share of new construction firms find themselves in, and it has three honest answers.
Look harder at who you already have. The recognised field list is broader than most founders realise. Quantity surveying, project management, building science, facilities and estate management all count for the Technical Controller. And for the Approved Person, any degree at all will do with three years of experience. We have seen firms conclude they were blocked when the founder's own business degree already satisfied the AP requirement.
Aim at GB2 rather than GB1. If your intended TC holds a diploma rather than a degree, GB2 accepts it and GB1 does not. GB2 covers projects up to SGD 6m, which is well beyond what most new firms take on in their first years.
Close the qualification gap. Where the person is right but the paper is missing, a relevant diploma or degree can be obtained, and that is what our academic upgrading service exists for. The programme has to be matched to the specific requirement: the CRS Technician definition names BCA Academy and the five local polytechnics, while the builder's licence applies its own institutional recognition rules. We run pathways that satisfy these requirements, and we will tell you which qualification clears the specific bar you are aiming at before you enrol rather than after.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between the Approved Person and the Technical Controller? +
The Approved Person manages the business and must be a director or board member who is not an employee; their degree can be in any field, with three years of experience. The Technical Controller personally supervises the execution of the building works; their qualification must be in a construction-related field, with five years of experience, and for a General Builder Class 1 licence it must be a degree rather than a diploma.
Can the same person be both the AP and the TC? +
Yes. We have confirmed this with BCA. One person can hold both appointments provided they satisfy the conditions of each role, which in practice means a founder-director, since the Approved Person must be a director or board member and not an employee, who also holds the qualification and experience the Technical Controller requires for the licence class being applied for. For a General Builder Class 1 licence that means a construction-related degree with five years of experience. In small construction companies this is the normal arrangement rather than the exception.
Does the Technical Controller need a degree, or is a diploma enough? +
It depends on the licence class. General Builder Class 1 requires a bachelor's or postgraduate degree in a construction-related field; a diploma is not accepted. General Builder Class 2 accepts a diploma. The Specialist Builder licence requires a degree specifically in civil or structural engineering from a recognised institution. All three require five years of relevant experience.
Which fields of study does BCA recognise for the Technical Controller? +
Architecture, civil or structural engineering, mechanical or electrical engineering, construction or project management, quantity surveying or building science, and facilities or estate management. The list is broader than most people expect, so it is worth checking properly before assuming nobody in your firm qualifies.
What do RP, P and T mean in the CRS tables? +
RP is a Registerable Professional, holding a degree in Architecture, Civil or Structural, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, and it is used in the CW and CR groups only. P is a Professional with a relevant degree, defined more narrowly in the ME group as Mechanical or Electrical and Electronics Engineering. T is a Technician with a relevant diploma from BCA Academy or one of the five local polytechnics. These are CRS terms and have nothing to do with the Approved Person or Technical Controller.
Will a diploma from a private school in Singapore be accepted? +
Not automatically, and the answer differs between the two schemes. The CRS definition of a Technician names BCA Academy and the five local polytechnics, while the builder's licence applies its own institutional recognition rules. That is precisely why the programme has to be matched to the specific requirement you are trying to satisfy, and we run academic upgrading pathways that do satisfy these requirements. Speak to us before enrolling anywhere, so the qualification you spend a year on is one that counts.
Do the personnel have to be full-time employees? +
For CRS registration, yes. Consultants and part-time staff are not counted regardless of qualification. A Singaporean or PR technical employee must also be paid at least SGD 2,400 a month, and foreign personnel need a valid work pass.
Not sure whether anyone in your company qualifies?
Book a free eligibility assessment. We will look at the qualifications you already have, tell you which licence class and grade they reach, and where the gap is if there is one.