Workhead, grade and builder licence.
BCA’s Contractors Registration System, or CRS, groups companies by the type of work they perform. Workhead codes describe those activities. Grades have financial, project and personnel requirements. Builder licensing is a separate scheme for regulated building work.
CW, CR, ME, TR and RW workhead groups
| Group | What it covers |
|---|---|
| CW | Construction workheads, including general building and civil engineering. |
| CR | Construction-related specialist categories, including CR01 Minor Construction Works and CR03 substantial structural demolition. |
| ME | Mechanical and electrical categories, including ME01 air-conditioning, ME04 communications/security and ME05 electrical engineering. |
| TR | Trade categories; review the current category’s specific conditions. |
| RW | Regulatory workheads with their own scope and supporting requirements. |
Do not confuse CRS groups with separate facilities management or supply registries. Read the current specific requirements for the chosen code.
CW: construction workheads.
CW includes general building and civil engineering. Grades run from C3 through C2, C1, B2, B1, A2 and A1. Higher grades need stronger financial capacity, track record and personnel, with additional requirements where specified.
| CW grade | Public tender limit, July 2026–June 2027 |
|---|---|
| C3 | $800,000 |
| C2 | $1.6 million |
| C1 | $5 million |
| B2 | $16 million |
| B1 | $50 million |
| A2 | $105 million |
| A1 | Unlimited |
A tender can still require a particular workhead, additional qualifications or other conditions. The grade alone does not guarantee eligibility.
CR: construction-related categories.
CR01 Minor Construction Works, which includes landscaping, is Single Grade, with $50,000 paid-up capital and net worth, $300,000 relevant track record and one T, subject to its qualification allowances. CR03 concerns whole-building or substantial structural demolition, rather than ordinary renovation hacking. Several categories attach specialist licences: check CR08, CR10A, CR10B, CR12 and CR15; CR17 requires RW01.
CR10A is an important exception: it has a $2 million paid-up-capital requirement but no net-worth or track-record requirement. Do not misread that amount as a required completed-project value. Higher-grade CR records have additional Singapore, main-contract and single-project conditions: at L4 a $500,000 single project, at L5 $1 million, and at L6 $7.5 million Singapore projects, $3 million main contracts and $3 million single project. Use the full SRR table for the target grade.
ME workhead scopes
- ME01: air-conditioning, refrigeration and ventilation work.
- ME04: communications, CCTV, alarm, access/carpark security and CATV installation or maintenance.
- ME05: electrical systems and installations.
- ME08 and ME15: review the applicable IMDA class-licence requirements.
For ME01–ME13 Grade L1, review both $50,000 paid-up capital and $50,000 net worth, $300,000 of relevant track record over the preceding three years, and one qualifying T technical person. L1 does not impose the three-year personnel-experience condition used at L2. New or additional entry-grade applications can use relevant ongoing as well as completed projects.
Paid-up capital is the amount shareholders have paid for their shares. Net worth is assets minus liabilities, supported by accounts; a $50,000 bank balance alone does not establish $50,000 net worth. Management accounts can be used at L1, while L2–L6 require audited accounts. Requirements vary by workhead; do not apply an ME table to every CRS category.
CRS technical personnel are different from a builder’s Technical Controller. They must be full-time and employed only by the applicant. Local or PR technical personnel need evidence of at least $2,400 monthly salary. For ME workheads, relevant mechanical, electrical or electronics diploma routes and BCA-approved alternatives apply. Some workheads allow specific EMA or M&E Coordination credentials; check the actual category before hiring or enrolling in a course.
For ME05, EMA electricians can count as T at L1/L2 and electrical engineers or technicians at L3–L5. M&E Coordination certificate holders may count as T for ME04, ME05 and specified other categories at L1–L5. These are workhead-specific allowances, not universal substitutions.
TR and RW registration requirements
A category’s name is only a starting point. Check its actual scope, minimum resources, specialist licences and technical appointments. Registering a broad company business activity with ACRA is not evidence that BCA has approved a workhead.
Can one project support multiple workheads?
A contract with several relevant components may support multiple workheads using a clear scope and value breakdown. Do not count the whole contract value indiscriminately for each category. “Past three years” is an evidence window, not a requirement to wait three years before applying.
New firms and public tender limits.
Eligible new firms without the full entry-grade track record may be considered for probationary L1, C3 or Single Grade registration, excluding CR10A, if other requirements are met. Relevant ongoing or completed projects must start during the probation period and total at least $100,000. Successful assessment can give a further two years. Repeat-application restrictions also apply, including through certain shareholders. Probation is a route for BCA to assess, not an automatic approval.
| Grade | CR / ME tender limit |
|---|---|
| L1 | $800,000 |
| L2 | $1.6 million |
| L3 | $5 million |
| L4 | $8 million |
| L5 | $16 million |
| L6 / Single Grade | Unlimited |
These public-sector tender limits apply from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. They do not replace the tender’s workhead and other conditions, guarantee an award, or set the separate GB2 builder licence’s $6 million ceiling.
CW financial and personnel comparison.
| Grade | Financial | Track record, past 3 years | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| C3 | SGD 50,000 | SGD 300,000 | 1 RP, P or T |
| C2 | SGD 100,000 | SGD 1m | 1 RP or P, or 2 T |
| C1 | SGD 300,000 | SGD 3m | 1 RP or P, plus 1 T |
| B2 | SGD 1m | SGD 10m | 3 personnel, at least 1 RP and 1 ACCP, SDCP or CCPP |
| B1 | SGD 3m | SGD 30m | 6 personnel, at least 2 RP and 1 SDCP or CCPP |
| A2 | SGD 6.5m | SGD 65m | 12 personnel, at least 4 RP and 1 SDCP or CCPP |
| A1 | SGD 15m | SGD 150m | 24 personnel, at least 8 RP and 1 SDCP or CCPP |
Read the current specific requirements for all workhead exceptions and subconditions; these comparisons do not replace the full SRR.
CR workhead directory.
| Code | Workhead | Code | Workhead |
|---|---|---|---|
| CR01 | Minor Construction Works | CR10B | Precast Concrete Production |
| CR02 | Corrosion Protection | CR11 | Signcraft Installation |
| CR03 | Demolition | CR12 | Ground Support and Stabilisation Works |
| CR04 | Fencing and Ironworks | CR13 | Waterproofing Installation |
| CR05 | Concrete Repairs | CR14 | Asphalt Works and Road Marking |
| CR06 | Interior Decoration and Finishing Works | CR15 | Site Investigation, Instrumentation and Monitoring |
| CR07 | Cable and Pipe Laying, Road Reinstatement | CR16 | Curtain Walls |
| CR08 | Piling Works | CR17 | Windows |
| CR09 | Repairs and Redecoration | CR18 | Doors |
| CR10A | Automated Precast Concrete Production |
Read the current specific requirements for all workhead exceptions and subconditions; these comparisons do not replace the full SRR.
CR grade comparison and exceptions.
| Grade | Financial | Track record, past 3 years | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Grade | SGD 50,000 | SGD 300,000 for ordinary applicable workheads; CR10A has no track-record requirement | 1 T |
| L1 | SGD 50,000 | SGD 300,000 | 1 T |
| L2 | SGD 50,000 | SGD 1m | 1 T with 3 years of relevant experience |
| L3 | SGD 150,000 | SGD 3m | 2 T |
| L4 | SGD 250,000 | SGD 5m, including a SGD 500,000 single project | 2 T, one with 5 years of experience |
| L5 | SGD 500,000 | SGD 10m, including a SGD 1m single project | 1 P, or 2 T with one at 8 years of experience |
| L6 | SGD 1.5m | SGD 30m, including SGD 7.5m Singapore projects, SGD 3m main contracts and SGD 3m single project | 2 P with 5 years of experience, including 1 SDCP |
Read the current specific requirements for all workhead exceptions and subconditions; these comparisons do not replace the full SRR. CR10A is an exception: SGD 2m paid-up capital, with no net-worth or track-record requirement. The ordinary Single Grade row does not override its specific conditions.
ME workhead directory.
| Code | Workhead | Code | Workhead |
|---|---|---|---|
| ME01 | Air-Conditioning, Refrigeration and Ventilation Works | ME08 | Internal Wiring for Telecommunications |
| ME02 | Building Automation, Industrial and Process Control Systems | ME09 | Lift, Escalator and Mechanised Car Parking Systems |
| ME03 | Solar PV and System Integration | ME10 | Line Plant Cabling and Wiring for Telecommunications |
| ME04 | Communication and Security Systems | ME11 | Mechanical Engineering |
| ME05 | Electrical Engineering | ME12 | Plumbing, Gas Piping and Sanitary Works |
| ME06 | Fire Prevention and Protection Systems | ME13 | Traffic Light Systems |
| ME07 | High and Low Tension Overhead Line Installation | ME15 | Integrated Building Services |
Read the current specific requirements for all workhead exceptions and subconditions; these comparisons do not replace the full SRR.
ME01–ME13 grade comparison.
| Grade | Financial | Track record, past 3 years | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | SGD 50,000 | SGD 300,000 | 1 T (no three-year experience condition at L1) |
| L2 | SGD 50,000 | SGD 1m | 1 T with 3 years of relevant experience |
| L3 | SGD 150,000 | SGD 3m | 2 T |
| L4 | SGD 250,000 | SGD 5m, including a single contract of SGD 500,000 | 2 T, one with 5 years of experience |
| L5 | SGD 500,000 | SGD 10m, including a single contract of SGD 1m | 1 P, or 2 T with one at 8 years of experience |
| L6 | SGD 1.5m | SGD 30m, with sub-thresholds for Singapore projects, main contracts and single contracts | 2 P with 5 years of experience, including 1 SDCP except for ME07 and ME13 |
Read the current specific requirements for all workhead exceptions and subconditions; these comparisons do not replace the full SRR. The ME SRR is August 2026. ME15 has its own requirements and is not part of this ME01–ME13 comparison.
TR trade directory.
| Code | Trade | Code | Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| TR01 | Formwork | TR06 | Ceiling Work |
| TR02 | Steel Reinforcement Work | TR07 | Tile, Marble and Stone Work |
| TR03 | Concreting Work | TR08 | Timber, Vinyl and Laminate Flooring Work |
| TR04 | Drywall Installation | TR09 | Plastering and Skimming |
| TR05 | Precast Installation | TR10 | Ironmongery and Metalwork |
Read the current specific requirements for all workhead exceptions and subconditions; these comparisons do not replace the full SRR.
RW regulatory directory.
| Code | Workhead |
|---|---|
| RW01 | Window Contractors |
| RW02A / RW02B | Lift Installation Contractor / Lift Maintenance Contractor |
| RW03A / RW03B | Escalator Installation Contractor / Escalator Maintenance Contractor |
| RW04A / RW04B | Mechanised Car Parking Systems Installation / Maintenance Contractor |
Read the current specific requirements for all workhead exceptions and subconditions; these comparisons do not replace the full SRR.
What should you prepare?
- Company profile, ownership and relevant business scope.
- Accounts establishing the required paid-up capital and net worth.
- Personnel qualifications, identity, employment and experience records where required.
- Contracts with relevant scope and value breakdowns, plus evidence of ongoing or completed work.
- Workhead-specific licences, certificates and other supporting documents.
Start by listing the actual jobs your company performs and identifying the relevant parts of each contract. Then compare your capital, accounts and personnel against the current workhead requirements.
Match the workhead to the contract scope
Use the scope of work, drawings and specifications rather than the company name to shortlist a workhead. A business describing itself as an engineering contractor might carry out electrical installation, communication systems, mechanical work or several distinct activities. Its registration should match the work it wants to tender for.
For mixed work, identify the principal and supporting activities, and ask the procuring party which registration is required. Check each workhead’s current conditions: personnel, experience, financial records, track record and any separate regulator licence. Do not assume approval for one workhead establishes eligibility for another.
- List completed contracts by actual scope, completion date and value.
- Separate the company’s track record from a director’s previous employer’s projects.
- Map proposed personnel to each workhead’s qualification rules.
- Check the applicable tendering limit for the intended grade.
The ME04 and ME05 guides explain two commonly confused categories.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my previous employer’s contracts as company track record?
Do not treat those contracts as the applicant company’s own work. Assess personal experience and company track record separately.
Can I hold more than one workhead?
Yes, where the company meets each workhead’s requirements. A contract may support relevant apportioned scopes rather than its entire value being counted for every category.
Does a new company have to wait three years?
No. Three years is a track-record evidence window, not a mandatory waiting period. Relevant ongoing projects and an eligible probationary route may be considered.
Official sources
Related guides
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