Miss the 14-day window and the breach is yours

A 20-storey facade inspection in Singapore costs between S$3,000 and S$40,000 depending on the method you choose, and the window element sits inside that scope whether you planned for it or not. If you run offices in the CBD, Marina Bay or one-north, that figure is already on your horizon — the question is whether your window records would survive a BCA letter.

I have watched directors treat windows as a residential problem. They are not. Commercial buildings carry the same duty, the same evidence trail, and the same 14-day clock after work is done.

The duty in plain words, and who carries it

In Singapore, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) sets out the requirements for window safety. Windows deteriorate over time due to wind, rain and daily wear, so the owner or the MCST must keep them in a safe condition. For strata-titled commercial buildings, the MCST is responsible for common property, which includes the facade and its windows. For a single-owner office block, the building owner holds that duty directly.

When window works are completed — replacement, retrofitting, or reinstatement of a safety barrier — the approved window contractor or builder must submit a certificate of completion using Form D or Form SB no later than 14 days after the work finishes. That is not a guideline. It is a deadline, and it is the document an investigator asks for first.

If you cannot produce that certificate, you cannot show the work was done by a trained installer under an approved contractor. The obligation rests with you, not with the contractor who has since moved on to another project.

What the inspector actually looks at in an office building

In Singapore, the periodic facade inspection (PFI) programme requires buildings to undergo their first inspection when they reach 20 years from the Temporary Occupation Permit date, then every 5 years after that. The scope covers all external facade elements: walls, windows, cladding, projections, sun shades and attachments. A registered Professional Engineer must review and endorse the report before it goes to BCA.

For windows specifically, the inspector is looking for corrosion on fixings, brackets and frames, failed sealants that allow water infiltration, and — in older buildings — aluminium rivets at the variable geometry stays. BCA guidance states that contractors should replace all aluminium rivets with type 304 stainless steel rivets complying with BS EN 10088 or equivalent. If they find casement windows with aluminium rivets, they should report them to BCA.

In an office building, the practical problem is access. Windows sit behind desks, blinds and fit-out. A facilities manager with a thin team may not have a current condition record for every window on every floor. The inspector will ask for one. So will your insurer if water ingress damages a tenant's fit-out.

The BCA windows safety page sets out the three-step maintenance approach for owners: check, clean, change. For commercial buildings, that translates into a scheduled inspection regime, not a reactive repair when a tenant complains.

How the UK handles the same duty — and where it diverges

The UK does not have a single window safety inspection regime equivalent to Singapore's PFI. Instead, the duty sits within broader building safety and maintenance obligations. The responsible person for a commercial building must manage risks to occupants, which includes the risk of falling windows or failed fixings. There is no fixed 20-year trigger and no 5-year cycle written into a single regulation.

What the UK does have is a stronger emphasis on the golden thread of information — the documented evidence trail that shows how a building has been maintained and who was responsible at each stage. For higher-risk buildings, that requirement is explicit. For standard commercial offices, the expectation is still that you can produce maintenance records when an incident occurs or an insurer asks.

The practical difference for a portfolio spanning both markets is this: Singapore gives you a clear calendar trigger and a defined submission deadline. The UK gives you a duty of care and expects you to define your own inspection frequency based on risk. Neither market accepts a verbal assurance that the windows were checked.

If you operate in both, standardise the evidence, not the schedule. A single window condition record format — covering location, inspection date, defect found, action taken, and the name of the competent person — works in both jurisdictions. The trigger dates differ. The proof does not.

What a portfolio should standardise across both markets

Start with the contractor. In Singapore, window works must be carried out by an approved window contractor registered under workhead RW01, or a builder registered under GB1 or GB2, together with trained window installers. A trained window installer is an individual certified by BCA who has attended and passed the "Safety of Windows" course, and who has at least 12 months of practical experience before attending.

If you are replacing or reinstating a safety barrier integrated with a window, and you use the Standardised Designs in Annex B of the Approved Document, the work becomes "insignificant building works." That means you do not need to hire a Professional Engineer or obtain plan approval from the Commissioner of Building Control. You still need an approved window contractor or a builder with a trained window installer.

For a facilities manager, that is the difference between a straightforward replacement and a structural submission. Knowing which route applies before you instruct the contractor saves weeks and avoids the cost of an unnecessary PE.

In the UK, the equivalent control is verifying competence. Check that the contractor can demonstrate relevant experience and that the installer holds the appropriate certification for the work. The BCA Quality Mark scheme is a Singapore-specific assurance for new residential units, but the principle of verifying workmanship before you accept the handover applies everywhere.

For facade inspections in Singapore, the periodic facade inspection guide notes that drone surveys now cost from S$1,500 and take 1–2 days, compared with S$8,000–S$15,000 and 5–10 days for rope access. The method you choose affects the budget, but it does not change the requirement to submit an endorsed report to BCA within the deadline.

Your 60-second self-check

• Could you produce the certificate of completion for the last window works carried out on each building, showing it was submitted within 14 days?
• Do you have a current window condition record for every building in the portfolio, with inspection dates and defects logged?
• For any building approaching 20 years from TOP, have you confirmed the PFI deadline and started the contractor engagement at least 6–8 weeks ahead?

If any of those answers is no, you have plenty of company. Most facilities managers inherit a filing system that was never designed for this. The free 5-minute Director's Risk Check at hermanwa.com/risk-check gives you a control score for the portfolio and the breach exposure with official sources attached, so you can walk into your next senior management meeting with answers rather than follow-ups. You can also send it to a colleague to complete on your behalf.

Herman's verdict

A window certificate is not paperwork. It is the only proof that the person who touched the glass was qualified to do so, and it expires in usefulness the moment you cannot find it. The directors who sleep well are not the ones with the lowest maintenance spend — they are the ones who can produce the Form D before anyone asks.

— Herman