Do You Need Planning Permission To Install Lift?

Do You Need Planning Permission To Install Lift? Yes, while installing a lift in Singapore you may need planning permission as per the regulation of BCA. BCA regulations in this regard read as under.

Step 1: Proposal for authorization of installing a lift to BCA

For installing a new lift you will have to submit the plan of the proposed lift either with the plan of your building or with BCA if you have planned to install a lift in your premise after submitting the plan of your building. You can start installing a lift in your building once your plan is approved by BCA.

Step 2: Search for the kind of lift approved by BCA for you

There are different types of lifts approved by BCA for personal and domestic use as well as for public use.

A: For personal and domestic use you can establish a stair-lift, passenger lift or platform lift.

• Home lifts installed for domestic use are the normal lifts that have a certain pit dept and headroom but the size of their floor is limited. The only difference between a passenger lift and a domestic lift is that the domestic lift cannot be opened for public use.
  
  For that reason, BCA has relaxed the rules of compliance. You can install a lift for home use that complies with SS 550:2009, the standards of Singapore, or the code of Elevator association of Japan.
  
  According to BCA and lift manufacturers, a platform lift must have a low pit and headroom whether it is a traction lift or hybrid one.
  
• Stair-lift does not need any approval before installing it but it must comply with ASME 81.1-2014, the standard of America as it offers the most value for your money.
  
• Platform lift helps in improving your mobility. It does not have any headroom or pit and move at a very slow speed. Usually, traction type or hydraulic type lifts are used in this category but the lifts approved by BCA must comply with EN-81-41-2010, the standards of Europe or ASME 81.1-2014, the standards of America.

B: Lifts for public and other use

In this category, three types of lifts are installed including passenger lifts, service lifts, and goods lifts.

• Passenger Lift is the lift that can be used by the general public from outside as well as people living in that building. These lifts can either be traction or hydraulic type but they have to comply with SS 550:2009, the code of Singapore.
  
• Service Lift is the lift that is mainly utilized for moving both, passengers as well as goods, and comply with SS 550:2009, the code of Singapore.
  
• Goods Lift is a lift that is used only to move goods. Except for people for unloading and loading the goods no other passenger is allowed in this lift. It has to be compliant with SS 550:2009, the code of Singapore.

Step 3: Establish lift and get a permission to activate it

Every lift installed in Singapore has to display the permit valid to operate the lift, as per the latest regulations. This permit has to be renewed annually. The owner of the building has to appoint a lift contractor registered with BCA to install the lift.

After the completion of the work of the contractor, the owner of the building has to arrange an inspection of the lift by a third-party examiner authorized by BCA for the certification of the lift. The owner will have to log in to the portal of BCA for lodging the lift if it is compliant.

After the owner has logged in, the contractor will have to complete his part after logging in to BCA. Then the examiner will use the same web portal to certify the lift. After some time the permit to operate the lift will be issued.

Step 4: Annual renewal of a permit to operate a lift

The permit to operate a lift is granted for one year. To renew this permit the owner of the building has to contact a lift contractor and a third party examiner authorized by BCA to do a ‘test without any load’ and inspection to see whether any change has been done in the lift during the last year.

The authorized examiner will permit the owner to operate it if it is still compliant. If it is not compliant then the owner will be asked to amend the faults and repeat the process of lodgement as discussed in Step3 to get the permit to operate the lift for one more year.

Do You Need Planning Permission To Install Lift? – Conclusion

We hope, now you are fully aware of the procedure you need to follow if you want to install a lift on your property. We have described the procedure to obtain the necessary permissions before you go ahead with your planning to install the lift.

Just follow them and then hire a contractor to install the lift.