Key takeaways
- Check approved use, exhaust, grease trap, gas and electrical load before you sign the lease. These decide whether the fit-out is affordable.
- SFA reviews your layout plan first, and you renovate only after it approves. Fire safety works need SCDF-approved plans submitted by a qualified person.
- For HDB shops, HDB’s renovation guide says a qualified person submits via CORENET for clearance from HDB, BCA and FSSD, with a 14-working-day processing timeframe, before any work starts.
- NEA’s Code of Practice says kitchen fumes must be treated with no visible smoke and exhausted above the roof where practical.
- Plan power and data points for POS terminals, kitchen screens, printers and kiosks before the ceiling and walls close.
This checklist is general information, not legal or professional advice. Requirements were taken from official pages in September 2026 and change over time. Your qualified person, contractor and landlord have the final word on what applies to your unit.
A restaurant renovation is where most opening budgets and timelines slip. The work is not only design and carpentry: it involves authorities, the landlord’s rules, specialist kitchen trades and a long list of small decisions that are expensive to reverse. This checklist follows the order of a typical fit-out. For licensing and the wider opening plan, read how to open a restaurant in Singapore first.
Before you sign the lease
The cheapest renovation problems to fix are the ones you find before signing. Ask the landlord, and get the answers in writing:
- Approved use. Is the unit approved for restaurant use? If not, a URA change of use (URA states a $500 processing fee) or HDB approval may be needed. Our café guide explains the options for malls, shophouses and HDB shops.
- Exhaust. Is there a kitchen exhaust riser or an approved route for a new duct? Where can the outlet go?
- Grease trap. Is there an existing grease trap, what size, and who maintains it?
- Gas and power. Is there piped gas? What electrical load is available, and can it be increased? HDB’s guide says additional load for its shops depends on supply availability and a fee.
- Fit-out manual. Malls and managed buildings usually have a fit-out manual with approved contractors, working hours, deposits, insurance and design rules. Ask for it before you commit.
- Rent-free fit-out period and reinstatement. How long do you get to renovate before rent starts, and what must you remove when you leave?
If the unit needs a new exhaust riser, a new grease trap or a power upgrade, get an estimate from a contractor before you sign. Those items can change the whole budget.
Approvals and permits
Which approvals apply depends on the unit, the works and the landlord. These are the main ones for an F&B fit-out, based on official pages:
| Approval | What the agency says | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| SFA Food Shop Licence | Apply on GoBusiness with a layout plan; SFA reviews complete applications within 7 working days; renovate only after approval; pre-licensing inspection after works (SFA) | You, with your designer’s layout |
| SCDF fire safety plans | Fire safety works need approved plans, submitted by a qualified person such as a registered architect or professional engineer (SCDF) | Qualified person |
| Grease trap | All food establishments need grease traps; owners need NEA and PUB approval before installing one (PUB) | Contractor or qualified person |
| HDB shop renovation | QP submits via CORENET for clearance from HDB, BCA and FSSD; 14 working days; no work before clearance (HDB guide) | Qualified person |
| Outdoor signboard | BCA licence needed for outdoor signs, unless the signboard or related series is not more than 5m² in total; about 7 working days (BCA) | You or your signage contractor |
| Landlord approval | Fit-out drawings approved under the landlord’s manual | Designer |
HDB shop units
HDB’s Renovation Guide for Shop Tenant/Owner (December 2025) adds several rules. You must engage licensed contractors listed in HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors, and display a Notice of Alteration outside the unit throughout the works. Renovation is allowed from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Noisy works such as hacking are limited to 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and none are allowed on Sundays and public holidays. Signboards and other fittings on common property need Town Council clearance, and HDB does not allow signboards lit by flickering or flashing lights. HDB also advises against cladding structural columns, because inspectors may need to expose them for periodic structural inspections at your cost.
Accessibility
BCA says the Code on Accessibility 2025 applies to additions and alterations to existing buildings, and its announcement says new buildings and existing buildings undergoing A&A works must comply from 1 November 2025. Separately, BCA’s basic accessibility legislation requires owners of existing non-barrier-free buildings over 500m² of gross floor area, other than residences and factories, to provide basic features such as a wheelchair-accessible entrance and toilet when they carry out A&A works. Ask your qualified person how this applies to your unit and the building it sits in.
Choosing a designer and contractor
Most restaurants use a design-and-build firm, or a designer plus a separate contractor. Either way, compare like with like:
- Relevant experience. Ask for F&B projects of a similar size, ideally in the same mall or building type. A contractor who knows the landlord’s fit-out process saves time.
- Licences. For HDB shops, check the contractor is on HDB’s directory. For gas, water and electrical work, HDB’s guide says to engage an EMA-licensed gas service worker and electrical worker and a PUB-licensed water service plumber. These are sensible requirements to ask for anywhere.
- Itemised quotations. Get at least three quotes on the same drawings and specification. Each should itemise demolition, partitions, ceiling, flooring, M&E, exhaust, plumbing, carpentry and professional fees. Vague lump sums hide gaps.
- Scope. Write down who supplies kitchen equipment, who handles authority submissions, and who pays for landlord deposits and inspections.
- Timeline and payment terms. Tie progress payments to milestones, agree a completion date, and hold back a retention sum until defects are fixed.
- Warranty and defects period. Agree how long the contractor is responsible for defects after handover.
Give your designer your menu, seat count, service style and kitchen equipment list at the start. A kitchen designed without the equipment list usually has to be redrawn.
Kitchen and exhaust
The kitchen is the most regulated and most expensive part of the fit-out. Plan a one-way flow from receiving to storage, prep, cooking, the pass and dishwash, and keep raw and cooked food apart.
- Exhaust design. NEA’s Code of Practice on Environmental Health (December 2025 edition) says kitchen exhaust fumes must be exhausted above the roof, or where that is not practical, at an outdoor point not facing adjacent buildings. Outlets must be more than 5m from cooling towers.
- Air cleaning. The same code says fumes from the cooking range must be extracted and treated with an air cleaning system that captures particles, grease, oil and water vapour, with no visible smoke or fumes.
- HDB eating houses. HDB’s guide lists smell control (for example UV or electronic air cleaners), dampeners or silencers for noise, and a wet-chemical fire suppression system, and it requires the tenant to pay for the grease separator and exhaust system.
- Maintenance access. SFA’s guidelines say the hood and entire duct must be degreased by a specialist at least once every 12 months, with records kept. Design access panels into the duct so this can be done.
- Grease trap. PUB says the grease trap must be accessible for cleaning and serves only kitchen water, not toilets. Place it where cleaning will not disrupt service.
Heavy wok, grill or deep-fry menus need more extraction than a café. If you run a high-heat menu, read our guide on opening a mala or zi char stall as well.
Electrical, gas and plumbing
- Load schedule. List every appliance with its power rating: combi ovens, fryers, dishwashers, chillers, freezers, ice machines, air-conditioning and lighting. Your electrician sizes the distribution board from this. Leave spare capacity for equipment you add later.
- Dedicated circuits. Give high-draw kitchen equipment its own circuits so a tripped fryer does not take the POS and chillers down with it.
- Gas. Gas piping, meters and burner connections are licensed work. Confirm pressure and capacity for all burners running together at peak.
- Water and drainage. Plan floor traps, sinks, hand-wash basins, dishwasher drains and the ice machine supply. Kitchen water goes through the grease trap.
- Refrigeration. Cold rooms and remote condensers need space and ventilation. Agree the condenser location with the landlord early.
Dining room, counter and POS placement
Your POS and ordering set-up shapes the counter and the kitchen, so decide on it before the drawings are final. Walk through an order from the door to the table and into the kitchen, and mark every device on the plan.
| Device | Where it goes | What to provide |
|---|---|---|
| POS terminals | Cashier counter; a service station on each floor section | Power and network points, space for a cash drawer and receipt printer |
| Payment terminals | Beside each POS, or carried to tables | Power for charging; stable network or mobile signal |
| Kitchen display screens | Each cooking station and the pass, away from direct heat and splashes | Power and network at eye level; wall or ceiling brackets |
| Kitchen and bar printers | Each station that uses paper tickets | Power and network; a dry shelf |
| Self-order kiosks | Near the entrance, clear of the queue for collection | Floor or wall power and data; space for a queue |
| Queue display | Visible from the waiting and collection area | Power and network for a screen |
| QR codes | Every table | Table numbers that match the POS floor plan |
A kitchen display system such as ChaChaCha’s routes orders by station and shows prep timers, so each station needs its own screen and point. ChaChaCha also supports Epson cloud printing to multiple printers if some stations prefer tickets. A self-order kiosk with a built-in card terminal needs a power and data point in the right place, and ChaChaCha supplies its hardware as part of the package, so share the floor plan with us before the electrician finalises points. Wired network points are usually more dependable than Wi-Fi for fixed devices. ChaChaCha’s POS keeps taking orders if the internet drops and syncs later, but good cabling still saves trouble. With QR ordering, make sure Wi-Fi or mobile signal reaches every table.
In the dining room, plan table sizes that match your POS floor plan, a host stand if you take bookings, and space for staff to move between the pass and the tables without crossing the queue.
Renovation timeline
Durations depend on the unit, landlord and contractor, so this table shows order and dependencies. The official timings come from the agencies named.
| Phase | Key tasks | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Due diligence | Check approved use, exhaust, grease trap, gas, power; get fit-out manual | Shortlisted unit |
| 2. Lease | Negotiate fit-out period and reinstatement; sign and stamp | Due diligence |
| 3. Design | Layout, kitchen equipment list, M&E, POS and device plan | Menu, seat count, landlord rules |
| 4. Submissions | SFA layout (7 working days); landlord approval; SCDF plans via QP; grease trap approval; HDB clearance via CORENET (14 working days) for HDB shops; signage licence (about 7 working days) | Final drawings |
| 5. Tender | Itemised quotes; appoint contractor; agree milestones | Drawings |
| 6. Build | Demolition, services, exhaust, ceiling, flooring, carpentry | Approvals and clearances |
| 7. Install | Kitchen equipment, signage, POS, KDS, printers, kiosks, network | Services complete |
| 8. Inspect | SFA pre-licensing inspection; landlord inspection; defects list | Works complete; SFA documents submitted within two months of applying |
| 9. Rehearse | Staff training, mock services, soft launch | Licence issued |
Budget categories
Fit-out costs vary too much by size, location and concept for a reliable typical figure, so budget by category and use written quotes:
- Professional fees: designer, qualified person, kitchen consultant, submissions.
- Authority and landlord fees: SFA Food Shop Licence ($195 a year), URA change of use ($500) if needed, signage licence, landlord fit-out deposits and inspection charges.
- Base build works: demolition, partitions, ceiling, flooring, painting.
- M&E: electrical upgrade, air-conditioning, lighting, fire protection.
- Kitchen: exhaust hood and ducting, air cleaning, grease trap, gas piping, cold room, equipment.
- Front of house: furniture, counters, signage, acoustics, decor.
- Technology: POS, KDS or printers, kiosks, network. See the POS cost calculator.
- Contingency and reinstatement: a buffer for surprises, and the cost of returning the unit at the end of the lease.
Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE Grant page says PSG, EDG and MRA combine into the EDGE Grant from 30 September 2026, with support of “up to 70% for SMEs” that differs by activity. AppsPOS, which powers ChaChaCha, is approved under the EDGE Grant; our grant guide explains how it applies to a POS.
Handover checklist
Do not accept the keys from your contractor until you have walked through this list with them:
- All authority approvals, clearances and the signage licence on file.
- Electrical installation tested and certified; distribution board labelled circuit by circuit.
- Gas installation tested by the licensed worker; burners lit at full load together.
- Exhaust running at full load with no visible smoke; access panels in place; air cleaning system working.
- Grease trap installed as approved; cleaning contract signed with a licensed waste collector.
- Sinks, hand-wash basins, floor traps and dishwasher drain without leaks.
- Fire safety equipment in place and serviced; exit and emergency lights working.
- Every POS, payment terminal, KDS, printer and kiosk powered and online, with a test order sent from each table to each station.
- Defects list agreed in writing with a completion date; manuals and warranties handed over.
- Layout matches the plan SFA approved. SFA treats altering the layout without approval as an offence.
Once the handover is clean, move on to training and your soft launch. If you would like us to review your floor plan for POS, KDS and kiosk positions, contact us. Pricing is quote-based.
