Restaurant renovation Singapore
Front-of-house design, back-of-house kitchen integration, exhaust to SCDF Fire Code, grease-trap to NEA spec. We match you with BCA-registered contractors who clear NEA & SFA inspection first time.
Two-minute brief, up to three BCA-registered F&B specialists, no obligation. PDPA (2012) consent on submit.
What restaurant renovation involves in Singapore
A Singapore restaurant fit-out is two projects in parallel. The front-of-house drives the guest experience — layout, lighting, joinery, acoustic treatment, bar programme. The back-of-house kitchen drives the licence — stainless-steel build, exhaust ductwork to SCDF Fire Code, grease-trap to NEA spec, dry-store, cold-store and prep zoning. Source: SCDF Fire Code
The contractor pool that handles both halves competently is narrow. F&B specialists — firms whose portfolios are 60%+ restaurant & café work — deliver fewer NEA / SFA approval delays at handover, which is the difference between opening on the planned date and bleeding rent through a re-inspection cycle.
Typical cost band: S$200–400/sqft Source: Moom 2024 SG Office Fit-out Cost Benchmarks for a mid-tier restaurant; S$400–700/sqft Source: CBRE Asia Pacific Fit-Out Cost Guide for fine-dining and bar-led concepts.
What a restaurant fit-out includes
FOH design & joinery
Dining-room layout, banquette and bar joinery, lighting design, acoustic treatment, signage, host station, finishes that align to the brand.
BOH kitchen build
Stainless-steel benches and shelving, hot-line layout, prep area, wash-up, dry & cold stores. Equipment specification drives exhaust calc — lock it down early.
Exhaust & ventilation
Kitchen exhaust hood, ductwork routing to building riser, make-up air balance, SCDF Fire Code compliance, fire-suppression system integration.
Grease trap & plumbing
Grease-trap sized to seats and equipment, drainage routing, water-supply for prep and wash-up, floor-trap and waste falls to NEA spec.
M&E and gas
Electrical sub-mains, kitchen power demand, town-gas or LPG, dishwasher and ice-machine connections, AC zoning between FOH and BOH.
Licensing & inspection
SCDF FSC submission, NEA / SFA Food Shop Licence pre-inspection prep, URA Change of Use (if first F&B in the unit), landlord tenant-coordinator sign-off.
Singapore restaurant licensing path
Five regulators touch a typical Singapore restaurant fit-out. Sequence them and you open on time.
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BCA — Builder’s Licence & Building Works
General Builder licence (GB1/GB2) for the construction works themselves. Source: BCA Builder's Licence framework
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SCDF — Fire Safety Certificate (FSC)
Kitchen exhaust, fire-suppression, sprinkler coverage all assessed before issuance. Source: SCDF Fire Code
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URA — Change of Use to F&B
Required if the unit was not previously F&B. Processing typically 4–8 weeks. Source: URA Change of Use
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NEA / SFA — Food Shop Licence
Grease-trap, ventilation balance, prep-area zoning, hand-washing stations all inspected before licence issuance. Source: SFA Food Shop Licence
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Landlord / tenant-coordinator
For mall units: in-house tenant-coordinator approval of design, materials, signage, exhaust routing and trading hours.
Restaurant renovation cost bands 2026
2026 Singapore market rates by restaurant format. Each band carries a source citation — click the chip to audit.
Mid-tier restaurant — proper exhaust, grease trap, decent FOH.
Fine-dining, full kitchen, bar programme, bespoke FOH.
Small cafe — basic kitchen, simple FOH, casual finishes.
F&B reinstatement is the costliest — exhaust, grease traps, kitchen M&E, oil-stained flooring all replaced.
Budget reinstatement at lease commencement — F&B end-of-lease strip-out is the costliest reinstatement category in Singapore (exhaust removal, grease-trap reinstatement, oil-stained flooring).
Restaurant fit-out programme
Week 0–2 — brief and design
Concept, layout, equipment list, brand-fit FOH. Equipment specification locked — everything downstream depends on it.
Week 2–6 — submissions
SCDF FSC, URA Change of Use (if needed), NEA / SFA pre-application, landlord tenant-coordinator review. Runs in parallel with detailed design.
Week 6–14 — site works
Strip-out, kitchen build, exhaust ductwork, MEP, joinery, finishes. Typical mid-tier restaurant runs 8–12 weeks on site.
Week 14–16 — inspection & licence
SCDF FSC sign-off, NEA / SFA Food Shop Licence inspection, snag-list closure, soft opening.
Brief us on your restaurant project.
Format, area, target opening date, kitchen scope, budget. We match BCA-registered F&B specialists who clear NEA / SFA inspection first time.
Get matched with restaurant contractors