Updated 13 October 2026 · SG Drone Inspections
What “End-to-End PFI” Means
A Periodic Facade Inspection involves more parties than most building owners expect: a Competent Person who is legally responsible for the inspection, a team to capture the facade, an access contractor for close-up checks, CAAS permits if drones are used, notices to residents, and a report that has to reach BCA before the deadline. Coordinating all of that is usually left to the MCST or building manager.
With an end-to-end engagement, you deal with one team. We arrange a Competent Person (CP) from our partner network — a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect holding the Certificate in Façade Inspection — and handle the planning, the drone survey, the close-up access and the paperwork around them. The CP directs the inspection, reviews the findings and signs off the report, exactly as the Regulations require.
Is Your Building Due for a PFI?
Under the Building Control (Periodic Inspection of Buildings and Building Façades) Regulations 2021, in force since 1 January 2022, a building must have its facade inspected every 7 years once it is taller than 13 metres and more than 20 years old. BCA identifies buildings in the regime and notifies the responsible party when an inspection is due, together with the deadline for submitting the report.
| Your building | PFI required? |
|---|---|
| Over 13 m and over 20 years old (condo, office, commercial, industrial, HDB) | Yes — every 7 years |
| Over 13 m but under 20 years old | Not yet — due once it passes 20 years |
| 13 m or lower | No |
| Landed houses, temporary buildings | Exempt |
For strata developments the duty sits with the MCST; otherwise it sits with the building owner. Our PFI guide explains the rules in more detail.
What’s Included, Step by Step
Scope and deadline check
We confirm the building is in the regime, note the BCA deadline, and collect what already exists: previous facade or structural inspection reports, repair records and elevation drawings. These tell the CP where to focus.
Competent Person appointed
We arrange a certified CP from our partner network. The appointment itself is made by the building owner or MCST, as the law requires — we prepare it and coordinate everything that follows, so you are not managing the CP and the field teams separately.
Permits, notifications and resident notices
For the drone survey we apply for the CAAS permits for the site and check airspace restrictions. The CP notifies BCA before the drone inspection, as BCA’s guidance requires. Residents and tenants receive advance notice of the schedule and of how images will be handled.
Stage 1 — visual inspection of the whole facade
Every elevation is surveyed by drone with the CP present, at an image resolution of 0.15 cm per pixel or finer as BCA specifies. The images are reviewed by the CP and potential defects are mapped to their location on each elevation. See drone facade inspection for PFI for how the survey works.
Stage 2 — close-up inspection
A portion of each face is checked at close range, including hands-on tapping to find hollow or debonded tiles and render. The drone results let the CP place these checks where the risk is highest rather than spreading them evenly. Access is by gondola, BMU, rope access or a lift, whichever suits the building.
Report and submission to BCA
The CP prepares the inspection report with the findings and any rectification needed, and it is submitted to BCA. You receive the full image record and defect map alongside the report.
Rectification follow-through
If defects are found, the CP specifies the works and BCA sets the period in which they must be done. Where a defect is an immediate danger, temporary measures such as cordons or netting come first. We can help you scope the repairs and plan the access so the works can be priced properly.
Who Does What
| Party | Role in the PFI |
|---|---|
| Building owner / MCST | Legally responsible for having the inspection done. Appoints the CP, approves the scope and budget, and carries out any rectification works. |
| Competent Person (partner PE / RA) | Directs the inspection, notifies BCA of drone use, is present during flights, reviews every image, carries out or supervises the close-up checks, and signs and submits the report. |
| SG Drone Inspections | Single point of contact. Coordinates the CP and field work, plans and flies the drone survey, handles CAAS permits and resident notices, arranges close-up access, and prepares the image record and defect mapping for the CP. |
Why Use a Drone in Your PFI
Stage 1 requires the whole facade to be examined. Doing that from gondolas or ropes means rigging every drop of every elevation, which is where most of the time and access cost of a conventional PFI goes. A drone covers the whole facade in a fraction of the site time, without anyone working at height, and produces a complete, consistent image record that the CP can review in detail and you can compare against at the next cycle.
A drone does not replace everything. Tapping for hollowness and checking fixings still needs hands-on access, which is why our PFIs combine both. Using the drone survey to target the close-up checks usually means less access work overall than a fully manual inspection.
Buildings We Cover
Condominiums
MCST-managed towers with tiled, painted, stone or glass facades. Resident notices and AGM-ready scoping.
HDB blocks
Tiled and painted residential blocks, including corridor faces, parapets and service ducts.
Commercial buildings
Offices, malls and mixed-use developments, with surveys timed around operating hours.
Curtain wall and glass
Glazing, sealant joints, brackets and spandrel panels on curtain-walled buildings.
What Affects the Cost
Every PFI is quoted on scope. The main factors are the number of blocks and elevations, building height, the facade materials (tiles and render need more close-up work than painted concrete), how the close-up checks can be accessed, and whether the site is near an airport or in restricted airspace, which affects drone permits. Our pricing page gives typical ranges.
Start Early
The inspection itself is quick; the lead time is in the preparation. CAAS asks for drone permit applications at least a month ahead, residents need notice, and close-up access has to be booked. If you have received a BCA notice, get in touch well before the deadline so there is time to complete any rectification the CP identifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get a Quote for Your PFI
Send us the building address, number of blocks, approximate height and your BCA submission deadline. We will come back with a fixed scope and quote for the full inspection.