Regulations and Approvals

CW01 A1, A2 and B1 Explained: What BCA Contractor Grades Mean

October 27, 2026

BCA contractor grades tell you how large a contract a firm may tender for in Singapore’s public sector, and how much capital, track record and staff it has proven to BCA. For general building (workhead CW01), A1 is the top grade with no tendering limit. A2 is capped at $105 million and B1 at $50 million.

So the grade is a quick guide to scale. However, it sits beside a separate builder licence, and the two answer different questions. This article explains how the grading system works, what each CW01 grade requires, and how private owners can use grades when they compare builders.

Key Takeaways

  • BCA’s Contractors Registration System (CRS) grades firms by workhead, such as CW01 for general building.
  • From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, CW01 limits run from unlimited at A1 down to $0.8 million at C3.
  • Each grade needs set levels of capital, Singapore track record and qualified staff.
  • A grade is not a licence: main contractors also need a General Builder licence for works that need plan approval.
  • Since 1 June 2025, firms must register with CRS before they hire construction S Pass or Work Permit holders.

What Are BCA Contractor Grades?

BCA runs the Contractors Registration System, or CRS. It is the national register of construction firms. BCA explains that firms register if they want to bid for public sector construction tenders, or work as first-level subcontractors on public projects.

Also, CRS is no longer only about public work. Since 1 June 2025, any firm that wants to hire construction S Pass or Work Permit holders must first register with CRS. As a result, most active builders now hold a grade.

CRS sorts work into groups, and each group has its own Specific Registration Requirements:

  • Construction workheads (CW), such as CW01 General Building and CW02 Civil Engineering.
  • Construction-related workheads (CR), such as specialist trades.
  • Mechanical and electrical workheads (ME).
  • Trade heads (TR) and regulatory workheads (RW).

Within each workhead, a firm gets a financial grade. Then that grade sets the largest contract it may tender for.

CW01 Grades and Tendering Limits

The table below shows the current limits for general building. These figures come from BCA’s tendering limits page. They apply from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and they match the previous year. CW02 civil engineering uses the same limits.

CW01 grade Tendering limit Typical fit
A1 Unlimited Large and complex buildings of any value
A2 $105 million Large buildings below the A1 range
B1 $50 million Mid-sized new builds and major A&A
B2 $16 million Smaller new builds and A&A
C1 $5 million Small building works
C2 $1.6 million Minor works
C3 $0.8 million Minor works

Note that the “typical fit” column is our own guide, not a BCA rule. The limit is the hard line.

What Does a Firm Need to Reach A1, A2 or B1?

First, each grade sets a floor for money, work done and people. BCA’s CW registration requirements (August 2024 edition) list these figures for CW01:

Requirement A1 A2 B1
Financial (capital and net worth) $15 million $6.5 million $3 million
CW01 track record, past three years $150 million $65 million $30 million
Registered, professional and technical staff 24, with at least 8 registered 12, with at least 4 registered 6, with at least 2 registered

The track record has parts too. For example, an A1 firm needs $75 million of projects done in Singapore, $112.5 million as main contracts, and a single contract of at least $37.5 million. In addition, BCA counts CW01 subcontract work at only 50 per cent.

Then there are management rules. At A1, BCA asks for ISO 45001 or bizSAFE Star, Green and Gracious Builder certification and a General Builder Class 1 licence. Also, BCA’s GGBS page states that CW01 and CW02 firms graded A1 to B2 must hold Green and Gracious Builder certification.

Finally, firms in grades A1 to B2 must make annual submissions to keep their grade. So a grade reflects recent figures, not just a past peak.

How Do Grades Relate to Builder Licences?

A grade and a licence are different things. The grade comes from CRS. In contrast, the licence comes from BCA’s Builders Licensing Scheme.

BCA states that main contractors doing works that need plan approval must hold a General Builder licence. There are two classes:

  1. General Builder Class 1 (GB1): projects of any value, with $300,000 minimum paid-up capital for companies.
  2. General Builder Class 2 (GB2): projects of $6 million or less, with $25,000 minimum paid-up capital.

The two systems link at certain grades. For instance, BCA lists a GB1 licence as an extra rule for CW01 grade A1, and a GB2 licence for grade C1. Also, all licences last up to three years, so check the expiry date.

How Are Specialist and M&E Firms Graded?

However, your main contractor is only one part of the team. Specialist and M&E subcontractors sit in other workheads with their own scale. BCA’s table shows CR and ME workheads graded L1 to L6, plus a single grade for some trades.

For these workheads, L6 has no limit, L5 stops at $16 million and L4 at $8 million. Then L3 is $5 million, L2 is $1.6 million and L1 is $0.8 million. So when your builder names key subcontractors, you can check their grades the same way.

Also, some specialist works need their own licence. BCA lists piling, ground support and stabilisation, instrumentation and monitoring, structural steelwork, precast concrete and in-situ post-tensioning as specialist builder categories.

What Do BCA Contractor Grades Mean for a Private Project?

Tendering limits bind public sector tenders, but a private owner is not bound by them. Even so, the grade is a free and objective check, because BCA has already tested the firm’s capital, staff and work record.

So here is a simple way to use BCA contractor grades on a private job:

  • Pick a grade whose limit sits well above your contract value, so the job is not at the edge of the firm’s range.
  • Check the grade and licence on BCA’s own lists, not just on a company profile.
  • Ask which grades and licences the key subcontractors hold.
  • Treat the grade as a filter, then judge fit on similar projects and the named site team.

For the full shortlisting process, see our checklist for choosing an A1 general builder.

How Weima Builders Approaches This

Weima Builders holds BCA CW01 General Building grade A1 and a General Builder Class 1 licence. We also hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certificates, bizSAFE Star and the BCA Green & Gracious Builder certificate.

Also, that scale shows in our industrial work. For example, at 118 Pioneer Road we built a new seven-storey single-user warehouse, completed in 2018. Our construction services also cover structural, architectural, A&A and fit-out works.

Not sure which grade your project needs, or whether a bid is within a firm’s range? Talk to Weima Builders about your scope and contract value. Call +65 6548 3000 or email info@weima.sg.

Related service: see our BCA A1 main contractor services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the tendering limit for a CW01 A1 contractor?

There is no limit. BCA lists the CW01 A1 tendering limit as unlimited for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. An A1 firm may therefore tender for public sector general building contracts of any value. The next grade down, A2, is capped at $105 million, and B1 is capped at $50 million.

Is a BCA grade the same as a builder licence?

No. A BCA grade comes from the Contractors Registration System and sets public sector tendering limits. In contrast, a builder licence comes from the Builders Licensing Scheme and is a legal requirement for main contractors doing works that need plan approval. A Class 1 licence covers any value, while Class 2 covers projects of $6 million or less.

Do private projects have to use a graded contractor?

Tendering limits apply to public sector tenders, so private owners are not bound by them. However, since 1 June 2025, firms must register with CRS before they hire construction S Pass or Work Permit holders. In practice, most active builders hold a grade, and private owners often use it as a benchmark for scale.

What does an A1 general building contractor need to show BCA?

BCA’s August 2024 requirements list $15 million in financial standing, $150 million of CW01 track record over three years, and 24 registered, professional or technical staff. A1 firms also need ISO 45001 or bizSAFE Star, Green and Gracious Builder certification and a General Builder Class 1 licence.

How often do BCA tendering limits change?

BCA publishes tendering limits for set validity periods that run from 1 July to 30 June. The current table covers 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and its CW01 figures match the previous period. Check BCA’s tendering limits page before each tender, since the figures can be revised for later periods.

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