F&B Commercial Renovation in Singapore: SFA Licenses, Exhaust Systems & Grease Traps

Published: July 2026

Opening a restaurant or cafe in Singapore is a dream for many aspiring entrepreneurs. You have perfected the menu, finalized the branding, and signed the lease for a beautiful shophouse. But before you can serve a single plate of food, you must survive the F&B renovation process.

Unlike a retail shop where you simply install some shelves and paint the walls, an F&B renovation is a complex web of civil engineering, high-voltage electrical works, plumbing, and relentless government compliance.

If your contractor fails an SFA or SCDF inspection, your opening day gets delayed by months while you continue paying exorbitant commercial rent. In this guide, we break down the critical (and often hidden) costs of F&B commercial renovations.

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1. The Lungs of the Kitchen: The Exhaust System

If your restaurant involves heavy cooking (frying, grilling, wok-hei), a standard residential cooker hood will not work. You are legally required to install a commercial-grade Kitchen Exhaust System.

This is often the most expensive single item in an F&B renovation.

• Custom Ducting: Huge galvanized steel ducts must be custom-fabricated to run from your kitchen hood all the way to the exterior of the building.
• Air Scrubbers: To prevent your neighbors from complaining about the smell of your food, the exhaust system must include electrostatic precipitators (ESP) or UV ozone systems to scrub the grease and smoke from the air before it is expelled.
• Fire Suppression: The SCDF mandates that commercial kitchen hoods must have an automated fire suppression system built directly into the canopy. If a grease fire erupts on the stove, it will automatically spray chemical foam to extinguish it.

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2. The Unsung Hero: The Grease Trap

When you wash heavily oiled commercial woks and plates, massive amounts of grease enter the sink. If this grease flows directly into the public sewer, it will solidify and cause massive blockages (fatbergs).

The SFA and PUB strictly mandate the installation of a Grease Trap (also known as a grease interceptor) for all F&B premises.

• How it works: The trap slows down the flow of wastewater, allowing the heavy food solids to sink to the bottom and the lighter grease to float to the top. The relatively clear water in the middle is then discharged into the sewer.
• Maintenance: Your renovation contractor must install the grease trap in an accessible location because you will need to hire a licensed waste collector to pump out the trapped grease regularly.

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3. High-Voltage Electrical Loading (3-Phase Power)

A commercial kitchen consumes an astonishing amount of electricity. Commercial refrigerators, deep fryers, heavy-duty ovens, and massive exhaust fans will instantly trip a standard single-phase electrical board.

You must upgrade the unit to 3-Phase Power.

This requires a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW) to submit a formal application to SP Group, draw up single-line diagrams, and upgrade your main distribution board (DB). This electrical upgrade alone can cost upwards of $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the total amperage required.

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4. Why Nouvelle Workz is Your F&B Partner

Building a restaurant is a race against the clock. Every day your renovation is delayed is a day of lost revenue and wasted rent.

At Nouvelle Workz, we don’t just build beautiful dining rooms; we build high-performance commercial kitchens. We handle the entire labyrinth of SFA, SCDF, and URA submissions in-house. From installing anti-slip epoxy flooring and heavy-duty grease traps, to fabricating custom stainless steel exhaust canopies, we ensure your F&B outlet passes every inspection on the very first try.