We're a mezzanine specialist based in Singapore. That means we design, fabricate and install steel mezzanine platforms — primarily for warehouses, factories, and 3PL facilities — and we coordinate the BCA submissions, PE stamping, and SCDF approvals that come with them. We've been doing this work since 2014, when we built our first mezzanine out of necessity for our own logistics operation. Clients saw it, asked us to build theirs, and the work hasn't stopped since.

What Does a Mezzanine Specialist Actually Do?

In the industrial context, a mezzanine specialist handles the full scope: survey, design, structural calculation, fabrication, installation, and statutory submission. We're not just selling a pre-engineered kit. We're sizing the platform to your actual slab capacity, your live load requirements, your forklift access, and the racking layout underneath (if any).

Here's what that looks like when we take on a project:

• Site survey: We measure the warehouse, check slab condition and thickness (usually via as-built drawings or a core sample referral), note ceiling height, column positions, existing services (sprinkler lines, electrical trunking, HVAC ducts), and forklift turning radius if the mezzanine needs a ramp or goods lift access.
• Load calculation: We work backwards from your actual use case — carton storage, pallet buffer, pick-and-pack mezzanine with workstations, or hybrid racking underneath. Typical design loads range from 5 kN/m² (light archive or pick zone) to 15 kN/m² (heavy pallet storage), but we've gone higher for machinery platforms.
• Structural design: Our in-house team prepares the layout and beam schedule. For mezzanines above 100 m² or those integrated with high-bay racking, we engage a registered Professional Engineer (PE) to certify the design and stamp the drawings. The PE's seal is what BCA requires for submission.
• Fabrication: We cold-roll form our own uprights and beams in Singapore using PSB-tested steel with mill certificates. For heavy mezzanine columns or primary beams exceeding our roll-forming capacity, we import the heavy-section profiles and weld them locally. End-plates, gussets, stair stringers, handrails — all done in-house.
• Installation: We do the install ourselves. Anchor bolts are drilled and chemical-fixed (or cast-in if it's new construction). Columns go up first, primary beams next, then secondary joists, decking (usually checker plate, plywood-on-steel, or mesh grating depending on use), and finally the perimeter handrails, kickboards, and staircases. If the mezzanine sits above selective racking, we coordinate the rack install first so the columns don't clash with upright frames.
• BCA and SCDF submission: We prepare and submit the Addition & Alteration (A&A) plans to BCA, coordinate the PE's certification, and liaise with SCDF if the mezzanine changes the fire compartment or requires additional sprinkler coverage. This part often takes longer than the build itself — plan for 6 to 12 weeks depending on the agency's workload.

Why "Specialist" Matters (and Where It Doesn't)

The word "specialist" gets thrown around. In our case, it means two things: we fabricate the steel ourselves, and we've done enough mezzanine-plus-racking hybrids to know where the mistakes happen.

Most mezzanine problems we've been called in to fix trace back to the same root causes:

• Column positions that block racking bays. The mezzanine supplier drew a grid without checking the rack layout underneath. The columns land in the middle of pallet bays, making half the ground floor unusable.
• Slab capacity never verified. The platform was designed for 10 kN/m², but the existing slab was only rated for 7 kN/m². The mezzanine is fine. The floor beneath it isn't.
• No PE stamp, no submission. The contractor built it, invoiced it, and left. The client discovered months later — during a factory audit or lease renewal — that there's no BCA record and no way to certify it without tearing it down and rebuilding to drawings.
• Stairs too steep, headroom too low. The mezzanine was crammed into the available height without accounting for the beam depth, decking, and the 2-metre minimum clearance underneath. The result: you have to duck to walk under it, and the staircase is closer to a ladder.

We avoid these because we do the survey first, the layout second, and the fabrication last. It's slower. It's also why we don't give quotes over the phone.

What We Don't Do (and Who to Call Instead)

We specialise in industrial mezzanines — steel platforms in warehouses, factories, and commercial spaces where the design load, racking integration, and forklift access matter more than the aesthetic finish.

If you're looking for a residential mezzanine loft in a landed property — timber-framed, architecturally detailed, with concealed fixings and a polished underside — that falls under building works, not racking. Our sister company, Wong Lye's BCA General Builder Class 2 division, handles those projects. You'll find them at wonglye.com.

If it's an HDB loft or platform bed, that requires an HDB-licensed renovation contractor. Our sister offering, Larry Contractors, holds that licence. Visit contractors.com.sg for that scope.

Different licences, different engineering requirements, different submission paths. We stay in our lane.

How We Price a Mezzanine Project

We don't publish per-square-metre rates because too many variables affect cost:

• Live load: A 5 kN/m² pick mezzanine uses lighter beams and closer joist spacing than a 15 kN/m² pallet storage platform. Steel tonnage scales with load.
• Column-free span: If you need a 10-metre clear span (e.g., to avoid obstructing a production line below), the primary beams get much heavier. If we can drop columns every 4 metres, the steel is cheaper.
• Height: A mezzanine at 5 metres needs taller columns, longer staircases, and sometimes intermediate landings. A 3-metre platform is simpler and faster to install.
• Access: Stairs are the cheapest. A pallet gate with safety chains costs a bit more. A full scissor lift or VRC (vertical reciprocating conveyor) integration is a separate quotation.
• Racking integration: If the mezzanine sits above a selective racking system, we need to sync the column grid with the rack upright spacing. That coordination adds engineering time but saves you floor space.
• Submission scope: If the project requires a PE stamp, BCA A&A submission, SCDF coordination, and possibly a fire safety engineer's input (for large mezzanines that create new compartments), that's a separate line item. Some clients have their own PE; we work with them. Most don't, so we arrange it.

We give fixed-price quotations after the site survey. The quote includes fabrication, delivery, installation, anchor bolts, handrails, staircases, one round of BCA/SCDF submission coordination, and one year of workmanship warranty. It does not include hacking, floor hacking permit (if required by landlord), additional sprinkler relocation (that's your M&E contractor), or forklift rental for offloading steel bundles (we assume your site has a forklift or we price in a lorry crane).

How Long Does a Mezzanine Project Take?

Assuming design is confirmed and drawings are submitted:

• BCA/SCDF approval: 6 to 12 weeks (sometimes faster if it's a straightforward A&A with no fire compartment change).
• Fabrication: 3 to 5 weeks depending on tonnage and our production queue.
• Installation: 1 to 3 weeks depending on mezzanine size and whether we're installing racking simultaneously.

Total timeline from survey to handover: typically 3 to 5 months. If you're in a rush and the design is simple (small footprint, low load, no PE required), we've done it in 6 weeks, but that's the exception.

Why Clients Come to Us (and Why Some Don't)

We're not the cheapest. We're also not trying to be. Clients come to us because they want the mezzanine designed properly the first time, installed by the same people who fabricated it, and submitted to BCA without surprises six months later.

We lose jobs to lower quotes fairly often. Sometimes the client picks a catalogue supplier who ships a pre-engineered kit with no PE involvement and no submission. That's a business decision. It's also a compliance gamble.

We also lose jobs when the client has already decided on a layout and just wants a fabricator to build to their drawing. If the design is sound and the PE has stamped it, we're happy to quote the fabrication and install only. If the design has obvious issues (column clashes, slab overload, insufficient headroom), we'll flag it in writing. If the client wants us to build it anyway, we'll politely decline. We've been in this business long enough to know that "just build what I drew" always ends with "why didn't you tell me this wouldn't work?"

Our Process, Start to Finish

Here's what happens when you engage us:

1. Enquiry: You contact us via WhatsApp, email, or phone. We ask for the warehouse address, rough mezzanine size, intended use, and live load (if known). If you're not sure, we'll help you estimate based on what you're storing.
2. Site visit: We come down with a laser measure and a notebook. We check slab condition, ceiling height, obstructions, column positions, and access points. If you have as-built drawings, we'll take a copy. If you don't, we measure anyway.
3. Preliminary layout: We draft a mezzanine floor plan and elevation, showing column positions, beam spans, staircase location, and (if applicable) how it integrates with your racking. We send this to you as a PDF with a ballpark budget.
4. Quotation: If the layout works for you, we firm up the design, get the PE involved (if required), and issue a fixed-price quote. The quote is valid for 30 days. Steel prices move, so we can't hold it indefinitely.
5. Engineering and submission: You accept the quote and pay the deposit (usually 50%). We finalise the drawings, the PE stamps them, and we submit to BCA/SCDF. You'll receive a copy of the submission for your records.
6. Fabrication: While we wait for approval, we begin fabricating the steel. Uprights, beams, joists, end-plates, gussets, stair stringers, handrails — all cut, drilled, welded, and galvanised (or painted, depending on spec).
7. Delivery and installation: Once BCA approval is in hand, we schedule the install. Steel arrives on a flatbed. We unload, sort, and begin erecting. Columns first, beams second, decking third, stairs and handrails last. We anchor everything, check plumbness and level, and hand over with a walkthrough.
8. Final payment and documentation: You pay the balance. We give you the PE's certificate, the BCA approval letter, the mill certificates for the steel, and a copy of the as-built drawings. Keep these. Your landlord, your insurer, and your auditor will ask for them eventually.

Common Questions We Hear

Do I need BCA approval for every mezzanine?

In most cases, yes — especially if the mezzanine is a permanent structure, exceeds a certain size, or affects the building's fire safety. The exact threshold depends on the mezzanine area, use class, and whether it's within a factory, warehouse, or commercial unit. We always confirm this during the survey. If BCA submission is required and you skip it, you're at risk during factory audits, lease renewals, or sale of the property. We've been called in multiple times to reverse-engineer submissions for mezzanines that were built without approval. It's expensive and sometimes impossible.

Can I install racking underneath the mezzanine?

Yes, and we do this often. The trick is coordinating the mezzanine column grid with the racking upright positions so they don't clash. We usually design the mezzanine columns to land at the ends of rack runs or in the flue spaces between back-to-back bays. This way, the ground floor remains fully rackable, and the mezzanine above gives you a second level for pick zones, carton storage, or pallet buffer. The structural design needs to account for the combined load — the mezzanine live load plus the racking live load below — and confirm that the slab can take it. That's why we always ask for the slab design load or the as-built structural drawings before quoting.

What's the difference between a mezzanine specialist and a racking supplier?

A racking supplier sells pallet racking — uprights, beams, and accessories — and sometimes offers mezzanine floors as an add-on. A mezzanine specialist focuses on the platform itself: the structural design, the PE certification, the BCA submission, and the integration with your warehouse layout. We're both. We fabricate racking and mezzanines in the same facility, so when you need a hybrid system (racking below, mezzanine above, with a goods lift and a VNA aisle on one side), you're dealing with one contractor, one design, one installation crew, and one submission. That's usually faster and cheaper than coordinating two separate suppliers who've never worked together before.

How much weight can a mezzanine floor hold?

That depends entirely on how it's designed. A light-duty mezzanine for carton storage or office use might be rated for 5 kN/m² (roughly 500 kg per square metre). A heavy-duty platform for pallet storage might be 10 to 15 kN/m². We've built mezzanines rated for 20 kN/m² to support machinery or racked pallet storage on the upper level. The design load determines the beam size, joist spacing, decking thickness, and column frequency. There's no such thing as a standard mezzanine load rating — it's always project-specific. We calculate it based on what you're actually storing, not what fits on a spec sheet.

Can you build a mezzanine in a rented warehouse?

Yes, but you'll need your landlord's written consent before we start. Most industrial landlords are fine with mezzanines as long as the structure is properly engineered, submitted to BCA, and removable at the end of the lease (or saleable to the next tenant). We've done dozens of mezzanines in rented facilities. The key is getting the landlord's approval in writing early, and making sure the submission is in your name (or the landlord's, if they prefer) so there's a clear record. If you're leasing a JTC or HDB warehouse, they'll have their own submission process on top of BCA's. We've handled those before — it just adds a few weeks to the timeline.

If you're planning a mezzanine for your warehouse or factory and you'd like to talk through the layout, the load, and the submission process, reach out to us. We'll come down, measure the space, and give you an honest assessment of what's possible and what it'll cost. No hard sell, no catalogue quotes, just two decades of fabrication and installation experience applied to your actual site.

WhatsApp us here to start the conversation.