Buildings Ordinance appointments: AP, RSE, RGE, contractor

Private building works in Hong Kong are carried out under the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) by named people from registers that the Building Authority keeps. The Buildings Department (BD) says the person for whom building works are to be carried out shall appoint an Authorized Person (AP) as co-ordinator of the works, and a Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) for the structural elements if the Ordinance requires one. A Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE) is appointed for the geotechnical elements, and a registered contractor carries out the works. These are Buildings Department registers, separate from the ARB Register of architects.

The four appointments

Our guides to the Authorized Person (Architect) and the Registered Geotechnical Engineer cover those roles in more depth.

When you need them

• Works involving the structure. BD’s FAQ on alteration and addition works says any person intending to carry out building works must appoint an AP and, where necessary, an RSE to prepare and submit building plans for approval. Removing a structural wall, beam or column in a flat is one example.
• Exempted works. Works inside a building that do not involve the structure and are not designated minor works, such as plastering or laying tiles, need no prescribed professionals or contractors.
• Minor works. Class I minor works need a prescribed building professional and a prescribed registered contractor. Class II and III need a prescribed registered contractor only. See our guide to the Minor Works Control System.

For minor works, BD’s minor works FAQ says the person who arranged for the works is responsible for the appointments. That may be the owner, an occupant, an owners’ corporation or a property management company. A person who knowingly fails to appoint the required professionals or contractors may be prosecuted.

Supervision while the works go on

BD’s Code of Practice for Site Supervision 2009 sets out who supervises. The AP, RSE and RGE appointed for the works provide periodic supervision. The registered contractor provides continuous supervision, in a manner that fits the scale and complexity of each task. BD also describes the statutory duties of registered building professionals as supervising the building works, notifying BD of any contravention of the regulations, and complying generally with the Ordinance.

How people get onto these registers

• Registration committees. A person is not included in the AP, RSE or RGE register unless they have the prescribed qualifications and are recommended by the relevant registration committee, after a professional interview.
• Hong Kong experience. Applicants need practical experience gained in Hong Kong for a continuous period of 1 year within the 3 years before applying.
• Qualifications. For the AP register, BD names registered architect, registered professional engineer or registered professional surveyor. For the RGE register, the applicant must be a registered professional engineer in the geotechnical discipline.
• Registration period. BD’s registration FAQ says new registration, retention and restoration for APs, RSEs, RGEs and Registered Inspectors each run for 5 years.

The Department’s building professionals page has the full rules. Registered contractors go through a separate registration process.

How to check the people on your job

1. Ask for the full name of each appointed person and the role each one holds.
2. Search each name on the Buildings Department Registered Professionals or Contractors search, choosing the register that matches the role.
3. For the contractor, check the company on the matching contractor register.
4. Keep a dated record with your project papers.

Our guide to searching Buildings Department registers explains the register codes.

Common mistakes

• Treating the ARB Register as the AP register. A registered architect may use the title architect. Only an entry on the AP register makes them an Authorized Person.
• Assuming one register covers several roles. The registers are separate. A person acting as both AP and Registered Inspector, for example, needs an entry on each.
• Checking the firm instead of the person. Professional registration belongs to a named individual, not to a practice.

Our architecture directory mentions AP work only where a firm says so on its own website. Check the named person before you appoint. ranked.hk is not the Buildings Department, and this guide is not legal advice.