Door Manufacturing · Technical Guides · Singapore

How to Read a Door Schedule in Singapore Construction Projects: Type, Size, Rating and Hardware

A door schedule is one of the most referenced documents on any Singapore construction or renovation project, yet it is often the least understood by anyone outside the design team. For contractors, architects, interior designers and BTO or HDB homeowners coordinating renovation works, reading a door schedule correctly is what stands between an accurate order and a wrong-size door arriving on site. This guide explains how a door schedule is structured on Singapore projects, and how type, size, fire rating and hardware connect to real decisions on site.

What Is a Door Schedule?

A door schedule is a tabulated reference, usually issued alongside the floor plan, that lists every door opening in a project by a mark or number, such as D-01 or D-12. Instead of crowding the drawing itself with every specification, the plan shows only where the door sits and which tag applies, while the schedule sets out the size, type, material, fire rating, frame and hardware for that opening. A large development's schedule can run to hundreds of rows, while a single HDB flat renovation may only need a handful of entries.

Why Door Schedules Matter on Singapore Projects

In Singapore, a door schedule does more than guide procurement. On commercial and institutional projects, it forms part of the documentation reviewed during building-plan or fire-safety submissions, since the Qualified Person for fire safety records the required rating for each opening, and this is expected to be reflected in the schedule submitted for approval. On HDB and BTO renovation works, the same logic applies at a smaller scale: the main door's fire rating, size and hardware need to match what was originally approved, particularly where it opens onto a common corridor, lift lobby or staircase.

How a Door Schedule Is Structured

Most door schedules used on Singapore projects follow a similar column layout, even though the exact format varies between architectural firms and manufacturers. The table below summarises the columns typically found on a project door schedule and what each one is used for.

Reading Door Type, Material and Size

The door type column shows the configuration of the opening, for example a single swing leaf, a double leaf pair, or a sliding door, usually cross-referenced to a type legend on the same sheet. Material is listed separately, since two doors of the same type can be timber, hollow metal or aluminium depending on where they sit. The size column records width and height, and on rated or metal doors may also record leaf thickness, since a thicker leaf is often needed for the core material used in higher fire-resistance assemblies. It is worth checking whether the size shown is the door leaf or the rough opening, as ordering against the wrong figure is a common cause of on-site rework.

Reading the Fire Rating Column

Where a fire rating is specified, it usually appears as a code such as FD30 or FD60, meaning the tested door-and-frame assembly can resist fire and smoke for that many minutes under standardised test conditions. Singapore fire-rated doors are typically certified to standards such as SS 332, BS 476 Part 22 or EN 1634-1, and the rating shown should correspond to a Certificate of Conformity for that specific tested assembly, since the rating belongs to the whole system, not the leaf alone. For HDB main doors opening onto a common corridor, lift lobby or staircase, current renovation guidance generally calls for a minimum 30-minute rating, though the exact requirement can depend on the unit's layout and should be confirmed for that specific unit. See how Certificates of Conformity are structured for fire-rated door assemblies for more on how a schedule connects to its supporting documentation.

Reading the Hardware Column

The hardware column, sometimes shown as a hardware group or set, tells the installer which fittings belong to an opening, typically hinges, a lockset, a closer, stops and any smoke seals. On fire-rated openings, every item in the group must be compatible with the assembly's rating, since substituting an uncertified lockset or closer can compromise the door's performance even if the leaf itself is correctly rated. This matters most when a digital lock is planned for a fire-rated main door: the lock's own certified fire rating needs to be at least as high as the door's, and tested to a recognised standard such as SS 332 or EN 1634-1. Where the schedule notes a digital lock in its remarks column, this should be checked against the product's certification rather than assumed.

Frame Coordination and Door-Frame Matching

A door schedule is only half the picture without its matching frame information. The frame type column usually references a separate detail drawing showing the profile, material and anchoring method, since the same leaf can need a different frame depending on whether it sits in a drywall partition, a masonry wall or a reinforced concrete opening. Getting the frame wrong is a disruptive site error, since a correctly sized and rated leaf will still fail to fit, or fail to preserve its rating, in an incompatible or uncertified frame.

How Different Project Teams Use the Door Schedule

The same document is read differently depending on who is using it, which is part of why door schedules are formatted the way they are.

Contractors

Contractors use the schedule to confirm quantities, sizes and hardware sets before placing orders, and to check that what arrives on site matches what was specified against each door mark.

Architects and Qualified Persons

Architects and the project's Qualified Person use the schedule to confirm that fire ratings and egress requirements are correctly assigned to each opening, and to support building-plan or fire-safety submissions where required.

Interior Designers

Interior designers rely on the schedule's size and finish information to coordinate door design with the surrounding layout, particularly for feature doors, glazed panels or non-standard openings.

Facility Managers

Facility managers use the schedule as a long-term reference for maintenance and replacement, since it records the original rating and hardware specification that any replacement door needs to match.

Door Schedules in HDB and BTO Projects

On new BTO flats, the main door and internal doors are installed to HDB's own specification before key collection, and any later replacement is generally expected to match or exceed the original fire rating and dimensions. For renovation works on existing flats, a simplified schedule, sometimes just one line covering the main door, is often enough to support a permit application where the door opens onto a common corridor, lift lobby or staircase. Homeowners reviewing their FD30 and FD60 requirements for HDB main doors will find much the same size, rating and hardware information, just presented in a more homeowner-facing format.

It is also worth checking when a straightforward door swap actually triggers a permit, since not every replacement needs one. The permit requirements for HDB main door replacement set out the corridor, lift lobby and staircase conditions that HDB applies before approval is needed.

Door Schedules in Commercial and Institutional Projects

Commercial, industrial and institutional projects generally use far more detailed schedules, often covering dozens or hundreds of openings across offices, retail units, hotels, schools or hospitals, each with different fire, acoustic or access-control requirements. These are typically prepared by the architect and reviewed against the fire safety plan before submission, and they often reference a separate specification for more complex fittings such as access-controlled doors. Where hollow metal doors are specified for back-of-house or staircase openings, it is worth comparing the schedule against this guide to fire-rated metal door specifications for commercial projects, since these openings often carry higher FD60 or FD120 ratings than typical residential doors.

Common Mistakes When Reading a Door Schedule

• Confusing the door leaf size with the rough opening size, leading to an order that does not fit the wall opening.
• Assuming a fire rating applies to the leaf alone, without checking that the frame, hardware and seals are part of the same certified assembly.
• Missing a swing direction or handing note, resulting in a door that opens the wrong way relative to the corridor or escape route.
• Overlooking a digital lock or access-control remark that requires separate certification checks before installation.
• Working from an outdated revision of the schedule after a late design change has already been issued.

Checklist Before Ordering or Installation

Residential vs Commercial Door Schedules Compared

When and Why a Door Schedule Gets Revised

A door schedule is rarely static once issued. It is commonly revised after a layout change affects an opening's size or location, after a fire-safety review changes a required rating, or after a hardware substitution is approved during procurement. Working from an outdated revision is a common reason a delivered door does not match site conditions, so checking the revision date against the latest drawing set should be routine before any order is placed.

Conclusion

Reading a door schedule accurately on a Singapore project comes down to treating type, size, fire rating and hardware as one connected specification rather than separate details. Whether the project is a single HDB main door replacement or a commercial development with hundreds of openings, the schedule only does its job when the leaf, frame and hardware are checked together against the correct, current revision, and when fire-rated entries are matched to their supporting certification. Project-specific requirements can vary, so it remains worth confirming details directly with HDB, SCDF, BCA or the project's Qualified Person before finalising any order.