Anyone planning to renovate a commercial unit in Macau needs to know exactly which approval route applies before the first tool is unpacked. The rule is decided by two factors: the use of the unit (residential or non-residential) and its usable floor area. Getting this wrong can result in fines, mandatory restoration of the unit, and an administrative charge three times the normal cost of legalising the works.
Three categories of renovation work
Under the Urban Building Legal System, renovation work in Macau falls into three categories, each with different requirements:
1. Simple residential renovation
Internal alterations, repairs and maintenance that do not modify the unit's use, area, structure, entrance, external walls or windows, or its water supply and drainage systems. For this category no works licence and no prior notification are required. However, the works must still comply with all other applicable law, and noise restrictions apply (see below).
2. Simple non-residential renovation
This applies to non-residential units with a usable area not exceeding 120 square metres, where the work does not change the unit's use or area, does not alter the building structure, and does not affect the fire systems or common facilities already in place. For this category you must file a Prior Notification for Non-residential Alteration, Maintenance and Repair Works (Form U008C) with DSSCU.
3. Non-simple renovation
Everything else — any work beyond the two categories above — requires a formal works licence from the Land and Public Works Transport Bureau. This is the category most major fit-out, structural alteration and installation projects fall into.
What the prior notification involves
The prior notification route is free of charge and does not require a plan prepared or signed off by a qualified technician. It must be submitted at least ten working days before the intended start date. The form requires:
- Notification party name and address
- Property location, and expected start and completion dates
- Description of the proposed works
- The name of the registered building contractor or construction company responsible, together with the signed declaration of responsibility
- Labour insurance valid for the construction period, and the property registration report (查屋紙)
- Where the notifier is a tenant: the tenancy agreement and the owner's written consent
Once accepted, DSSCU stamps the form. The stamped original, or a certified copy, must be displayed in a conspicuous place at the entrance of the unit before work commences — this is the proof that the notification has been accepted. The form can be submitted in person at the DSSCU counter at No. 33, Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro, ground floor, or online through the "Alteration Works Permit / Prior Notification" service on the Macao Government One-Stop Service Platform. Allow roughly ten working days for a response.
Noise hours you cannot ignore
Even where no notification is needed, working hours are restricted. Noisy construction is prohibited on Sundays and public holidays throughout the day, and on weekdays between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. the following day. This materially affects any retail unit in a commercial building, where operating hours and neighbouring tenancies dictate when disruptive work can actually be done.
Why getting it wrong is expensive
DSSCU received 2,153 complaints in 2025 — an increase of nearly 33% on 2024. Illegal works accounted for roughly 80% of all engineering complaints, covering unlicensed alterations, illegal canopies (花籠) and unauthorised structures on rooftops and platforms. Beyond the fine, offenders must also pay the administrative fee for legalising the completed works, at three times the normal cost. There is a one-off discretionary reduction in penalties for voluntarily removing illegal canopies, but it applies only once, and a further breach within five years is treated as a repeat offence with penalties increased by a further quarter.
Working with a registered contractor
Engaging a contractor registered with DSSCU is not optional for anything beyond simple residential work. You can verify any company through the official Registered Contractor Query System on the DSSCU website, checking the registration category, validity status and whether complaints have been recorded. As a registered construction works contractor (DSSCU Registration No. 7003/2024, Certificate No. 1648/DIP/2025), Prof Team Engineering handles notification and licence submissions for commercial and institutional clients across Macau — including the required declaration of responsibility and labour insurance documentation.