Buildings Department measure, planned by January 2027
Rebar inspection records: every element on record before the concrete goes in
A rebar inspection record is the dated photo or video that shows the steel reinforcement of a structural element before it is concreted. Hong Kong's Buildings Department (BD) plans to require one in or before January 2027. Contractors record the rebar in the structural elements inspected, technically competent persons under the project's registered structural engineer verify every record, and all records go to BD for spot checks (LCQ1, 11 November 2026). SpatialSense by Kodifly pins each record to the plan with its date, time and inspection sign-off.
- What
- Photographs or videos of the rebar in the structural elements inspected, before concreting
- Who records
- The contractor
- Who verifies
- Technically competent persons under the project's registered structural engineer, every record
- Who receives
- The Buildings Department, all records, for spot checks
- After concreting
- An accredited laboratory audit-checks the rebar; the engineer reviews the report
- When
- In or before January 2027. BD is consulting the industry on the details
BD has not yet published the implementation details. This page states what the Secretary for Development told the Legislative Council on 11 November 2026, and it will be updated when BD issues its requirements.
What the Buildings Department plans to require
The enhanced measures in the Secretary for Development's reply, part (1). They follow BD's doubling of audit checks on rebar before and after concreting in May 2025.
| Stage | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| Before concreting | Contractor | Takes photographs or videos that record the arrangement of steel reinforcement in the structural elements inspected |
| Before concreting | Technically competent persons under the project's registered structural engineer | Verify all of the records |
| Before concreting | Buildings Department | Receives all the photo and video records and spot-checks them |
| After concreting | Contractor | Engages an accredited laboratory to carry out audit checks on the steel reinforcement |
| After concreting | Registered structural engineer, then BD | The engineer reviews the laboratory report, and it is submitted to BD for spot checks |
Source: LCQ1, 11 November 2026, reply part (1). BD is consulting the industry on the implementation details and plans to implement the measures in or before January 2027.
What a checkable rebar record needs, in one system.
10 of 10 included
Photo, video or 360 capture of each element
Pinned to the plan by level and grid
Date, time and capture ID on every record
Linked to the inspection request
Inspection sign-off kept with the record
AI tags rebar mats, sleeves and bar chairs
Close-up photos and measurements
The same view, before and after the pour
Viewer access and reports for the engineer
Secure records and audit trail
Record
Before it is covered, it is on record.
The engineer walks the bay with a 360 camera or takes photos on a phone. SpatialSense places each capture on the plan with its date, time and capture ID, and saves it against the inspection that passed the works. After the pour, the same view still shows what is inside.
- Level, grid and element on every record
- Linked to the inspection request and the site diary
- Compare the same spot before and after the pour
The record is dated supporting evidence. It does not replace the inspection itself or the engineer's judgement.
From fixed steel to a record that can be spot-checked.
Fix and request
The contractor fixes the steel and raises the inspection request for the element.
Record
Photos or a 360 walk of the element, placed on the plan by level and grid.
Verify
The engineer's site staff check the record against the approved plans and sign it off.
Submit
Every record for the pour is ready to hand over, in order.
After the pour
The laboratory's audit report can be filed against the same element.
Be ready before the measure starts
Book a demoVerify
The inspection and the record stay together.
Each inspection request moves through Submitted, Inspected and Approved, with the person and the time at each step. The photos sit on the request. When someone asks what was checked on Level 5, bay E to F, the answer is one record.
Which record rule applies to which site
Hong Kong now has three separate rules on inspection records. Two are for public works contracts. The third comes from the Buildings Department.
| Rule | Applies to | What it asks for | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Works Supervision System, DEVB TC(W) No. 8/2025 | Capital works contracts above HK$30 million | Works inspection and survey procedures run digitally, including inspection requests and the site diary | Tendered on or after 1 April 2026 |
| Body-worn video cameras, DEVB | All public works contracts | Resident site staff and contractors' frontline staff are equipped with cameras during site inspections | Since June 2026 |
| Rebar photo and video records, Buildings Department | Building works that BD regulates | A photo or video record of rebar before concreting, verified by technically competent persons, with all records submitted to BD | Planned in or before January 2027 |
The first two rules are the technology measures the Secretary for Development named for public works in the same reply, part (2).
Rebar record guides
Requirement explained
BD plans to require photo or video records of rebar before concreting in Hong Kong, by January 2027. Who records, who verifies, what goes to BD and what is still open.
Public and private works
Does DWSS apply to private projects in Hong Kong? DWSS and body-worn cameras are for public works. The Buildings Department's rebar record measure is separate.
What to record
A checklist for the photo or video record of rebar before concreting. What each record should show so it can be verified against the approved plans and spot-checked.
Related requirements
Public works
Digital Works Supervision System
The DEVB system for inspection requests, site diaries and records.
Rebar inspection record questions
What is a rebar inspection record?
It is the dated photo or video that shows the steel reinforcement of a structural element before it is concreted. It lets someone who was not on site see the arrangement of the bars after the concrete has covered them.
Is a photo or video record of rebar required in Hong Kong?
It will be. The Secretary for Development told the Legislative Council on 11 November 2026 that, before concrete casting, contractors will be required to take photographs or videos to record the arrangement of steel reinforcement in the structural elements inspected. The Buildings Department plans to implement the measure in or before January 2027.
Who checks the records?
Technically competent persons under the project's registered structural engineer verify all of them. All records are then submitted to the Buildings Department, which spot-checks them (LCQ1, 11 November 2026, reply part (1)).
What happens after the concrete is poured?
The contractor engages an accredited laboratory to carry out audit checks on the steel reinforcement. The project's registered structural engineer reviews the report, and it is submitted to the Buildings Department for spot checks.
Has the Buildings Department published the details?
Not yet. The reply says BD is consulting the industry on the implementation details. Matters such as the file format, what each record must show and how records are submitted are for BD to set. This page will be updated when it does.
Is a 360 camera required?
No. The reply says photographs or videos. A 360 walk is a video record that shows the whole element and what is around it in one pass, and close-up photos can be added where bar size and spacing need to be read.
Does the record replace the inspection?
No. The technically competent persons still inspect the works and verify the record. The record is what lets the engineer and the Buildings Department check afterwards what was inspected.
What does SpatialSense add to photos on a phone?
Every capture is placed on the plan by level and grid, carries its date, time and capture ID, and is linked to the inspection request with its sign-off. The records for a pour can be found and handed over as one set, not searched for across phones and chat groups.
Be ready before the measure starts
Tell us the project and the pour programme. We will show the record on a site like yours, from the first photo to the signed-off set.