Hong Kong inspection record rules, November 2026
Public works and private works: which inspection record rules apply to your site
The Digital Works Supervision System (DWSS) and body-worn video cameras are DEVB requirements for public works contracts. They do not apply to private projects. For building works regulated by the Buildings Department (BD), a separate measure is planned in or before January 2027, a photo or video record of rebar before concreting, verified by technically competent persons and submitted to BD. The Secretary for Development set out all three in one Legislative Council reply on 11 November 2026.
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The short answer
No, DWSS does not apply to private projects. DEVB Technical Circular (Works) No. 8/2025 requires it on capital works contracts above HK$30 million tendered on or after 1 April 2026. The body-worn camera requirement is also for public works contracts.
Private building works have a different regulator. The Buildings Department regulates them, and it is preparing its own measure on one critical process, the steel reinforcement before concreting.
The Secretary for Development's reply to LCQ1 on 11 November 2026 is the one official text that places the three side by side. Part (1) covers the Buildings Department's measure. Part (2) names DWSS and body-worn cameras as the technology used on public works.
The three rules side by side
| Question | DWSS | Body-worn cameras | BD rebar record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | DEVB, TC(W) No. 8/2025 | DEVB | Buildings Department |
| Which works | Capital works contracts above HK$30 million | All public works contracts | Building works that BD regulates |
| What it asks for | Works inspection and survey procedures run digitally | Resident site staff and contractors' frontline staff equipped with cameras during inspections | Photo or video record of rebar before concreting, all verified, all submitted to BD |
| From when | Contracts tendered on or after 1 April 2026 | June 2026 | In or before January 2027 (planned) |
| Published detail | The circular and its annexes | No central specification. Contracts set one | Not yet. BD is consulting the industry |
Sources: DEVB TC(W) No. 8/2025; LCQ1, 11 November 2026, reply parts (1) and (2).
What the reply says about private projects
On tendering, the reply is brief. How tenders are invited and subcontracts are awarded for private projects are commercial arrangements. The two-envelope system and the two-tier limit on subcontracting it describes are for public works contracts.
On supervision, the reply is firm. Government regulatory departments, project owners, contractors and professionals share the gatekeeping. Government staff cannot be on site full time, so the system depends on each party doing its supervisory duty and knowing that non-compliance will be uncovered.
Three things are moving at once. BD's rebar record measure is planned in or before January 2027. The Development Bureau has told its departments to review the acceptance inspection regime, including more spot-checking and auditing of work that contractors or professionals self-test and certify. The Construction Industry Council will set up a task force on the factors that affect construction quality.
One record for both kinds of site
Public works
SpatialSense is a DWSS built to Annex A of TC(W) No. 8/2025, with inspection requests, site diary and records.
Private building works
Rebar is on record before the pour, with its date, position and inspection sign-off.
Public and private works questions
Does DWSS apply to private projects in Hong Kong?
No. DEVB TC(W) No. 8/2025 requires the Digital Works Supervision System on capital works contracts above HK$30 million tendered on or after 1 April 2026. A private client may still ask for one in its own contract.
Are body-worn cameras required on private sites?
No. The requirement is for public works. Since June 2026, resident site supervisory staff and contractors' frontline management staff in all public works are required to be equipped with body-worn video cameras during inspections (LCQ1, 11 November 2026, reply part (2)).
What record rule applies to private building works?
The Buildings Department plans to require a photo or video record of the steel reinforcement in the structural elements inspected, before concrete casting. Technically competent persons verify all records and all are submitted to BD for spot checks. It is planned in or before January 2027.
Who regulates private building works in Hong Kong?
The Buildings Department. The LCQ1 reply describes its investigation, its spot checks and its enhanced measures for the private residential development at One Stanley.
Will more rules follow for private works?
Possibly. The Development Bureau has instructed its departments to review the acceptance inspection regime, and the Construction Industry Council will set up a task force on construction quality. Proposed amendments to the Buildings Ordinance, covering penalties and registration, are on the Panel on Development's agenda for 24 November 2026.
Can one system serve public and private sites?
Yes. The underlying record is the same, a dated capture placed on the plan and linked to its inspection. SpatialSense is used as a DWSS on public works and keeps the same record of works before they are covered on private sites.
Related guides
More rebar records guides
- Requirement explainedBD 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.
- What to recordA 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.
Tell us which rule your site falls under
Send us the project. We will show the record your contract or regulator asks for, on a site like yours.