For FDI clients leasing a factory shell or office in an industrial park (IP), fire safety (PCCC — Vietnam’s fire prevention and fighting regime) is usually the most misunderstood item in a fit-out package. Not because it is technically difficult, but because it involves statutory procedures with the police authority, and the PCCC acceptance milestone determines whether you are permitted to put the facility into operation at all.

This article explains the correct process, who is responsible for which part, estimated costs per m² (as reference ranges, not artificially precise figures), and how AIC coordinates a dedicated PCCC specialist firm while keeping the General Contractor role under a turnkey Design & Build model.

How is PCCC in an industrial park different from a commercial building?

One point to clarify straight away: PCCC in an industrial park is not the same as PCCC in a Grade A shopping mall. In a Grade A mall, building management usually designates an exclusive PCCC contractor and you have almost no choice in the matter. In an industrial park, the fire-protection system of the factory building (or office block) is tied to that facility’s own design appraisal dossier and is accepted by the competent fire police authority (Cảnh sát PCCC) — not by the industrial park’s management board.

This creates two very different cost branches, and separating them is the core of honest quoting.

The PCCC process: 5 steps from design to acceptance

1. Statutory PCCC design appraisal

Before construction, the PCCC design dossier (drawings of the fire alarm and suppression systems, escape routes and fire compartmentation) must be appraised by the fire authority. For new buildings, or renovations that change a facility’s function or scale, this step is mandatory. For an internal fit-out inside a factory shell that already has a base fire-protection system, the appraisal scope is usually narrower — but it still has to be reconciled against the factory’s original dossier.

2. System installation

Installing sprinklers, smoke and heat detectors, the fire alarm control panel, exit lights, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and piping, and tying into the base system. This is the mechanical installation portion — clearly measurable and open to price competition.

3. Internal testing and as-built documentation

The installer commissions and calibrates the system, then prepares the as-built drawings and the technical acceptance dossier before inviting the authorities.

4. Statutory PCCC acceptance with the competent authority

The fire authority inspects the site, checks it against the appraised design, tests the system and issues the written acceptance approval. This is the single most important legal milestone — without it, the facility does not qualify to be put into use.

5. Operation and maintenance

After acceptance, the system needs periodic maintenance and up-to-date records. For FDI clients, this is also the part most often forgotten until the first inspection comes around.

Who is responsible for what?

This is where AIC is always straight with clients:

  • AIC does not self-approve or self-certify PCCC. No fit-out contractor has that authority. Statutory design appraisal and acceptance belong to the fire authority.
  • AIC coordinates with a licensed, dedicated PCCC specialist firm to prepare the appraisal dossier, install the system and run the acceptance procedure.
  • AIC holds the General Contractor (GC) role with in-house quality control (QC). That means AIC coordinates, keeping the PCCC schedule in step with MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing), ceilings, partitions and finishes — so the client works with a single point of contact instead of stitching together several disconnected contractors.

This division of roles matters to FDI clients because it is legally transparent while keeping the simplicity of a single General Contractor contract.

Why split the PCCC items in the BOQ?

AIC usually splits PCCC into two separate lines in the bill of quantities (BOQ):

  1. Construction — equipment installation: measurable, and open to optimisation and negotiation.
  2. Permitting dossier — design appraisal — acceptance: tied to the specialist consultant’s fees and statutory procedures, and essentially non-negotiable because it depends on the authorities.

A clean split lets the client see exactly which part is installation cost and which is statutory procedure cost — instead of one lump sum that feels “expensive, but where exactly?”. It is also how AIC keeps its price commitment: the price is locked to the signed BOQ scope with no surprise variations — any change of scope becomes a transparent addendum agreed before work proceeds.

Estimated cost per m² (reference ranges)

Note: the figures below are reference ranges for office/ancillary fit-outs inside a factory shell that already has a base fire-protection system, not fixed unit rates. Actual cost depends on floor area, equipment density, degree of renovation and dossier scope, and is only fixed after a site survey.

  • PCCC installation works: typically around 0.5–0.8M VND/m² for standard fit-out areas. Areas with special requirements (warehouses, chemical zones, high ceilings) can run higher.
  • Permitting, design appraisal and acceptance: varies strongly with scale and complexity; for small packages it is usually priced as a lump sum rather than per m². Where the works change the facility’s function or scale and full re-appraisal is required, this portion can take a significant share.

For a factory building where the fire-protection system is built entirely new (not a fit-out inside an existing shell), the total PCCC cost per m² will be much higher, and a site survey is needed before any well-founded number can be quoted. AIC prefers to quote a range first, then fix the figure once the appraisal dossier and the specialist firm’s official quotation are in — rather than offering an artificially precise number to win the contract.

How does AIC work with FDI clients?

  • BOQ within 4 hours: with sufficiently clear area and scope information, AIC can return a preliminary bill of quantities in around 4 hours so the client has a basis for decision — including PCCC broken out on separate lines.
  • Bilingual Vietnamese–English documentation and contracts: suited to Korean, Japanese and Singaporean clients who need internal cross-checks and submissions to the parent group.
  • A single GC point of contact: AIC coordinates PCCC, MEP and finishes on one schedule following a standard interior construction process, with in-house QC — the client does not have to assemble multiple contractors themselves.
  • Price locked to the signed BOQ: no surprise variations outside the agreed scope — any change of scope becomes a transparent addendum agreed before work proceeds.
  • warranty of up to 24 months plus 3 scheduled maintenance visits (months 3, 6 and 9 after handover).

AIC has 10 years of experience (starting as Nhân Việt in 2016, renamed AIC in 2019), two in-house production workshops (1,200m² and 600m²) plus a 5-floor showroom, and has delivered Grade A offices such as East Minerals at Bitexco Financial Tower along with many projects for FDI clients. AIC does not hold ISO certification or any equivalent — and does not claim legal roles it does not have. On statutory PCCC appraisal and acceptance specifically, AIC is transparent: it coordinates the licensed specialist firm and the competent authority, while holding the GC and QC roles to keep the whole schedule in sync.

Frequently asked questions

Does AIC self-approve and self-certify PCCC?

No. AIC does not perform statutory PCCC design appraisal or acceptance itself — no fit-out contractor has that authority. AIC coordinates with a licensed, dedicated PCCC specialist firm for the dossier and installation, while design appraisal and acceptance belong to the competent fire authority. AIC holds the General Contractor and quality control roles to keep the entire schedule synchronised.

How much does PCCC cost for an office fit-out inside an industrial park factory building?

Installation works typically run around 0.5–0.8M VND/m² for standard areas inside a factory shell that already has a base fire-protection system. Permitting, design appraisal and acceptance are usually priced as a lump sum and vary with scale. These are reference ranges; the real figure is only fixed after a survey and the specialist firm’s official quotation.

Why does the BOQ split PCCC into two separate lines?

Because the two parts are different in nature: installation can be measured and negotiated, while the permitting dossier, design appraisal and acceptance depend on the authorities and are essentially non-negotiable. A clean split helps the client understand the true cost structure and avoids the feeling of “expensive, but unclear where”.

How long does PCCC acceptance take, and how does it affect the schedule?

The PCCC acceptance milestone is a precondition for the facility to qualify for use, so it must go into the schedule from the very start, not at the end. Duration depends on the dossier scope and the authority’s calendar; that is why AIC runs construction and dossier preparation in parallel to cut waiting time, instead of working sequentially and only then starting the paperwork.