Overview

This page includes information about:

Changes to the Building Code Act

Relevant amendments to the Building Code Act are available here for reference after they are sent out through CodeNews.

June 8, 2023

Legislative changes were made to the Building Code Act as part of the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023. The changes provide additional options for the ministry to enforce the Act and the Building Code in the areas in which Ontario has jurisdiction (that is, areas without municipal incorporation).

July 21, 2020

Legislative changes were made to the Building Code Act as part of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020. The changes:

  • allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make most regulations under the Act, instead of the Lieutenant Governor in Council (Subsection 7(1), Subsections 34(0.1), (1), (1.1), (2), (2.1), (2.2) and (2.3))
  • clarify the importance of incorporating standards or codes, such as the National Construction Codes into Ontario’s Building Code (Subsection 34(1.1))
  • allow the minister to make regulations that require certain structural aspects of building construction be designed by professional engineers and architects to align with the National Construction Codes (Article 34(1.1)(2)).

These changes ensure Ontario can adopt the requirements of future editions of the National Construction Codes in a timely and efficient manner to help harmonize construction codes across Canada.

December 10, 2019

Bill 132, Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2019, received Royal Assent on December 10, 2019. It included the following Building Code amendments:

  • adding email as an additional way for building officials to serve notices and orders required under the Building Code Act and setting out when a notice or order served by email will be deemed to have been served (Subsection 27(1))
  • repealing mandatory reviews of energy and water conservation standards in the Building Code (Subsections 34(6) and 34(7))
  • dissolving the Building Code Conservation Advisory Council (Section 34.1)

Changes to the 2012 Building Code

Updates to the Building Code publications

October 3, 2023

We have updated the digital English version of the 2012 Building Code Compendium. This version came into effect on May 12, 2023.

Request a digital copy of the updated Building Code Compendium for non-commercial use.

Relevant amendments to the 2012 Building Code are available here for reference after they are sent out through CodeNews.

Find an amendment

Ontario Regulation 89/23

 May 12, 2023

This amending regulation made changes to the Building Code to:

  • reduce costs for certain building types and harmonize requirements with the National Construction Codes on 4-6 storey wood buildings, including multi-unit residential
  • reduce costs for certain building types, by removing standpipe requirements for four storey stacked townhouses, while maintaining the objectives of fire protection, life safety and health
  • make Minister’s orders under section 34.1 of the Planning Act (using the community housing and infrastructure accelerator tool) applicable law for purposes of issuing a building permit

Ontario Regulation 31/23

February 28, 2023

This amending regulation made changes to the Building Code to extend Building Code exemptions for temporary health or residential facilities until March 31, 2024.

Ontario Regulation 30/23

February 28, 2023

This amending regulation made changes to the Building Code to:

  • require building permits for demountable stages and associated sound and lighting equipment towers. These stages must also comply with specific technical requirements for stage safety
  • clarify fire damper requirements to facilitate the construction of certain buildings, such as hospitals and long-term care facilities

Ontario Regulation 451/22

April 29, 2022

The Building Code was amended to:

  • allow for the early and partial occupancy for super tall buildings (effective November 1, 2022)
  • remove barriers to multi-unit modular housing construction projects (effective July 1, 2022)​
  • allow mass timber buildings to be constructed up to 12 storeys high (effective July 1, 2022)
  • support the creation of municipal building official internship programs (effective July 1, 2022)
  • exempt certain size sheds from Building Code requirements (effective April 29, 2022)

Ontario Regulation 434/22

April 26, 2022

This amending regulation incorporated relevant measures originally contained in the Temporary Health or Residential Facilities Emergency Order (O. Reg. 141/20) into the Building Code.

The measures that are now part of the Building Code include exempting temporary shelters and health facilities created to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic from:

  • having to obtain a building permit or a change of use permit
  • complying with the technical requirements of the Building Code (subject to certain conditions related to protecting public health and safety)

These exemptions will remain in place until March 31, 2023.

Ontario Regulation 217/22

March 16, 2022

Beginning on July 1, 2022, municipal building departments are required to notify fire departments (or the clerk of a municipality that does not have a fire department) if a building, other than a house, will be constructed or renovated using a truss and lightweight system. 

These requirements complement requirements released by the Office of the Fire Marshal on February 25, 2022, for existing buildings.

Ontario Regulation 867/21

December 20, 2021

This amending regulation made changes to the Building Code to:

  • create a two-permit system for the construction and inspection of tiny homes so that a tiny home constructed in one municipality can be moved to another
  • clarify that municipalities can use alternative building inspection methods, such as remote inspections
  • revise outdated references to other statutes in the list of applicable laws

Ontario Regulation 762/20

December 16, 2020

This amending regulation made several housekeeping changes to harmonize with the National Building Code (NBC) and in general to:

  • correct errors in equations and data taken from the NBC
  • add information that was omitted, such as references and names of organizations 
  • support public safety
  • reduce redundancies

Two provisions related to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act were deleted. These amendments do not:

  • add any new technical requirements to the Building Code
  • change the requirement that municipalities must review permit applications and conduct construction inspections, even if their offices are closed to the public due to COVID-19. This requirement will continue to remain in place.

Updates were made to the applicable law sections to align with the passage of the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020.

Ontario Regulation 511/20

September 18, 2020

Ontario’s Building Code was amended to support the implementation of community benefits charges. Ontario Regulation 511/20 added community benefits charges to the list of applicable laws in the Building Code.

This change ensures that building permits are not issued until the chief building official receives confirmation of one of the following with the building permit application:

  • community benefits charges have been paid to the municipality
  • any required facilities, services or matters have been provided
  • arrangements have been made for any payments or facilities

This does not apply to conditional building permits.

Ontario Regulation 209/20

May 11, 2020

This regulation amended the Building Code so that building inspections can continue and building permits can be issued within prescribed timeframes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendment:

  • maintains that the time periods in the Building Code remain in effect for all construction projects
  • requires that municipal building officials continue to review permit applications and conduct construction inspections, even when the municipal offices are closed because of the COVID-19 outbreak
  • establishes that conditional permits can be issued for non-essential construction during the COVID-19 outbreak
  • will remain in effect for as long as municipal building department offices are closed to the public for in-person services due to the COVID-19 outbreak, including in the event of a “second wave” of the virus

Ontario Regulation 88/19

May 2, 2019

The ministry amended Ontario’s Building Code (O. Reg 332/12) to further harmonize Ontario’s Building Code with the 2015 National Codes. These changes will help reduce red tape for businesses and remove barriers to interprovincial trade throughout the country. The amendments are based on code change proposals the ministry consulted in 2016 and 2017.

Changes come into effect on three dates:

  • May 2, 2019: requirements to the Building Code came into effect in the following areas:
    • removal of outdated references to repealed legislation
    • removal of technical requirements related to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in houses and non-residential large buildings, such as workplaces
  • January 1, 2020: the majority of the amendments come into effect, including:
    • fire safety measures that include fire prevention and early detection and warning systems
    • structural sufficiency of buildings to withstand external forces and improve resilience
    • water conservation improvements to plumbing fixtures
    • public health and safety requirements
    • accessibility requirements for barrier-free access
  • January 1, 2022: new Building Code requirements related to stair dimensions, guards and handrails come into effect.

Learn more about these changes to the 2012 Building Code. 

Ontario Regulation 87/19

This regulation amended the Building Code to address farm buildings with cannabis operations and comes into effect July 1, 2019:

  • the requirements address farm buildings containing hazardous extraction operations where flammable liquids, combustible liquids or flammable gases are used as extraction solvents related to cannabis processing
  • the amendments are consistent with the Fire Code requirements in Ontario Regulation 33/19

QuARTS login changes for building practitioners

Access to QuARTS starting December 4, 2023 will be provided through the My Ontario Account system. My Ontario Account allows for quick and secure access to government services, including through sign-in partners. You will no longer need a ServiceOntario ONe-key ID.

The Ministry will create My Ontario Accounts for all current QuARTS users that will be linked to the email address associated to each user’s Building Code Identification Number (BCIN). Please make sure that your email address is up to date in QuARTS and that the address is not shared by other QuARTS users.

You will receive an email by December 4. 2023 with instructions on how to complete the process to create your My Ontario Account. You will need to follow these instructions before you can access QuARTS for the first time after this transition. Please note that the instructions will only be sent to the email address you provided in QuARTS.

To support these changes, the QuARTS system will be offline over the following two weekends:

  • 5:00 PM Friday, November 24, 2023 – 11:59 PM Sunday, November 26, 2023
  • 5:00 PM Friday, December 1, 2023 – 11:59 PM Sunday, December 3, 2023

You will not be able renew your registration or perform other activities in the system during this time.

If you experience issues with logging into QuARTS after these updates, contact the Qualification and Registration Unit for assistance at 416-585-6666 (select option 2) or email us at obc.qualification@ontario.ca.

We will be launching a new QuARTS site in Spring 2024 that will be more efficient for building practitioners and easily accessible for all Ontarians looking to hire a trusted building practitioner.

CodeNews email

The CodeNews email subscription provides up-to-date information about Ontario’s Building Code including:

Subscribe to CodeNews