The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has launched the second phase of public consultations on proposed changes for the next edition of Ontario’s Building Code.
Ontario’s Building Code is a regulation under the Building Code Act, 1992, which sets out minimum administrative and technical requirements for new construction, renovation, and change of use of buildings. New editions or major amendments to Ontario’s Building Code are generally released every five years to coincide with updates to the National Construction Codes.
In Fall 2021, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing engaged in consultation on proposed changes to Ontario’s Building Code that would reduce existing variations from National Construction Codes as well as a number of proposed changes that are unique to Ontario’s Building Code.
Now, the ministry is entering its second phase of consultation as part of the development process for the next edition of Ontario’s Building Code. This consultation focuses on changes related to the new 2020 National Construction Codes.
The main code change areas included in this phase of consultation include:
- Plumbing
- Energy efficiency
- Fire safety and fire protection systems
- Accessibility
- Farm buildings
- Encapsulated mass timber construction
- Earthquake and structural design
- Safety glazing
- Home-type care occupancies
- Others: stairs/ ramps/ handrail/ guide design, use and egress, Insulated Concrete Forms, and corrosion resistant ties
Comments are due by March 13, 2022. Visit ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-4974 for more information on the changes and how to submit a comment.
