2024 Ontario Building Code Updates

With the Ontario government releasing over 1,730 updates to the Ontario Building Code (OBC) to increase harmonization with the National Construction Codes, the HCRA is committed to supporting your educational needs as you prepare for this transition. As you may be aware, we have launched a Research & Education program for this very purpose: to provide you with value-added voluntary educational resources and technical research as new construction trends emerge, and Building Code standards evolve.

This Resource Hub will be your dedicated source for updated training, educational resources, and information on current and emerging trends, including requirements on the new Code updates. We recommend you bookmark this site for future use.

Webinar: 2024 Ontario Building Code: What’s In and What’s Out

The HCRA partnered with key stakeholders to deliver a free webinar of the most impactful changes, new provisions, and key transition dates. The webinar was recorded and is available for viewing online.

Highlights: Updates to the Ontario Building Code:

• Ontario's two-unit house provisions have harmonized with the National Building Code's requirements for secondary suites, except for the National Building Code's limitations around minimum suite sizes. Ontario will maintain its flexibility on suite sizes to support the government's housing objectives and minimize costs.
• Ontario has harmonized with the National Building Code on mitigating the effects of radon on buildings across Ontario. The approach being adopted to address soil gas/radon will require new houses to have a rough-in for a subfloor depressurization system if subsequently required. The changes will include corresponding revisions to reference Supplementary Standard SB-9 and a new Appendix Note to clarify that buildings occupied for a few hours a day may not be required to implement soil gas protection methods.
• Ontario will continue to operate under the SB12 & SB10 energy performance guidance and efficiency levels. Any harmonization with the NBC 9.36 2020 Tier 3 and Tier 1 is not adopted at this time.
• There have been changes to Building Code Applicable Law - Environmental Assessment Act and Conservation Authorities Act: www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r24073 and www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r24158.

Additional Resources:

• Ontario Home Builders’ Association: Summary of 2024 OBC Updates
• A legal perspective on Bill 23 from Aird Berlis (PDF download)
• 2019 Building Code Amendments related to Stairs, Guards and Handrails: Reminder that amendments related to stairs, guards and handrails came into effect on January 1, 2022. They were part of 2019 changes to the Building Code to further harmonize Ontario’s Building Code with the 2015 National Codes. The HCRA is hearing about designs being submitted to pre-2019 standards.

Now available: the digital 2024 Building Code Compendium. Request your free digital copy today.

The full-length version of the Ontario Building Code will no longer be available on E-Laws.

Links to the 2020 National Building Code and the Ontario Amendment document that constitutes the entire new 2024 Ontario's Building Code can be found as follows:

• The Building Code Regulation on E-laws
• The Ontario Amendment document
• The National Building Code