Industry updates

Building Code Amendments in-effect on January 1, 2022

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing made amendments (Ontario Regulation 867/21) to Ontario’s Building Code related to:

• building permits and inspections for tiny homes
• remote inspections for all buildings
• housekeeping amendments

Tiny homes amendments: 

• create a two-permit system for tiny homes that are constructed in one municipality and are to be located and occupied in another municipality.
• allow building permit applicants to obtain a building permit and have “off site” inspections done by the building official in the municipality where the home is constructed.
• require building permit applicants to obtain a second building permit in the municipality where the tiny home will be located demonstrating compliance with site-specific conditions such as applicable law and requirements related to siting the tiny home, including ingress/egress, foundations and anchoring.
• set out responsibilities for the building officials in each municipality.
• set out how the mandatory timelines apply in this two-permit system when two different municipalities are involved.

Remote inspection amendment (Article 1.3.5.3. of Division C of the Building Code):

• clarifies that building officials have discretion to use alternative inspection methods when conducting inspections on the construction of buildings such as remote inspections and other means.

Four housekeeping amendments:

• update outdated references to other statutes in the list of applicable law to account for changes made in 2021 by the new Ontario Land Tribunal Act, 2021, as well as changes to the Ontario Heritage Act.

2019 Building Code Amendments related to Stairs, Guards and Handrails
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.