2012 Building Code, O.
Reg 332/12
Building and Development Branch
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Introduction
• This slide deck is intended as a brief overview that highlights the
changes included in the new 2012 Building Code
• For definitive information concerning the revised Building Code please
consult O. Reg 332/12
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Next Edition of the Building Code:
Status
• On November 2, 2012, the 2012 Building Code was filed as [Link]. 332/12
– It can be found at e-Laws
– The new Building Code will, for the most part, come into force on
January 1, 2014
– Certain energy efficiency related provisions will come into force on
January 1, 2014, 2015 and 2017
– Certain changes related to on-site sewage systems will come into force
December 31, 2016
– This timeline gives the industry time to learn about the new changes and
prepare for implementation
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Next Edition of the Building Code
• The 2012 Building Code changes provide a balanced package that:
– Builds on health and safety and environmental protection requirements
– Helps the competitiveness of Ontario’s building sector through:
• New and updated standards
• Clarifying Building Code requirements
• Allowing for the use of new products
• Recognition of best practices
• More flexible requirements
• Maintaining Ontario’s harmonization with model National Building Code
requirements in areas such as structural design
– Maintains Ontario’s leadership in energy and water conservation
– Has potential for savings of operating costs over time for building owners
(e.g. through energy and water savings)
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Property Protection and Health
• The 2012 Building Code contains enhancements to property protection
and health, including:
– Removing window screens as an acceptable fall protection device
• Window guards or controlled sashes will still be required under the Code
– Revising the average annual concentration of radon threshold in the Building
Code to reflect the new national threshold (from 250 Bq/m3 to 200 Bq/m3)
• i.e., less radon is needed to trigger radon protection requirements
• Change affects only three areas in Ontario currently identified in the Code
– Clarifying that sewage back-water valves are required in residential buildings
connected to a public sewage system, if deemed necessary at a local level
– Protecting public water supplies from contamination from “medium hazard”
uses (e.g. multi-unit residential buildings, commercial buildings, hotels,
manufacturing plants) by requiring backflow preventers
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Fire Safety
• The 2012 Building Code contains specific requirements in order to enhance
fire protection of large and small buildings, including:
– Requiring hard-wired smoke alarms with battery back-up in each
sleeping room for houses and large buildings (Part 3 and Part 9)
– Requiring integrated sprinkler and fire alarm systems in multi-unit
residential buildings
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Code Objectives
• The 2012 Building Code expands the list of Building Code sub-objectives
and related functional statements to reference:
– Limiting the extent to which construction strains infrastructure capacity
(e.g., electrical grid capacity)
– Protecting atmospheric quality
• Limiting green house gas emissions
• Limiting the release of pollutants
– Protecting water and soil quality
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Energy Conservation Requirements
•Large Buildings
• The 2012 Building Code promotes energy conservation through building
design and construction by:
– Requiring that large buildings for which building permits are applied, on
or after January 1, 2017, meet an energy efficiency level that is 13%
higher than that required in 2012
• Similar to the approach taken with the energy requirements included in the
2006 Code, MMAH intends to work with the building sector to develop
compliance alternatives
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Energy Conservation Requirements 2
•Houses
• The 2012 Building Code promotes energy conservation through building
design and construction by:
– Requiring that houses for which building permits are applied, on or
after January 1, 2017, meet an energy efficiency level that is 15%
higher than that required in 2012
– Providing compliance alternatives on how to achieve that goal
– Over the 5-year Code cycle, requiring a number of other energy-
conserving incremental changes
• As with the approach taken with large buildings, MMAH intends to work
with the building sector to develop compliance alternatives to achieve
these future requirements
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Water Conservation
• The 2012 Building Code promotes the conservation of Ontario’s
water by:
– Requiring newly installed toilets in residential occupancies to be high
efficiency
– Requiring newly installed urinals to be high efficiency
– Requiring high-efficiency showerheads in residential occupancies
• Opportunities for innovation are provided by:
– Allowing for drainless composting toilets in areas with municipal
services
– Expanding the end uses of rainwater and other non-potable water
– Clarifying the design requirements of non-potable water systems
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On-Site Sewage Systems
• The 2012 Building Code contains new requirements for on-site sewage systems,
including:
• Referencing a new national industry standard (CAN-BNQ 3680-600) for certifying
residential wastewater treatment technologies
• Manufacturers will have until 2016 to meet the new standard
• Setting standards for two different types of on-site sewage dispersal beds to
manage effluent from certain residential wastewater treatment technologies
• Two types of dispersal beds, one with prescriptive requirements and one
with performance requirements
• Adopting a number of changes and updating technical, maintenance, and
monitoring requirements
• Examples include adding detailed specifications for effluent filters and
clarifying requirements for filter bed construction
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Harmonization and Consistency
• The 2012 Building Code enhances harmonization with the model National
Building and Plumbing Codes, including:
– Editorial changes and updated standard references, stemming from
changes to the model national codes
– Clarifying technical requirements to ensure consistency and clarity in
enforcement
– Allowing more flexible, performance-oriented methods design and
installation of some building elements
• Amendments to the Building Code enhance consistency with the
Electrical Safety Code (no changes to Electrical Safety Code required)
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Administrative Changes
• The 2012 Building Code:
– Requires that copies of Minister’s Rulings authorizing the use of
innovative building materials be kept at the construction site where a
Ruling applies
– Requires thermal protection for foam plastic insulation as a condition for
residential occupancy
– Removes requirement for final site grading as a condition of occupancy
permit issuance for certain residential uses
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Knowledge Maintenance
• The 2012 Building Code contains “knowledge maintenance” requirements
for qualified practitioners
• These replace the requalification requirements set out in the 2006 Code
• Practitioners will have 18 months to successfully complete a knowledge
maintenance exam for a given qualification category, following the release
of that exam
• The ministry will determine the date, no sooner than the date the regulation
takes effect, of the release and the qualification categories of Knowledge
Maintenance exams
• Options for design, maintenance and delivery of online courses are being
explored
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Accessibility
• Ontario’s Building Code has included requirements for barrier-free design
since 1975
• The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) called for
the creation of standards to make Ontario accessible for persons with
disabilities by 2025
• In July 2010, a Final Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard was
submitted for government’s consideration
• Public consultation on updated accessibility requirements in Ontario’s
Building Code concluded March 1, 2013
• Feedback received is being considered by government to determine what
will become law and when
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Implementation of the Next Edition
• Code Publication:
• MMAH is working towards the publication of the 2012 Building Code:
• Hard copy “compendium” version
• Potential development of an electronic version
• MMAH has conducted a survey to seek input of business needs for an
e-version
• Updated Guidelines and Best Practices:
• MMAH is reviewing current guidelines and best practices to determine
which ones should be updated to reflect the content of the next edition of
the Code
• Additional material on the 2012 Building Code will be available shortly
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Further Information
• More detailed material will be posted on this website in coming months
• For updates, follow the ministry on [Link]/OntMMAH or subscribe to
Code News at [Link]
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