BUILDING CODE, O. Reg. 332/12

• Jurisdiction: Ontario

Building Code Act, 1992
Loi de 1992 sur le code du bâtiment

ONTARIO REGULATION 332/12

BUILDING CODE

Consolidation Period: From January 1, 2024 to the e-Laws currency date.

Last amendment: 390/23.

This Regulation is made in English only.

DIVISION A
COMPLIANCE, OBJECTIVES AND FUNCTIONAL STATEMENTs

Part 1
Compliance and General

Section 1.1. Organization and Application

1.1.1. Organization of this Code

1.1.1.1. Scope of Division A

(1) Division A contains compliance and application provisions and the objectives and functional statements of this Code.

1.1.1.2. Scope of Division B

(1) Division B contains the acceptable solutions of this Code.

1.1.1.3. Scope of Division C

(1) Division C contains the administrative provisions of this Code.

1.1.1.4. Internal Cross-references

(1) If a provision of this Code contains a reference to another provision of this Code but no Division is specified, both provisions are in the same Division of this Code.

1.1.2. Application of Division B

1.1.2.1. Application of Parts 1, 7 and 12

(1) Part 1 of Division B applies to all buildings.

(2) Subject to Article 1.1.2.6., Parts 7 and 12 of Division B apply to all buildings.

1.1.2.2. Application of Parts 3, 4, 5 and 6

(1) Subject to Articles 1.1.2.6. and 1.3.1.2., Parts 3, 5 and 6 of Division B apply to all buildings,

(a) used for major occupancies classified as,

(i) Group A, assembly occupancies,

(ii) Group B, care, care and treatment or detention occupancies, or

(iii) Group F, Division 1, high hazard industrial occupancies,

(b) exceeding 600 m² in building area or exceeding three storeys in building height and used for major occupancies classified as,

(i) Group C, residential occupancies,

(ii) Group D, business and personal services occupancies,

(iii) Group E, mercantile occupancies,

(iv) Group F, Divisions 2 and 3, medium hazard industrial occupancies and low hazard industrial occupancies, or

(c) used for retirement homes.

(2) Subject to Articles 1.1.2.6. and 1.3.1.2., Part 4 of Division B applies to,

(a) post-disaster buildings,

(b) buildings described in Sentence (1),

(c) a retaining wall exceeding 1 000 mm in exposed height adjacent to,

(i) public property,

(ii) access to a building, or

(iii) private property to which the public is admitted,

(d) a pedestrian bridge appurtenant to a building,

(e) a crane runway,

(f) an exterior storage tank and its supporting structure that is not regulated by the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000,

(g) signs regulated by Section 3.15. of Division B that are not structurally supported by a building,

(h) a structure that supports a wind turbine generator having a rated output of more than 3 kW,

(i) an outdoor pool that has a water depth greater than 3.5 m at any point, and

(j) a permanent solid nutrient storage facility with supporting walls exceeding 1 000 mm in exposed height.

(3) Section 3.11. of Division B applies to public pools.

(4) Section 3.12. of Division B applies to public spas.

(5) Section 3.15. of Division B applies to signs.

(6) Section 3.16A. of Division B applies to demountable stages and demountable support structures.

1.1.2.3. Application of Part 8

(1) Subject to Article 1.1.2.6., Part 8 of Division B applies to the design, construction, operation and maintenance of all sewage systems and to the construction of buildings in the vicinity of sewage systems.

1.1.2.4. Application of Part 9

(1) Subject to Article 1.1.2.6 Part 9 of Division B applies to all buildings,

(a) of three or fewer storeys in building height,

(b) having a building area not exceeding 600 m², and

(c) used for major occupancies classified as,

(i) Group C, residential occupancies other than buildings used for retirement homes,

(ii) Group D, business and personal services occupancies,

(iii) Group E, mercantile occupancies, or

(iv) Group F, Divisions 2 and 3, medium hazard industrial occupancies and low hazard industrial occupancies.

1.1.2.5. Application of Part 10

(1) Part 10 of Division B applies to existing buildings requiring a permit under section 10 of the Act.

1.1.2.6. Application of Part 11

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), Part 11 of Division B applies to the design and construction of existing buildings, or parts of existing buildings, that have been in existence for at least five years.

(2) If a building has been in existence for at least five years but includes an addition that has been in existence for less than five years, Part 11 of Division B applies to the entire building.

1.1.2.7. Existing Buildings

(1) Except as provided in Section 3.17. of Division B, Section 9.40. of Division B and Part 11 of Division B, if an existing building is extended or is subject to material alteration or repair, this Code applies only to the design and construction of the extensions and those parts of the building that are subject to the material alteration or repair.

(2) If an existing previously occupied building is moved from its original location to be installed elsewhere, or is dismantled at its original location and moved to be reconstituted elsewhere, this Code applies only to changes to the design and construction of the building required as a result of moving the building.

1.1.3. Building Size Determination

1.1.3.1. Building Size Determination of Building Divided by Firewalls

(1) Where a firewall divides a building, each portion of the building that is divided shall be considered as a separate building, except for the purposes of,

(a) a determination of gross area in Section 1.2. of Division C,

(b) a fire alarm and detection system in Sentence 3.2.4.2.(1) of Division B or Article 9.10.18.1. of Division B, and

(c) a plumbing system interconnected through a firewall.

1.1.3.2. Building Size Determination of Building Divided by Vertical Fire Separations

(1) Except as permitted in Sentence (2), if portions of a building are completely separated by a vertical fire separation that has a fire-resistance rating of at least 1 h and that extends through all storeys and service spaces of the separate portions, each separated portion may be considered to be a separate building for the purpose of determining building height if,

(a) each separated portion is not more than three storeys in building height and is used only for residential occupancies other than a retirement home, and

(b) the unobstructed path of travel for a firefighter from the nearest street to one entrance to each separated portion is not more than 45 m.

(2) The vertical fire separation in Sentence (1) may terminate at the floor assembly immediately above a basement if the basement conforms to Article 3.2.1.2. of Division B.

Section 1.2. Compliance

1.2.1. Compliance with Division B

1.2.1.1 Compliance with Division B

(1) Compliance with Division B shall be achieved,

(a) by complying with the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B, or

(b) by using alternative solutions that will achieve the level of performance required by the applicable acceptable solutions in respect of the objectives and functional statements attributed to the applicable acceptable solutions in MMAH Supplementary Standard SA-1, “Objectives and Functional Statements Attributed to the Acceptable Solutions”.

(2) For the purposes of Clause (1)(b), the level of performance in respect of a functional statement refers to the performance of the functional statement as it relates to the objective with which it is associated in MMAH Supplementary Standard SA-1, “Objectives and Functional Statements Attributed to the Acceptable Solutions”.

1.2.2. Materials, Appliances, Systems and Equipment

1.2.2.1. Characteristics of Materials, Appliances, Systems and Equipment

(1) All materials, appliances, systems and equipment installed to meet the requirements of this Code shall possess the necessary characteristics to perform their intended functions when installed in a building.

1.2.2.2. Used Materials, Appliances and Equipment

(1) Unless otherwise specified, recycled materials in building products may be used and used materials, appliances and equipment may be reused when they meet the requirements of this Code for new materials and are satisfactory for their intended use.

Section 1.3. Interpretation

1.3.1. Interpretation

1.3.1.1. Designated Structures

(1) The following structures are designated for the purposes of clause (d) of the definition of building in subsection 1 (1) of the Act:

(a) a retaining wall exceeding 1 000 mm in exposed height adjacent to,

(i) public property,

(ii) access to a building, or

(iii) private property to which the public is admitted,

(b) a pedestrian bridge appurtenant to a building,

(c) a crane runway,

(d) an exterior storage tank and its supporting structure that is not regulated by the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000,

(e) signs regulated by Section 3.15. of Division B that are not structurally supported by a building,

(f) a solar collector that is mounted on a building and has a face area equal to or greater than 5 m²,

(g) a structure that supports a wind turbine generator having a rated output of more than 3 kW,

(h) a dish antenna that is mounted on a building and has a face area equal to or greater than 5 m²,

(i) an outdoor pool,

(j) an outdoor public spa,

(k) a permanent solid nutrient storage facility with supporting walls exceeding 1 000 mm in exposed height,

(l) a demountable stage, and

(m) a demountable support structure.

1.3.1.2. Farm Buildings

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) to (7), farm buildings shall conform to the requirements in the CCBFC NRCC 38732, “National Farm Building Code of Canada”.

(2) Articles 1.1.1.2. and 3.1.8.1. and Subsections 3.1.4. and 4.1.4. in the CCBFC NRCC 38732, “National Farm Building Code of Canada” do not apply to farm buildings.

(3) In the CCBFC NRCC 38732, “National Farm Building Code of Canada”...