Transforming and modernizing the delivery of Ontario’s Building Code services

A new path forward for building code services

The $38 billion building industry sector is a key driver of Ontario’s economy and stakeholders have raised concerns about the need for better, modern and timely services and resources to support their ability to understand and apply the highly technical and complex Building Code requirements.

Supporting an increase of housing supply, supporting jobs, and streamlining development approvals are top priorities for the government.

To help achieve this, the government is considering new and improved Building Code services which would be delivered by an administrative authority to provide modern, efficient, user-centric services to the building sector and streamline customer service to all people across Ontario who use the Building Code.

The government is considering changes to:

• strengthen public safety
• streamline customer service and approval processes
• deliver sector-driven services
• provide timely and modern tools and products
• promote consistency across the province
• enhance integrity in the system

To ensure efficient, streamlined and sector-driven delivery of services, the administrative authority would be financially self-sustaining and would operate on a full cost-recovery basis. To do this, the administrative authority would charge fees for directly delivered services and collect a small levy calculated on estimated construction value on top of municipal building permits fees.

Theme 1: Getting people working in the building sector

The proposed enhanced and new services for consultation would look at ways to:

• modernize the current Building Code examination process to ensure that building code professionals have the required legal and technical knowledge so that public safety is protected
• help support municipalities with recruitment and retention of experienced building officials
• potentially introduce the use of Coordinated Professionals to coordinate work of professionals involved in a project
• potentially introduce the use of Certified Professionals to ensure Code compliance and streamline the permit approval process

Theme 2: Promoting sustainability and transparency in the Building Code profession

The proposed enhanced and new services for consultation would look at ways to:

• transform the public registry and registration process to be more streamlined and user-friendly
• require building code professionals to complete Continuing Professional Development activities regularly to maintain knowledge in their areas of practice so they can understand and apply new / amended Code requirements and promote public safety
• establish a comprehensive, compliance-based, enforcement framework to ensure that building code professionals are meeting their qualification and registration requirements and are operating appropriately, which could include codes of conduct and annual attestations for all building code professionals, educational tools and resources, corrective actions for non-compliance such as financial penalties, a complaints process for public concerns, and increased transparency of disciplinary actions

Theme 3: Building Code administration and enforcement

The proposed enhanced and new services for consultation would look at ways to:

• enhance municipal enforcement to promote public safety by allowing the use of administrative penalties to help municipalities address non-compliance and contraventions of the Building Code Act, 1992 and the building code
• support local building service delivery by providing the option for smaller, rural, and/or northern municipalities to enter into an agreement with the administrative authority to deliver full or partial building services on their behalf
• provide a more active enforcement approach in unincorporated areas

Theme 4: Improving building sector supports

The proposed enhanced and new services for consultation would look at ways to:

• promote a consistent understanding and application of building code requirements by looking into additional and more comprehensive tools and services in a timely manner to provide clear, standardized, technical advice and interpretation
• enable modern, digital services, which may include development of a digital version of the Building Code that meets the needs of users and supports municipal efforts to reduce building permit approval timelines
• improve the quality and quantity of building industry data and research

Regional information sessions

Public information sessions will be held in October across Ontario where you can learn more about what is being proposed. The public is invited to drop-in between 5:30 and 7:00 PM at the open house session locations listed below to discuss transformation of Building Code services with ministry staff and ask any questions you may have.

• Belleville: Friday, October 4, 2019 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM
  • Belleville Lions' Club - 119 Station Street, Belleville.
• North Bay: Monday, October 7, 2019 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM
  • North Bay Memorial Gardens Arena - 100 Chippewa Street West, North Bay.
• Chatham-Kent: Wednesday, October 9, 2019 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM
  • Chatham Cultural Centre - 75 William Street North, Chatham.
• Vaughan: October 16, 2019 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM
  • Vellore Town Hall - 9541 Weston Road, Woodbridge.

Public survey

You are also invited to participate in a survey to help us understand how you currently use Building Code services and to share your suggestions of how they could be improved. The survey can be found below in the supporting materials section of this Environmental Registry posting.