Building Codes -- Which Code, In Force When
Building Codes -- Which Code, In Force When
Canada has a National Building Code, but the provinces adopt their own versions on their own timelines -- and one city writes its own entirely. The current code and in-force date where it matters.
Provincial building codes
| Ontario (ON) | 2024 OBC -- in force 1 Jan 2025 |
| British Columbia (BC) | 2024 BC Building Code -- in force 8 Mar 2024 |
| Vancouver | uses its own Vancouver Building By-law (VBBL, Bylaw #14343, ~15 Sep 2025) -- NOT the BC code |
| National (NBC) | NBC 2025 published 22 Dec 2025 |
Electrical code (CE Code 2024 / C22.1:24, published 4 Mar 2024)
| Adopted in 2024-2025 | AB, SK (1 Mar 2025), ON, PEI (5 Oct 2024), YT (1 Apr 2025), NWT (1 Oct 2024) |
| New Brunswick (NB) | CE Code 2024 from 15 Mar 2026 |
| Nunavut (NU) | still on the 2018 CE Code |
As of 2026 -- confirm before relying on it. BC's 2024 code took effect 8 Mar 2024 (NOT Mar 2025; only the adaptable-dwelling/seismic provisions phased in 10 Mar 2025). Vancouver enacts its own VBBL under the Vancouver Charter. Confirm the in-force edition with your authority having jurisdiction.
Sources: Ontario Building Code 2024 · BC Building Code 2024 / Vancouver Building By-law · National Building Code 2025 · Canadian Electrical Code C22.1:24
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