Canada’s National Model Codes are generally developed on a five-year cycle. For each code cycle, the CBHCC establishes a work plan that guides the work of code development committees as they develop and assess potential code changes. The work plan is established to address strategic priority areas defined by the Canadian Table for Harmonized Construction Code Policy (CTHCCP).

The 2025 code cycle priorities were set under the former Canadian Commission for Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC)1 with advice from the Provincial/Territorial Policy Advisory Committee on Codes (PTPACC) and are being carried forward by the CBHCC.

Priorities for the 2025 editions of the National Model Codes, with highlights of potential changes being developed, include:

Codes harmonization: working collaboratively with provinces and territories to reduce technical variations between construction codes across Canada.

Climate change mitigation: developing provisions to refine energy efficiency tiers introduced in the 2020 Codes; and expanding the scope of the current objectives to include a new objective to address greenhouse gas emissions and developing related performance-based solutions to address excessive operational greenhouse gas emissions in buildings.

Climate change adaptation: developing solutions for overheating in indoor environments in buildings; introducing forward-looking climate data.

Alterations to existing buildings: developing requirements for existing buildings to help guide energy efficiency improvements during renovations.

Accessibility: expanding the application of the Accessibility objective to no longer exempt dwelling units, and developing technical requirements for adaptability in dwelling units and visitability in dwelling units in multi-unit residential buildings; improving building access including for persons with impaired vision; and enhancing safety through improved accessibility.

Select fire and life safety topics: integrating the latest fire test research into the provisions that define the percentage of exposed mass timber in encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) buildings, as well as addressing fire safety issues encountered during construction.

Policy work: in addition to policy work on climate change mitigation to inform provisions for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, assessing the role of the Codes in climate change adaptation including flood-resistant design, and mitigating against wildland urban interface fires, permafrost, and extreme winds. Policy work also includes consideration of clarifying the safety of emergency responders while performing their duties in code objectives.

1 The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes was the group responsible for national code development prior to the governance transformation in November 2022. For more information about the transition to the new governance model, click here.

In preparation for the code cycle, the CBHCC has developed a set of strategic priorities for the 2030 editions of the National Model Codes. The code cycle will begin in January 2025.

This page will be updated accordingly when the key elements within these priorities have been finalized and approved as part of the CBHCC’s work plan for the 2030 code cycle. You can stay informed and up to date on this and other code topics by attending upcoming meetings of the CBHCC.

Accessibility of buildings and dwellings: Advance the development of provisions to increase the accessibility of buildings and dwellings for people with disabilities. The areas of focus may include consideration of egress / evacuation from buildings and continued work to help make dwelling units more adaptable and visitable for persons with disabilities.

Alterations to existing buildings: Building on work underway for the 2025 National Model Codes, continue to deepen efforts to develop provisions for alterations to existing buildings in areas that may include energy efficiency performance compliance path, energy retrofits in existing (Part 9) buildings, greenhouse gas emissions, heating ventilation and air conditioning and plumbing, as well as considering harmonization of alterations to existing buildings requirements in other areas of the codes with provincial/territorial code requirements.

Climate change mitigation: Continue work on the development of code requirements for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions within the context of tiers of performance. The areas of focus for this priority may include operational greenhouse gas emissions, embodied greenhouse gas emissions, heat pumps, energy performance in small buildings, and lighting and electrical power systems.

Climate change adaptation: Work to adapt the built environment in response to climate change, where the National Model Codes are identified as the appropriate instrument. The areas of focus for this priority may include continued work on overheating, as well as possible work on durability, flood-resistant design, resistance to high wind events, permafrost, and wildland urban interface fire risks.

Harmonization: Work to reduce and eliminate differences and variations between provincial and territorial codes and the National Model Codes in areas identified by the CBHCC. Harmonization of code requirements will be an underlying priority of all code development activities for the 2030 Codes.

Housing Supply: Support efforts to increase housing supply by considering innovative construction methodologies, enabling additional construction options for housing, and supporting densification efforts. The areas of focus for this priority may include requirements for tiny homes, building relocation, modular construction, and the consideration of single egress construction in certain circumstances.

Performance-based solutions: Develop and add performance-based compliance options alongside the current prescriptive-based compliance options. The areas of focus for this priority may include requirements for earthquake design, egress and fire protection, reflecting the minimum level of performance of the current prescriptive-based compliance options in the National Model Codes.

Targeted topics: In addition to the strategic priorities described above, the CBHCC will continue to develop proposed changes in specific areas of the codes which may include addressing fire and life safety risks in buildings associated with energy storage systems and electric vehicle charging, fire performance of floor assemblies in houses, hazardous processes, and considering the expanded use of encapsulated mass timber construction. The CBHCC may also consider requirements to mitigate risks from radon gas, water quality in water heaters and legionella, and indoor air quality and aerosol pathogens affecting the indoor environment.

Work under these priorities does not preclude the development of provisions in other areas requested by code users.