The CBHCC encourages code users, interested organizations, and members of the public to get involved in the code development system. There are several ways to get involved:
- submit a code change request,
- volunteer on a code development committee,
- attend a meeting as an observer, and
- participate in public reviews.
Submit a code change request
Anyone can participate in the code development process by submitting a code change request to the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes.
Learn more about code change requests and submit a request here.
Volunteering on a code development committee
New members are recruited to serve on code development committees prior to each code cycle and on an as-needed basis throughout the code cycle.
Individuals interested in participating in national codes development work as a code development committee member are invited to submit their expression of interest at any time using the electronic form.
Recruitment generally occurs prior to each code cycle in order to populate the committees, with members added as needed during the code cycle.
Attend a meeting as an observer
Observers are welcome to attend the CBHCC’s virtual and in-person public meetings and are requested to notify the CBHCC of their plan to attend at least two weeks in advance.
Check the meeting calendar for the dates and locations of upcoming meetings and learn about the visitor policy here.
Public reviews
The CBHCC regularly invites code users, the Codes community, and the public to participate in public reviews of proposed changes to the National Model Codes.
The purpose of public reviews is to:
- provide code users, the Codes community, and the public with a detailed look at proposed technical changes, and
- seek comment on each proposed technical change as to whether it should be approved, altered, or withdrawn.
Important
A national public review runs from January 20, 2025 to February 24, 2025.
What happens after a public review?
The result of the public review process is a collection of comments on proposed code changes. The comments are sorted and analyzed by Codes Canada staff, who also develop a draft resolution to each comment. The draft resolutions are validated or modified by the responsible code development committees, which form the recommendations to the CBHCC. The code development committee’s recommendation to the CBHCC could be one of the following:
- approve for publication – with or without editorial revisions;
- approve for publication with technical changes
- in this case the development committee provides justification on why the technical changes should not be subjected to a subsequent public review for the CBHCC’s consideration;
- defer publication pending further development – subject to subsequent public review; or
- withdraw proposed code change – no further development.
The CBHCC decides which changes would be published in the next editions of the National Model Codes based on the recommendations of the code development committees.
View archived public reviews
To request archived proposed changes not included above, please contact Codes Canada.