BC Building, Plumbing and Fire Code revisions

Last updated on April 8, 2025

Learn about present and past revisions to the BC Building, Plumbing and Fire Code.

BC Building and Plumbing Code 2024 revisions

Zero step code and adaptable dwelling units

Effective March 10, 2025: Revision 4 amends Zero Carbon Step Code to require new buildings to meet at least EL-1.

Ministerial Order BA 2024 05 (PDF, 285.62 KB)

Effective March 10, 2025: Revision 5 phases in adaptable dwelling units. Read more about accessibility requirements in this revision.

Ministerial Order BA 2025 01 (PDF, 436 KB)

Construction of single exit stair buildings

Effective August 27, 2024: Revision 3 enables the construction of single exit stair buildings.

BCBC Single Exit Stairs code change convenience copy (PDF, 164 KB) provides Code language in force and commentary to support implementation. These updates will be consolidated into the BC Building Code 2024.

Ministerial Order BA 2024 03 (PDF, 285 KB)

Definition of coordinating registered professional and minor corrections

Effective April 10, 2024: Revision 2 amends definition of "coordinating registered professional" and minor corrections to numbering and a referenced standard.

Ministerial Order BA 2024 02 (PDF, 217 KB)

Enabling taller mass timber buildings

Effective May 24, 2024: Revision 1 amends provisions for encapsulated mass timber construction to allow:

Taller mass timber building
additional building occupancies,
changes to encapsulation requirements

BCBC EMTC code change convenience copy (PDF, 210 KB). Provides code language in force. These changes will be consolidated into the BC Building Code 2024.

Ministerial Order BA 2024 01 (PDF, 407 KB)

Learn more about mass timber construction in B.C.

Building and Plumbing Code revisions 2006 to 2023

Code requirements are based on your project's building permit date. Past codes may still apply to unfinished permitted buildings.

Building and Plumbing Code 2018 - Effective December 10, 2018
Building and Plumbing Code 2012 - Effective December 20, 2012
Building and Plumbing Code 2006 - Effective December 15, 2006

BC Building and Plumbing Code 2018 Revisions

Read BC Building Code 2018 or BC Plumbing Code 2018

Revision	Effective date	Topic	Ministerial order #
1	December 10, 2018	Amendments to BC Energy Step Code and radon requirement (PDF, 870KB) Related bulletin B18-08	BA 2018 2
2	December 12, 2019	Amendments to secondary suites, carbon monoxide detectors and alarms, the BC Energy Step Code, lighting in recycling rooms, roof-top enclosures and roof-top occupancies, and tall wood jurisdiction specific requirements (PDF, 72KB) Related bulletin B19-06R	BC 2019 6
3	April 30, 2020	Amendment to adopt the 2016 edition of the CSA Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators (PDF, 33KB)	BC 2019 4
4	September 21, 2020	Amendment to tall wood jurisdiction specific requirement (PDF, 16KB)	BA 2020 7
5	May 1, 2022	Changes to the unrestricted matters for local governments, enabling enforcement of the new technical requirements for the Energy and Zero Carbon Step Code (PDF 1.0 MB) Convenience copy of the code changes (PDF, 2.49 MB)	BA 2023 08

BC Building and Plumbing Code 2012 Revisions

Read BC Building Code 2012 or BC Plumbing Code 2012

BC Building and Plumbing Code 2012 Revisions
Revision	Effective date	Topic	Ministerial order #
1	March 12, 2013	Extension of NAFS compliance deadline for windows, doors, and skylights (PDF, 556KB)	M 060
2	April 3, 2013	Editorial Revisions (PDF, 3.1MB)	M 084
3	April 12, 2013	Updated extension of NAFS compliance deadline for windows, doors, and skylights (PDF, 535KB)	M 110
4	December 20, 2013	Energy efficiency, large residential & commercial building (PDF, 856KB)	M 90
5	December 19, 2014	Energy efficiency for housing & small buildings (PDF, 3.4MB)	M 111
6	December 19, 2014	Editorial revisions. Letters of Assurance Schedules (PDF, 4.2MB) Schedule A (PDF). Confirmation of commitment by owner and coordinating registered professional Schedule B (PDF). Assurance of professional design and commitment for field review (replaced by new Schedule B in Revision 11 on April 7, 2017)	M 226
7	December 19, 2015	Ventilation, radon, daycares, NFPA, and editorial revisions (PDF, 17MB)	M 290
8	December 11 2015	Windows, doors and skylights, energy efficiency, ventilation and stainless steel plumbing (PDF, 1MB)	M378
9	December 21, 2015	Energy efficiency and secondary suite (PDF, 1MB)	M 438
10	July 20, 2017	New sprinkler requirements for four-storey wood-frame buildings (PDF, 733KB)	M 066
11	April 7, 2017	BC Energy Step Code. Letters of Assurance Schedules (PDF, 1.2MB) Schedule B (PDF, 312KB). Assurance of professional design and commitment for field review Schedule C-A (PDF, 365KB). Assurance of coordination of professional field rev	M 158
12	January 31, 2018	Changes to window guard relaxations, the BC Energy Step Code and Letters of Assurance Schedules (PDF, 131KB) Related bulletin B18-02 Miscellaneous Revisions to the 2012 BC Building Code (PDF, 131KB) Schedule B (PDF, 312 KB). Assurance of professional design and commitment for field review Schedule C-A (PDF, 156KB). Assurance of coordination of professional field review	M 013

Errata list (PDF) for the 2012 BC Building and Plumbing Code

BC Building and Plumbing Code 2006

Read BC Building Code 2006

BC Building and Plumbing Code 2006 revisions
Revision	Effective date	Topic	Ministerial order #
1	April 23, 2007	Stairs from garages, attic insulation, aluminum or vinyl cladding (PDF, 465 KB)	M 093
2	April 8, 2008	Part 10 "Greening" of the BC Building Code requirements (PDF, 3 MB)	M 100
3	November 3, 2008	Fire resistance ratings in Appendix D and opening in membrane ceilings (PDF, 661KB)	M 277
4	January 8, 2008	Permission for 5 and 6 storey, mid-rise wood-frame construction, effective (PDF, 117 KB)	M 008
5	April 3, 2009	Further structural requirements for 5 and 6 storey wood-frame construction (PDF, 478 KB)	M 121
6	September 2, 2009	Adaptable housing (PDF, 239 KB)	M 191
7	December 22, 2009	Geotechnical slope stability regulation, seismic (PDF, 50KB)	M 297
8	February 23, 2010	Application of code (PDF, 29 KB)	M 047
9	April 6, 2010	Maximum flush cycle for water closet and urinal includes Revision 13 (PDF, 100 KB)	M 021
10	July 19, 2010	Registered professional of record;, Part 2 of Division C (PDF, 391 KB)	M 214
11	September 30, 2010	Change to effective date of Revision 9 (PDF, 24 KB)	M 275
12	November 5, 2010	Referenced standard for concrete, effective November 5, 2010 (PDF, 65 KB)	M 341
13	February 1, 2011	Change to effective date of Revision 9 (PDF, 34 KB)	M 021

BC Fire Code 2024 revisions

New requirements related to construction of tall wood buildings

Effective April 10, 2024: Revision 1 includes new requirements related to construction of tall wood buildings.

Ministerial Order No. FSA 2024 01 (PDF, 314 KB)

BC Fire Code 2006 - 2018 revisions

BC Fire Code 2006 - 2018 revisions
Code	Effective date	Topic	Ministerial order #
2006	April 23, 2006	New requirements for fire alarms (PDF, 32KB)	M 046
2012	April 4, 2013	National Updates (PDF,1.8MB)	M 91
2018	December 12, 2019	New Requirements for construction of tall wood buildings (PDF, 70KB) List of 1.01 Revisions (PDF, 459KB)	FSA 2018 2

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