Have Your Say in the Public Review on the Overheating Change  

The Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC) is seeking public input on a single proposed change form (PCF 2061) to the 2020 National Building Code of Canada, which addresses the overheating of new dwelling units. The public review is now live and will end on February 24, 2025. This is the second time that the CBHCC has consulted on this change because of significant revisions to the original proposal – many of them prompted by comments from CHBA. The first proposal requiring only one air-conditioned room per home – a code change already implemented in British Columbia – was deemed not workable at this time, while the revised national proposal would mandate mechanical cooling in the entire home in all geographic locations with a July Design Temperature warmer than 26°C. CHBA’s Technical Research Committee reviewed the draft proposal at the 2024 fall meetings. CHBA members and staff worked with governments, HVAC designers and energy advisors to identify the implications of this change. Members are concerned the change would increase costs significantly in regions that already have a considerable housing affordability challenge. CHBA staff want to hear from members about the implications of this change, especially the potential cost impacts. Please fill out this 5-minute survey by following this link. For more information, or if you want CHBA staff to include your comments in our submission, please contact Frank Lohmann. 

Keeping Up with Proposed Code Changes: By the Numbers 

The latest issue of CHBA’s Building Excellence Magazine features a story on the work it takes to keep up with the fast pace of building and energy code changes. The “By the Numbers” article gives perspective on the magnitude of changes coming at the industry in 2025, including: 374 proposed code changes; 186 out of 1200 standard references being updated; 457 innovative and standardized products that need evaluation, and 13 all-new code committees rather than the single one dedicated to Part 9 of the code (translation: a lot more work for staff and members to keep up with). In 2024, CHBA National staff spent a combined total of 1085 hours on code meetings, which is 135 full business days. More were spent keeping members informed through webinars, the CHBA Knowledge Centre, this newsletter, and through CHBA’s Technical Research Committee. If you missed it, you can read the article online here.  

Photo courtesy of: Mountainview Building Group

3-Level Team Effort Moves the Needle to Change Code 

Three recent collaborations of CHBA, builder members, provincial HBAs and CHBA’s strategic partners have led to positive last-minute revisions of proposed code changes and to public review comments reflecting builder experience across Canada. In one case, on-site testing of various approaches proposed for new grab bar backing, carried out by an Ontario builder member, supported our work with the Canadian Wood Council. This collaboration led to new options being included in the revised proposed changes that would save members time and money. In another instance, results of CHBA BC and BILD Alberta builder member surveys were considered by code committees. The feedback from builder members was very impactful and exceptions for windows and niches were incorporated in two proposed changes. The most recent example of true national teamwork was the excellent feedback provided by builder members across Canada in response to a survey sent by CHBA National on protecting the rough stud opening from water ingress. These comments helped CHBA National hit the right tone in the public review comments. Summaries from these and other code meetings can be found on the new Knowledge Centre. For more information, please contact Jack Mantyla.

New Illustrated User’s Guide for Part 9 of the NBC 2020 is Available for Free 

The new Illustrated User’s Guide – NBC 2020: Part 9 of Division B, Housing and Small Buildings is now available. The guide is designed to assist builders and designers in understanding the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) 2020 as it applies to housing and small buildings. It provides detailed explanations of the principles and rationale behind the Part 9 provisions. The guide is available for free, in electronic format, through the National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC’s) Publications Archive, and for purchase, in printed format, from the NRC’s Virtual Store. CHBA members and staff participated on two separate working groups that reviewed proposed changes to the new edition of the guide, which offers graphics, examples, and calculations, making it an effective resource for the Part 9 construction and design sector. It includes updates on several key areas such as tiered energy codes, safety measures for windows in homes, fire protection measures for home-type care occupancies, and the introduction of energy performance tiers including compliance checklists in Appendix C of the guide. For more information on the Illustrated User’s Guide, please contact Frank Lohmann.

Photo courtesy of Building Social Ecology

“Waste is material without an identity…” Are Material Passports the Answer? 

CHBA staff joined a National Research Council workshop on “Material Passports” and the “Circular Economy.” These concepts focus on reusing durable building materials, like studs or bricks, to reduce embodied emissions from producing new materials. A key challenge is recertifying these materials for use in new homes.

• Circular Economy – A system that eliminates waste, keeps materials in use, and regenerates natural systems.
• Material Passports – A digital identity card for a material, documenting the material’s composition, quality, origin, and potential for reuse or recycling’ – easing re-certification for trade and re-use.

We heard that Europe is exploring legislation for material passports, but the data protocols for implementation are not ready. We also learned that the cost of disassembling buildings could still cost up to ten times more than new materials. CHBA highlighted differences between large and small builders in adopting digital material management concepts. If you are interested in future workshops or you work with used building materials or on the disassembly of homes, please contact Frank Lohmann.

News Articles 

This section includes articles that you might find interesting. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of CHBA.

• History of Pre-Fab Homes – Architectural Digest – Provides a brief history of where pre-fab homes came from and explores their evolution into what we see today.
• 3D printed homes – University of Maine – Learn about the first 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based, recyclable materials.
• Why Is Homeowners Insurance Getting So Expensive? – Construction Physics Online Essays – Investigates increases in home insurance cost in the US and quantifies the portion that the effect of climate change is responsible for (long read).