Regulation - Minister
Proposal to Establish a Building Official Equivalency Assessment Process
Regulation Number(s):
O. Reg 332/12 and O. Reg 163/24
Instrument Type:
Regulation - Minister
Bill or Act:
Building Code Act, 1992
Summary of Decision:
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has amended the Ontario Building Code (O.Reg 163/24) to allow the ministry to conduct equivalency assessments for building officials from Manitoba. This will allow the Director of the Building and Development Branch, upon approval of a recommendation/report by a panel of subject matter experts, to determine if an applicant's knowledge of Ontario's Building Code is equivalent to the ministry's technical exams.
Doing so will provide suitably qualified applicants with a pathway to practice in Ontario and help address building official shortages in northern Ontario communities within close proximity to the Manitoba border.
Doing so will provide suitably qualified applicants with a pathway to practice in Ontario and help address building official shortages in northern Ontario communities within close proximity to the Manitoba border.
Analysis of Regulatory Impact:
Detailed information on provincial costs and benefits resulting from streamlining the qualification process are anticipated to be learned through the Fall 2024 consultation process when the proposals are discussed in detail with stakeholders and the public. These costs will ultimately be impacted by the program's uptake and the number of applicants seeking a Building Official Equivalency Assessment.
Cost savings are expected to be experienced by individuals and municipalities alike - both of which would no longer be required to pay for all of their building code exam fees. Each individual/municipality may save up to $750 if they successfully apply for a Building Official Equivalency Assessment and do not need to sit all of the building code exams (e.g., five (5) building code exams in order to practise at $150 per exam x 5 exams).
Municipalities may also avoid costs because they no longer need to hire external third-party Building Code expertise to assist with the building permit process. For example, a local municipality can spend up to three (3) times as much on external service costs when compared to the costs required to directly hire a Building Official as an employee.
There are no new administrative costs associated with this proposal.
Cost savings are expected to be experienced by individuals and municipalities alike - both of which would no longer be required to pay for all of their building code exam fees. Each individual/municipality may save up to $750 if they successfully apply for a Building Official Equivalency Assessment and do not need to sit all of the building code exams (e.g., five (5) building code exams in order to practise at $150 per exam x 5 exams).
Municipalities may also avoid costs because they no longer need to hire external third-party Building Code expertise to assist with the building permit process. For example, a local municipality can spend up to three (3) times as much on external service costs when compared to the costs required to directly hire a Building Official as an employee.
There are no new administrative costs associated with this proposal.
Further Information:
Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23 (ontario.ca)
Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23 | ontario.ca
O. Reg. 163/24 BUILDING CODE | ontario.ca
Proposal Number:
24-MMAH021
Posting Date:
November 4, 2024
Summary of Proposal:
The ministry is proposing to bring forward changes to support Ontario municipalities to recruit knowledgeable building officials from outside Ontario by eliminating labour mobility barriers, while protecting public health and safety. This will be enabled through the creation of a Building Official Equivalency Assessment process that will determine if an applicant's Building Code knowledge is equivalent to the technical exams that comprise the ministry's Qualification and Registration program.
Contact Address:
Building and Development Branch
12th Floor, 777 Bay Street
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3
12th Floor, 777 Bay Street
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3
Effective Date:
January 15, 2025
Decision:
Approved