Major revisions to the Ontario Building Code, referred to as the “largest ever provincial building code revision”, went into effect on January 1, 2025.

The Ontario Building Code (“OBC”), as made under the Building Code Act, 1992[1] (the “Building Code Act”), is a technical, detailed, and comprehensive document that establishes requirements and minimum standards for building construction in the Province of Ontario. The purpose of the OBC is to promote public safety, resource conservation, environmental integrity, and accessibility objectives by applying uniform building standards, including in respect of[2]:

• Health and safety,
• Fire prevention,
• Structural sufficiency,
• Construction materials, and
• Plumbing and mechanical systems.

Why Code Changes Matter: What Ontario’s New Building Code Means for Your Property

When the rules of life safety change, you want a partner who’s already ahead of them. Ontario’s new Building Code took effect on January 1, 2025, with a three-month transition for certain in-progress designs; as of April 1, 2025, all new permit applications must use the 2024 Ontario Building Code. It’s the largest overhaul of the OBC ever—over 1,700+ items revised—with major updates that affect fire alarms, sprinklers, standpipes, and verification standards.

The Changes Owners and Builders Will Notice Most

1. If your building is sprinklered, a fire alarm system is now required in most cases.
   OBC Division B 3.2.4.1 ties fire alarms to sprinklers, with limited exceptions. Alarms must initiate on waterflow, include an annunciator in all sprinklered buildings, and send signals to the fire department per CAN/ULC-S561. Visible/audible signaling requirements are also tightened, particularly in sleeping areas. These provisions significantly expand the number of buildings that need full alarm infrastructure.
2. Sprinkler coverage now “cascades” to lower storeys.
   If any storey requires sprinklers, the Code now requires protection to extend to all lower storeys—closing a common gap in partial-coverage designs.
3. Standpipe systems: higher performance and new design expectations.
   Standpipe provisions shift to NFPA 14 as the governing performance standard, hose connections must be located in exits, and the required residual pressure expectation effectively moves to 690 kPa (100 psi) at the topmost hose connection (with defined allowances when a building is sprinklered throughout). Hose-reach is now aligned to NFPA 14 distances. Translation: more rigorous water supply and hose connection planning.
4. Referenced standards are updated.
   OBC’s table of performance standards now points designs and verification to newer editions, including NFPA 13 (2019) for sprinklers and CAN/ULC-S524 (2019) and CAN/ULC-S537 (2019) for fire alarm installation and verification. If you’re building or renovating, submittals, shop drawings, and commissioning must meet these newer editions.
5. Broad harmonization and renumbering.
   The OBC reorganizes around the National Building Code structure. This drives cleaner alignment province-wide, but it also means design teams and AHJs will be working with relocated sections and renumbered articles. Expect more emphasis on consistent national practices.

What This Means for Western Fire Customers

More buildings will need integrated alarms.
If you’ve historically relied on “sprinklers only,” many projects will now trigger full fire alarm systems with annunciation and fire-department monitoring. Western Fire’s design team can audit your portfolio and flag where new scope is likely—before you budget or permit—so you’re never surprised mid-project.

Budget and schedule impacts (managed, not magnified).
Added alarm, annunciation, monitoring, and waterflow interfaces mean more devices, circuits, and commissioning time. We sequence work to minimize downtime in occupied spaces (multi-residential, assisted living, campus housing) and we coordinate with AHJs so sign-offs are predictable.

Water supply and standpipe checks.
With higher standpipe performance expectations and NFPA 14 references, some buildings will need pump evaluations or hose connection relocations. Our team models flows/pressures and proposes options when upgrades are required.

Sprinkler “downstacking.”
If you’re adding sprinklers to an upper storey as part of a renovation, be prepared to extend protection to all lower storeys. We’ll map the impact early so costs stay controlled and phasing is realistic.

Verification and documentation will tighten.
With the Code referencing newer editions of S524/S537 and NFPA 13, commissioning packages, test reports, and as-builts must reflect 2019 standards. Our close-out documentation is built to make your ongoing OFC inspections straightforward.

Transition timing matters.
Everything after April 1, 2025 proceeds under the new OBC. If you’re mid-design, we’ll tell you exactly which set of rules applies and how to avoid rework.

Why Prospective Clients Should Care That We Stay Ahead

Fewer surprises, fewer change orders.
Code changes are where budgets go sideways. Because Western Fire tracks new OBC provisions—and how local municipalities interpret them—we design to the right edition from day one, align on monitoring and annunciation, and make sure waterflow, detector locations, and standpipe details meet the current text. That’s what Fire Safety Expertise in Ontario, Canada looks like in practice.

Smoother permits and faster occupancy.
Our drawings reference the updated articles and standards which helps plan reviewers and inspectors do their job quickly. When the AHJ, design team, and installer are reading from the same (new) code, your turnover dates hold.

Compliance that lasts—via ITM.
The Building Code gets you installed and accepted; the Ontario Fire Code keeps you compliant.

Western Fire’s ITM services Ontario program translates your new alarm/ sprinkler/standpipe features into an inspection, testing, and maintenance plan that stands up to audits and keeps people safe. One team, end-to-end accountability.

Bottom line

If you operate multi-residential housing, campus residences, assisted living, condos, or mixed-use buildings in Ontario, these changes affect you. Western Fire Protection brings Fire Safety Expertise in Ontario, Canada—from pre-permit design through commissioning and lifelong ITM services Ontario—so your project meets the new OBC cleanly and your buildings stay compliant day to day.

Have questions about a specific property or project?
We’ll review your drawings, code triggers, and timelines and give you a clear plan—before you file.