Ontario Building Code 2025: Ontario to allow builders to build huge towers made of woods

Josh Camaro

January 1 2025

News
5 min read

Ontario Building Code 2025: Ontario to allow bhilders to build huge towers made of woods

Starting Jan 1, our government is making it easier to build with mass timber by allowing this type of construction for buildings of up to 18 storeys. Mass timber keeps construction costs down and supports thousands of good-paying jobs in Ontario’s forestry sector.

As of January 1, developers can now design encapsulated mass timber developments of up to 18 storeys.

An update to the Ontario Building Code that just came into effect with the dawn of 2025 should mean quieter, more eco-friendly and, perhaps more importantly, faster construction of new homes across the province in the years to come.

Introduced in the spring by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra, the amendment focuses on mass timber buildings, which previously faced strict height limits—initially capped at six storeys until 2022 and later extended to 12 storeys."

Ontario is expanding the use of advanced wood construction like mass timber to help build homes faster and reduce costs over time while supporting good-paying jobs in forestry, technology, engineering design and manufacturing. Currently, Ontario’s Building Code allows Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction buildings to be up to 12-storeys tall. The province intends to amend the Building Code in the coming months to permit encapsulated mass timber construction up to 18 storeys.

“The use of mass timber can help the sector build more homes faster, keep the cost of construction down and boost our northern economy,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “As we work to cut red tape in order to increase housing supply, we’re taking an innovative approach to help our partners get shovels in the ground.”

Sources: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004272/ontario-expanding-mass-timber-construction-up-to-18-storeys