The National Building Code of Canada (NBC) has been in existence since 1941 when the Canadian Government compiled the first edition. From 1960 onwards, the NBC has been revised and improved every 5 years, up to the most current edition in 2020.

Builders and designers know that building code is the minimum quality allowed by law for the construction of buildings. The government bodies responsible for Code updates and compilations are the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

WHAT IS THE CODE?

• The building code is law - these are the rules for building in Canada.
• The code is a REFERENCE book, like a dictionary.
  
• It contains STANDARDS for construction materials and their placement.
• The code provides MINIMUMS - for structural material thickness, width and length, insulation value, and other fundamental parts of a building.
• The code also provides MAXIMUMS - such as allowable spacing for structural parts, vapour and air permeance and many other parts of construction.
• Following the code and meeting all the requirements laid out for your building type is called being "code compliant".

The Building Code in its entirety is made up of several volumes, to cover everything from Energy Efficiency to Fire Safety.

The NRC has the following versions of the National Code:

• The National Building Code
• National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings
• National Fire Code
• National Plumbing Code
• National Farm Buildings Code
  

Most provinces and territories in Canada also have their own Codes.