The Province of Ontario announced it has appointed a Short Term Advisory Board (STAB) to "identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden." STAB's consultation document notes "In the context of Ontario’s housing crisis and the need to accelerate homebuilding, the Advisory Body will conduct a detailed review of the  building Code to identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary complexity, delays, and costs that can hinder construction."

The document poses a number of questions:

Usability, complexity, and modernization

1. Where do Building Code requirements create unnecessary complexity, uncertainty, or difficulty in practice without improving outcomes?
2. Are there specific areas where requirements could be simplified, clarified, consolidated,or applied more flexibly while maintaining health, safety, accessibility,  durability,performance, and enforceability outcomes?
3. Are there parts of the Building Code that appear outdated, overly prescriptive, duplicative, or are no longer the clearest or most practical way to achieve their  intended purpose?

Implementation, administration, and consistency

4. Which administrative requirements or implementation issues have the greatest effect on timelines, predictability, consistency, cost, or ease of compliance?
5. Are there areas where interpretation, professional judgment, or enforcement challenges create inconsistencies across projects, sectors, or municipalities? Do you have suggestions for remedying these?

Ontario-specific requirements and national alignment

6. Where does alignment – or lack of alignment - with national codes create unnecessary burden? Are there areas where Ontario-specific requirements remain  justified?

Innovation and more efficient building practices

7. Are there barriers in the current system to innovation, alternative solutions, new materials, new methods of construction, digital tools, or more efficient building practices? If so, where do those barriers arise, and what change might help address them?
8. Are there specific issues related to energy efficiency requirements that should be explored? Are there barriers to meeting current requirements? Should  consideration be given to either enhancing or simplifying the current requirements? If so, to what degree should Ontario consider the current National Code’s  approach in utilizing a Tiered Energy Performance Framework and compliance paths?

The document notes "Submissions should, to the degree possible, be specific, practical, and grounded in real-world experience. Where possible, respondents should identify the relevant  Building Code provision, section, topic, or type of requirement, explain how the issue arises in practice, describe who is affected, and indicate whether the issue appears  to be recurring or more limited in scope. Examples, evidence, and practical suggestions are greatly appreciated."

The consultation document, available here, invites submissions during the consultation period from July 15, 2026 to August 14, 2026. Full instructions on making a submission can be found in the document.