VICTORIA – The Government of B.C. has announced new BC Building Code (BCBC) 2024 provisions for adaptable dwellings and seismic design have come into effect, with adaptable-dwelling requirements being gradually implemented.
“After consulting the homebuilding community and recognizing current economic uncertainty, such as the recent U.S. tariff threat, the adaptable-dwelling requirements will be introduced in a phased approach, starting at 20 per cent of units in large residential buildings, as opposed to the previously proposed 100 per cent,” the government states.
The updated provisions for adaptable dwellings include features that can be adjusted to meet occupants’ changing needs due to illness, injury or aging. For large residential buildings and ground-floor suites of smaller apartments, one in every five units is required to have accessible doorways and travel paths, manoeuvring space in bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens, controls at accessible heights and reinforced bathroom walls for future installation of grab bars.
When it comes to seismic provisions, BCBC 2024’s primary goal is preventing structural collapse during earthquakes. These updates focus on improving the resilience of buildings, particularly in high-risk areas such as the Capital Regional District (CRD) and parts of the Lower Mainland, the release rads. The province will also be exploring how mass timber can help provide cost-effective design solutions to meet the seismic requirements and will focus on specific solutions for the CRD.
For implementation, projects where design work began before March 8, 2024, may continue to follow the 2018 BC Building Code, provided they apply for a building permit before March 8, 2027. Projects for which a building permit will be applied for on or after March 10, 2025, must comply with the BCBC 2024, including the seismic-design and adaptable-dwelling provisions.
Further consultations will take place in 2026 as the ministry reviews the model 2025 national code requirements.
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