VICTORIA – The Province of British Columbia is granting in-stream protections for housing projects that are underway in relation to new 2024 building code changes for adaptable dwellings and earthquake designs.
The BC Building Code 2024 came into effect March 8 and at the time new earthquake-design and adaptable-dwelling provisions were moved to March 10, 2025 to allow more transition time for local governments, design professionals and developers to implement the new requirements, a release said.
Further review of the transition timeline pinpointed the possibility of construction delays, additional costs and the impact on the feasibility of in-stream projects if buildings designed to the 2018 BC Building Code earthquake-design and adaptable-dwelling provisions needed to be redesigned to meet 2024 requirements.
In consideration of the potential impacts to underway projects where design work according to the BC Building Code 2018 started before March 8, they are only required to meet the requirements of the 2018 code regarding adaptable dwellings and earthquake designs, the release said.
Projects are identified as in-stream if:
- a development-permit application and drawings have been submitted to a local authority in relation to the building before March 8, 2024; or
- a rezoning application and drawings have been submitted to a local authority in relation to the building before March 8, 2024; or
- drawings have been prepared for the building by a registered professional before March 8, 2024.
In all cases a building permit application must be submitted before March 8, 2027, the release said.
Projects for which a building permit will be applied for on or after March 10, 2025, will need to comply with the BC Building Code 2024, the release added, including the earthquake-design and adaptable-dwelling provisions.
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