NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF CANADA (NBC) 

The National Building Code of Canada (NBC) is prepared by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCFC) and is published by the National Research Council.

NBC is essentially a set of minimum provisions for the safety of buildings with reference to public health, fire protection and structural sufficiency. It establishes a standard of safety for the construction of building, including extensions or alterations, the evaluation of buildings undergoing a change of occupancy, and upgrading of buildings to remove an unacceptable hazard.

The content of NBC pertains primarily to the needs of health and safety. Requirements unrelated to health and safety are kept to a minimum. Requirements for workmanship related to aesthetics only, are not considered appropriate for the NBC, although requirements for quality and durability that effect health and safety are appropriate.

The code is not intended to be a manual on building design, therefore advice on NBC should be sought from professional sources.

Under the terms of the Constitution Act, regulation of building in Canada is the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments. The NBC has received wide use as the basis for municipal bylaws and provincial building codes.
Liaison with provincial and territorial code authorities is maintained through the Provincial/Territorial Committee on Building Standards, established by these authorities to provide policy guidance to the commission.

The Code is drafted in such a way that it may be adopted or enacted for legal use by any jurisdictional authority in Canada.      
(excerpt taken from the National Building & Fire Code of Canada 1995)

National Research Council Of Canada

Federal Publications Inc