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OBC DIVISION B · PART 3 · SECTION 3.8 — BARRIER-FREE DESIGN

Which buildings are exempt from barrier-free design requirements in Ontario?

Section 3.8 does not apply to houses, including detached, semi-detached and most townhouse dwellings, to high-hazard industrial (Group F, Division 1) buildings, or to certain buildings not intended for public occupancy, such as camps for housing workers. Nearly everything else must comply.

Code reference
The application article for barrier-free design exempts individual dwelling units of the house type, high-hazard industrial occupancies, and limited categories of buildings not normally occupied by the public. All other buildings, including offices, retail, assembly, institutional and multi-unit residential buildings, must provide barrier-free design in accordance with Section 3.8, as substantially strengthened by Ontario's 2015 amendments.
OBC Division B, Article 3.8.1.1.

Paraphrased for clarity — open this provision in the BUILDAiD Library for the exact wording.

What this means in practice

The exemption list is short, so assume Section 3.8 applies unless you can point to the specific carve-out. Multi-unit residential buildings are not exempt: common areas and a share of suites carry barrier-free obligations, which surprises some low-rise developers. Also remember that renovations can trigger barrier-free upgrades under the existing-buildings rules in Part 11, and that AODA standards may impose separate obligations on exterior public spaces even where the OBC exemption applies.

Plain language

Only a few building types escape Ontario's accessibility rules, mainly single-family style homes and dangerous industrial plants that the public never enters. Almost every store, office, school, apartment building and public facility must be designed so people with disabilities can use it.

Related questions

When does a building need to be barrier-free (accessible) in Ontario?How wide must a barrier-free path of travel be in Ontario?How many barrier-free entrances does a building need in Ontario?

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This page is provided for general information. Building code requirements depend on your specific project, occupancy and municipality, and code editions change. Always verify requirements against the current Ontario Building Code and confirm with your local building department.