What design loads apply to houses under Part 9 in Ontario?
Residential floors are designed for a specified live load of 1.9 kPa (40 psf) within dwelling units. Snow, wind and earthquake loads come from the climatic data for your specific Ontario location.
Paraphrased for clarity — open this provision in the BUILDAiD Library for the exact wording.
The 1.9 kPa (40 psf) floor live load is baked into the Part 9 span tables, so ordinary bedrooms, living rooms, and basements are covered automatically. Watch for exceptions: waterbeds are fine, but heavy items like large aquariums, stone tubs, or gym equipment can exceed assumptions and merit engineering. Roof design depends heavily on ground snow load, which varies widely across Ontario (Ottawa and Muskoka are much higher than Windsor), so always use the climatic data table for your municipality when selecting spans.
House floors are built to safely carry about 1.9 kPa, roughly 40 pounds on every square foot, which handles normal furniture and people. Roofs are designed for your town's snow, which is why requirements differ across 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.