Which buildings need an elevator under the Ontario Building Code?
The OBC rarely demands an elevator by name. In practice, barrier-free access rules in Section 3.8, stretcher access provisions, and the firefighters' elevator required in high buildings make elevators effectively mandatory in most multi-storey public, institutional and larger residential buildings.
Paraphrased for clarity — open this provision in the BUILDAiD Library for the exact wording.
For designers, the practical question is usually whether upper storeys must be on a barrier-free path of travel; if they must, an elevator (or in limited cases a platform lift) is the normal solution. Walk-up buildings can sometimes avoid an elevator, but this narrows leasing options and may conflict with client accessibility goals or municipal expectations. Once any elevator is provided, it must serve the barrier-free path properly, and high buildings always trigger firefighter elevator provisions under Subsection 3.2.6.
Ontario's code does not simply say every building needs an elevator. Instead, if upper floors have to be accessible to people with disabilities, or the building is a high-rise, an elevator becomes necessary. Most new multi-storey public buildings end up needing one.
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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.