The Government of Saskatchewan recently adopted the 2020 editions of the national construction codes—National Building Code of Canada (NBC), National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB), and National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC)—which were published by the National Research Council Canada (NRC) in March 2022.

The 2020 codes will come into effect in Saskatchewan on January 1, 2024.

The 2020 codes, adopted by regulation under the province’s The Construction Codes Act, gives the construction industry, architects, engineers, building officials, municipalities, and other stakeholders time to review and plan before the busy summer construction season begins.

The date also allows the province to fulfill its commitment under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) to adopt national construction codes within 24 months of publication.

“Our timely adoption of the national construction codes supports Saskatchewan communities by promoting safe and innovative buildings that will allow for consistency across the industry,” says Don McMorris, government relations minister. “These codes will improve new home builds with additional efficiency and safety measures to ensure adequate future proofing of homes for Saskatchewan families.”

Amendments to The Building Code Regulations, Energy Code Regulations, and Plumbing Code Regulations come into effect January 1, 2024, because of adopting the 2020 national construction codes.

These amendments include:

• Consolidating Saskatchewan’s four climate zones into a single climate zone to simplify requirements for the construction industry and individuals when applying energy-efficiency provisions under the NBC and NECB.
• Establishing energy efficiency tiers for the construction of buildings which will help support Saskatchewan’s growth plan to build strong communities and support the province:

○ Under the NECB, Tier 1 will apply for larger buildings.

○ Under the NBC, Tier 2 will apply for smaller buildings, including houses.

○ Existing buildings constructed before January 1, 2019, are exempt from these energy-efficiency provisions when being renovated.

• Clarifying requirements around carbon monoxide and smoke alarms to ensure a consistent approach to enforcement.
• Clarifying where backwater valves are required in buildings to prevent sewer backups.

Copies of the regulations will be available to download for free on January 1, 2024 at https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/freelaw. Electronic copies of the 2020 national construction codes are available, free of charge, from Codes Canada at https://nrc.canada.ca/node/3307.