On December 12, 2025, the National Research Council of Canada released the 2025 edition of the National Building Code of Canada 2025 (NBC 2025), introducing a number of significant updates that will shape building design and construction practices as provinces move toward adoption. 

Key updates in NBC 2025 are framed around a shift toward performance-based and climate-aligned standards: 

Low to moderate impact: Enhanced flexibility in compliance pathways – Expands the tiered energy framework with additional prescriptive trade-off options and introduces an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) path, providing more flexibility in how projects can meet energy targets; 

Moderate impact: Existing building requirements – Introduces new provisions for alterations and retrofits, creating a more consistent approach to energy upgrades in existing buildings; 

Moderate to high impact: Climate resilience and forward-looking design data – Incorporates projected climate data (e.g., temperature, precipitation, wind) to better reflect future conditions in building design; 

High impact: Integration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – For the first time, the Code includes GHG emissions as a formal objective, with performance tiers that provinces may adopt to reduce operational emissions; 

Targeted updates: Accessibility, mass timber, and safety measures – Expands accessibility objectives, increases allowances for mass timber construction, and introduces requirements such as radon rough-ins and updated structural provisions. 

While NBC 2025 is a model code, its impact will depend on how and when provinces adopt and adapt these provisions. The changes signal a continued shift toward higher performance buildings, with implications for project design, costs, and approvals.  

To view the National Building Code of Canada 2025, click here.