Ontario BCIN House Plans

Licensed With Ministry of Housing / BCIN: (What Does that Mean?)

Near the end of 1999, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing started to look at a way to create a licensed body of designers, and streamline the building permit process across all Ontario.   What they came up with was Bill 124 and it was passed and came into effect Jan. 1, 2006.
(Under article 2.17.5.1 of the Ontario Building code)

Among the points stated above, other intentions of Bill 124 were to provide protection to the public and include the following upgrade in standards:

• Requiring Qualification for all building officials, house designers, architects, and interior designers who wish to submit house drawings for building permits.
• Mandatory registering of insurance and proof of insurance would also be required for all firms stated above wishing to submit their drawings for building permits (thus putting the onus on the designers)
• Specific timeframes for processing of a building permit, issuing a building permit or providing written confirmation of why a permit would not be issued.
• Mandatory use of a province wide permit application forms
• New rules in regards to governing permit fees
• Mandatory notices & inspections at key construction stages

A designer needs to pass numerous provincial exams to receive their Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) – and were also required to purchase “errors & omissions” liability insurance. No BCIN number = No Permit.

In conclusion – the responsibility for authorizing and designing to code is now on the BCIN licensed house designer and not the local building department.  When licensed house plans come into a building department for permit, the thought is, now that they are a designed by a qualified home designer there should not be as much time spent on reviewing house plans and thus streamline the permit process.

Rijus Home Design provides licensed, detailed & accurate house drawings that are guaranteed to be accepted by all building departments.
We have two designers who are licensed under article 2.17.5.1 of the Ontario Building Code (O.B.C), meeting all requirements of Bill 124, insured and are registered with Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing.

Please note:
As per 15.11-(5) of the O.B.C no person shall engage in the activites of "design" or give opinion concerning house construction/design whether that be in the form of sketches, plans, specifications, drawings or graphic representation unless they are qualifed and meet the requirements of the Ontario Building code. 

When searching for a house designer please check to see if you will be dealing with the licensed designer throughout the process.  An unlicensed employee, draftsperson or CAD operator employed by the licensed designer is NOT ALLOWED to provide any advice or "designs" relating to plans to be used for permit.
It is illegal under the Building Code Act of Ontario.