Professional Building Inspections (PBI)
Professional Building Inspections (PBI)
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On January 1, 2019, most new buildings and additions in Saskatchewan must be energy code compliant.
*** NOTE: Renovations to existing buildings constructed prior to January 1, 2019 do not need to meet energy efficiency compliance. Energy code requirements are only applicable to renovations in new buildings constructed after January 1, 2019.
There are two National Building Code editions that address energy efficiency:
The Code edition applicable for the project is determined by factors such as building use, size, height, etc. There are also three compliance options (paths) that the owner or designer can potentially choose from.
Applicants must submit the required forms for the Code edition used and compliance path selected with their plans for building permit review. NOTE: A building permit cannot be approved without this information.
Forms are available for download below.
Anyone can choose to use NECB 2017 for their building project; however, there are additional requirements:
Climate Zones:
There are four climate zones in Saskatchewan: Zone 6 (southwest corner), Zone 7A, Zone 7B and Zone 8 (northern). Most of PBI’s clients are in Zone 7A, but a few border 7B, so ensure that the project is designed/modelled for the right climate zone.
NBC 2015 (9.36.2. – 9.36.4.)
NBC 2015 (9.36.2. – 9.36.4.)
National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB 2017)
(See definitions for Part and Group below)
NBC 2015 (9.36.2. – 9.36.4.)
NBC 2015 (9.36.2. – 9.36.4.)
National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB 2017)
(See definitions for Part and Group below)
NBC 2015 (9.36.5) - Energy Modelling
* Houses (as defined for the Performance option).
National Energy Code for
NBC 2015 (9.36.5) - Energy Modelling
* Houses (as defined for the Performance option).
National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB 2017)
(See definitions for Part and Group below)
National Building Code of Canada (NBC) classifies buildings by:
Note that additions to buildings calculates the area as follows:
Existing building area + New addition area = Area for classification purposes.
NBC - Major Occupancy Groups are:
Group A – Assembly (places where people gather, like restaurants, churches, schools, community centres, arenas, etc.)
Group B – Care, Treatment & Detention (places where people receive special care, like hospitals, nursing homes, penitentiaries, etc.)
Group C – Residential (places where people sleep, like houses, cottages, condominiums, apartments, hotels, motels, boarding houses, etc.)
Group D – Business & Personal Services (offices, medical clinics, banks, hairdresser shops, police stations, etc.)
Group E – Mercantile (places where retails goods are sold or displayed, like stores, supermarkets, exhibition halls, etc.)
Group F1 – High Hazard Industrial (buildings with highly combustible or explosive materials, like plants or warehouses for flammable or hazardous substances, flour mills, grain elevators, spray painting operations, etc.)
Group F2 – Medium Hazard Industrial (buildings with moderate combustible content or materials, like repair garages, service stations, warehouses, woodworking shops, aircraft hangars, freight depots, printing plants, etc.)
Group F3 – Low Hazard Industrial (buildings with low combustible content or materials, like storage garages, warehouses, power plants, etc.)
NBC "Parts" are essentially chapters of the building code. NBC Division B Parts are:
Part 9 buildings: (Group C, D, E, F2, F3 buildings up to 600 m² in horizontal area and 3 storeys or less in building height.)
Part 3 buildings: (Group C, D, E, F2, F3 buildings over 600 m² or more than 3 storeys, and all Group A, B, and F1 projects regardless of size or height.)
NOTE: Part 9 buildings are classified somewhat differently for purposes of compliance and application of NBC Section 9.36. Click here for details.
NOTE: Parts of the NECB differ from those noted above.
Energy Efficiency Compliance Form must be submitted for the plan review.
Form must be completed by a competent person and must be accompanied by calculations for the compliance option selected.
*** IMPORTANT - Name and contact information of the person who provided the calculations must be included on the calculations sheet
so the Building Official knows who to contact if there are questions. Failure to provide this information will result in delays in obtaining your building permit.
Ensure the building project is designed for the correct climate zone.
Forms are pdf-fillable.
Forms must be completed by a professional designer for the compliance option selected and correct climate zone.
Three forms are required to be submitted for the plan review:
(1) Project Summary Form
(2) Commitment for Field Review
(3) Prescriptive, Trade-Off or Performance Report (accompanied by sealed designs/calculations)
One form, Confirmation of Field Review & Compliance, must be submitted to PBI upon substantial completion and prior to occupancy.
Means a change to any building project regulated by the CC Act. In the context of the Code:
Minor Alteration – Means a stand-alone project for which a permit is required and:
Major Alteration – Means:
For the purpose of application of NBC 9.36.5. (Performance Compliance Option) the term “houses” includes:
Building used for assembling, fabricating, manufacturing, processing, repairing or storing of goods and materials in which combustible content is more than 50 kg/m2 or 1,200 MJ/m2 of floor area and not classified as high hazard industrial. Examples are: repair garages, service stations, warehouses, cold storage plants, woodworking factories, aircraft hangars, factories, freight depots, printing plants, laboratories, etc
Means a person, firm or corporation who is knowledgeable and experienced in the application of NBC Section 9.36. for the design of buildings and/or building systems.