The Ontario Building Code | Windows or Access Panels Required
9.10.20.1. windows or Access panels Required
(1) Except as provided in Sentence (3), a window or access panel providing an opening not less than 1 100 mm high and 550 mm wide and having a sill height of not more than 900 mm above the floor shall be provided on the second and third storeys of every building in at least one wall facing on a street if such storeys are not sprinklered.
(2) Access panels required in Sentence (1) shall be readily openable from both inside and outside or be glazed with plain glass.
(3) Access panels required in Sentence (1) need not be provided in buildingscontaining only dwelling units where there is no dwelling unit above another dwelling unit.
Note: On July 1, 2017, Sentence 9.10.20.1.(3) of Division B of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted: (See: O. Reg. 139/17, s. 118)
(3) Access panels required in Sentence (1) need not be provided in houses.
In Plain Language
Windows or access panels are required at the locations set out in this article, providing an alternate way to reach or escape from certain spaces in an emergency.
This is a plain-language summary of the 2012/2017 Ontario Building Code text above, for general understanding only and not a substitute for the Code. Always confirm current requirements against the 2024 edition (O.Reg. 163/24) or a qualified professional before construction.