Ontario

What is the minimum ceiling height for a bedroom in Ontario?

Ontario requires 2 300 mm of clear height over at least 50% of the required floor area, or 2 100 mm over the whole required area.

Conditions and exceptions

  • The two options are alternatives — meeting either one satisfies the requirement.
  • Area below 1 400 mm of height is generally not counted toward the required floor area.
  • Height is measured to the lowest projection, so beams and ducts can govern.
  • These figures differ from the national code — do not substitute the NBC values.

Where this comes from

Governing document

Ontario Building Code

This page states the requirement and points you to the publisher. It does not reproduce the code text — read the provision itself at the official source below.

Read the official text at Ontario — King's Printer

Verify this against the code edition actually adopted where you are building. Provinces, territories, and municipalities amend on their own schedules, and where the governing document and this page disagree, the governing document controls. This is not legal, engineering, or permitting advice. Last reviewed 2026-08-12.

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