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Excavation, foundation depth and backfill

Part 9 · Housing and small buildings · Div. B 9.12HouseAbout 15 min

Preparing and protecting the excavation, minimum foundation depths by soil and drainage, exemptions for light buildings and decks, backfill and trenches under footings.

Study notes, not an official interpretation. About these notes

Only the Minister’s binding interpretations (Act s.28.1) and the decisions of the chief building official on a real project are authoritative.

Quoted from the 2024 Building Code, O. Reg. 163/24 as amended by O. Reg. 5/25 (Building Code Compendium, January 16, 2025 update). Later amendments are not yet reflected. This copy is for study; check the current official Code.

Each provision is quoted word for word. Study summaries, background, examples, exam traps and recall answers are ours: shorthand for memory and made-up scenarios for study, not a substitute for the text. On a real project, the chief building official decides how the Code applies.

Confirm against the official text of the Act and the Code before relying on anything.

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