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House qualifies you for detached, semi-detached and row houses with up to two dwelling units. Small Buildings qualifies you for all buildings under Part 9 of the code, and because it is nested, passing it also qualifies you for House. If you will ever work on Part 9 buildings other than houses, write Small Buildings and skip House.
Both exams use the same format: 70 multiple choice questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass. The difference is scope.
What each qualification covers
Table 3.5.2.1 in Division C of the 2024 Building Code defines the type of building for each class.
| House | Small Buildings | |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings | Detached house, semi-detached house or rowhouse with no more than two dwelling units, plus ancillary buildings that serve it | Part 9 buildings, which includes houses |
| Part 9 limits (Division A, 1.3.3.3) | Not applicable | 3 storeys or less in building height and building area not over 600 m² |
| Occupancies | Residential (houses) | Group C residential (not retirement homes), Group D business and personal services, Group E mercantile, Group F Divisions 2 and 3 industrial |
| Exams that give it | House or Small Buildings | Small Buildings only |
| Typical work | Custom homes, additions, decks, garages, basement second units | Small apartment buildings, offices, shops, small industrial units, plus everything House covers |
The House class excludes plumbing, HVAC and sewage system work, which have their own classes and exams (Plumbing-House, HVAC-House, On-site Sewage Systems).
Who needs which
| Your work | Exam |
|---|---|
| Designing only houses (with a second unit at most) | House is enough |
| Designing houses and small commercial or multi-unit buildings | Small Buildings |
| Municipal inspector or plans examiner on house permits only | House works; Small Buildings covers more permit types |
| Inspector who will review all Part 9 permits | Small Buildings |
| Technologist student unsure of career path | Small Buildings keeps more doors open |
You still need a legal exam alongside either one. Designers can use Designer Legal/Process or General Legal/Process; inspectors need General Legal/Process or Powers and Duties of a CBO. See Which BCIN Exams Do I Need?.
How the syllabi compare
Both syllabi come from the Ministry's 2024 study guides. They overlap heavily. The main differences:
| Area | House syllabus | Small Buildings syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| Part 9 | Listed Sections only, with many exceptions for non-house uses (for example exit signs, hotel fire alarm systems, repair garage separations, interconnected floor spaces, doors to public water closet rooms) | Part 9 listed in full |
| Part 2 Farm Buildings | Not listed | 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.4 (scope, application, classification) |
| Part 3 major occupancies | Group C up to 3 storeys (3.2.2.54) | Also Groups D, E, F2 and F3 construction articles, multiple and superimposed major occupancies |
| Part 3 other | Selected fire safety, spatial separation and fire alarm articles | A wider set, including occupant load and more of spatial separation |
| Part 11 Renovation | 11.5 compliance alternatives, cross-referenced to the House syllabus | 11.5 compliance alternatives, with more tables |
| Part 12 | 12.1 to 12.4, with some exceptions in 12.2 (includes 12.3 energy efficiency for Part 9 residential) | Part 12 listed without a narrower list |
| Supplementary Standards | SB-1, SB-2, SB-3, SB-7, SB-9, SB-12 | The same, plus SB-10 Energy Efficiency Requirements |
Both also include Division A Parts 1 to 3 (except the application of Part 2), parts of Divisions B Parts 4 to 7, and parts of Division C Parts 1 and 2. Check the full study guide for the exact article list.
In short, most of the House syllabus is also in the Small Buildings syllabus, though the article lists are not identical, so use the study guide for the exam you are writing. Small Buildings adds the non-house rules: other occupancies, more of Part 3, farm buildings and SB-10.
Which to take first
If you will need both, take Small Buildings and do not take House at all. It gives you both qualifications for one $150 fee.
If you only design houses, House is the narrower syllabus to prepare for, and that is all you need.
If you are not sure, consider how much extra study Small Buildings is for you. The core of both exams is Part 9: stairs, guards, egress, fire separations, smoke alarms, foundations, framing, insulation and energy efficiency. If you already know house construction, the extra work is mostly the occupancy rules in Part 3 and Part 9, plus SB-10.
One sensible order is the legal exam first, since its syllabus is shorter and builds familiarity with the Act and Division C, then the technical exam.
How to study for either
- Tab Part 9 heavily. Its Sections are the core of both syllabi.
- Learn the defined terms in Division A that drive Part 9: building area, building height, storey, dwelling unit, suite, limiting distance.
- Practise span and fastening tables, and the Supplementary Standards your syllabus names.
- For Small Buildings, practise classifying a building's major occupancy and checking whether Part 9 even applies, using Division A 1.3.3.3.
Our free study guides follow each Ministry syllabus section by section with the 2024 articles cited. Compare them on the House and Small Buildings exam pages, and take the free quiz for each to see which one fits.
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