Bill 122: what every building owner needs to know
Which buildings are covered, how storeys are counted, how often verifications are due, parking slabs, the register, dangerous conditions, penalties: this guide explains in plain language what Bill 122 and the RBQ Safety Code require of building owners and condominium syndicates in Québec. Written by our structural engineers, who carry out these verifications every day.
- Structural engineers (OIQ)
- Façades and parking structures
- From the report to the certificate of conformity
Structural engineers
Report, plans and specifications, supervision: everything is signed by our engineers.
Façades and parking structures
Both components of Bill 122, handled by the same team.
Ready for the register
Report compliant with RBQ requirements.
All types of owners
Syndicates, rental, commercial and institutional buildings, property managers.
Bill 122 deadlines, from construction to the next verification
Bill 122 does not set a single deadline: it imposes a cycle of verifications that follows the age of your building. Here are the milestones to know.
March 2013
The façade and parking slab maintenance requirements come into force in the RBQ Safety Code, adopted after accidents in Montréal.
10 years after construction
First façade verification of a building of 5 above-ground storeys or more, by an engineer or an architect. The report is filed in the building register.
Then every 5 years
A new façade verification report, no later than 5 years after the previous one. A report older than 5 years puts you in default.
Every year
Annual check of parking slabs by the owner (or representative), recorded in the register: cracks, water infiltration, spalling concrete, visible corrosion.
Every 5 years
In-depth verification of parking slabs by an engineer, with a signed report — whatever the number of storeys of the building.
At any time
Dangerous condition found: immediate emergency measures (perimeter, removal, shoring), correction of the situation and entry in the register.
What Bill 122 requires of you
Bill 122 amended the Building Act and added façade and parking slab maintenance obligations to the RBQ Safety Code. It applies to every owner — condominium syndicate, rental, commercial, industrial or institutional building — and the responsibility to comply rests directly on the owner.
1. Façades: buildings coveredEvery building of 5 above-ground storeys or more, whatever its use, cladding or year of construction. The ground floor counts as a storey; levels entirely below grade do not. A façade, within the meaning of the law, includes every element attached to the envelope: cladding, balconies, guardrails, cornices, signs, equipment.
2. Façades: frequencyA verification report signed by an engineer or an architect when the building reaches 10 years, then every 5 years. The professional records the condition of the façades, notes the defects, recommends corrective work and its schedule.
3. Parking: buildings coveredEvery underground or multi-level parking structure in which at least one concrete slab does not rest directly on the ground — whatever the number of storeys of the building. A 3-storey condominium with an underground garage is therefore covered by this part.
4. Parking: frequencyAn annual check by the owner, recorded in the register, and an in-depth verification every 5 years by an engineer, with a signed report.
5. The building registerThe owner keeps a register containing the verification reports, the description of the work carried out and the emergency measures taken, as well as the design and construction documents. It must be available to the RBQ on request.
6. Dangerous conditionIf an element is at risk of detaching or collapsing, the professional notifies the owner without delay; the owner must put in place immediate emergency measures, then have the situation corrected.
Who may signFaçades: an engineer or an architect. Parking structures: an engineer. At Darheim, every report is prepared and signed by structural engineers who are members of the OIQ.
PenaltiesFailure to comply exposes the owner to the fines provided for in the Building Act, and to civil liability in the event of an accident. For condominiums, the absence of a report also shows up in the syndicate certificate upon a sale.
Good to know: Bill 122 covers the envelope and the parking slabs — not the interior structure or the mechanical systems. For condominiums, those elements fall under the maintenance log and the reserve fund study required by Bill 16.
Are your façades and parking structure covered?
A few questions are enough to find out whether you have a legal inspection obligation — façades, parking slabs, or both — and whether your next deadline has already passed.
This tool gives a general indication. Our engineers confirm your exact situation and deadlines free of charge.
Your façades
And your parking structure?
What Bill 122 changes for you
Beyond the report to produce, the law structures how an owner or a board of directors plans, budgets and documents the maintenance of its building envelope.
A planned maintenance cycle
Every 5 years, a signed assessment: work is planned on priorities, not on emergencies.
Defensible budgets
The report puts figures on the corrective work: the board or the owner justifies contributions and reserves with an engineer’s estimates.
Documented diligence
In the event of an accident, the register shows that you had the building verified and corrected: it is your first protection, civil and penal.
Insurers, lenders, buyers
The façade report is increasingly requested at insurance renewal, refinancing and, in condominiums, in the syndicate certificate.
An up-to-date register
Reports, annual checks, emergency measures, work: everything is recorded and available to the RBQ.
From diagnosis to construction work, the same team
Our structural engineers prepare the verification report, then design, have carried out and certify the corrective work. For condominiums, the maintenance log and the reserve fund study complete the picture.
Façade and parking structure inspection
Verification report signed by a structural engineer, façades and parking slabs, often during a single visit. Free quote.
Plans and specifications, tendering, supervision
Our structural engineers design the work, manage the tendering, supervise the site and issue the certificate of conformity.
Maintenance log and reserve fund study
Mandatory for every syndicate by August 2028; the façade report feeds directly into them.
Bill 122: the questions owners ask
What is Bill 122?
A law adopted after accidents in Montréal, which amended the Building Act and added to the Safety Code of the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) maintenance obligations for the façades of buildings of 5 storeys or more and for concrete parking slabs. These requirements have been in force since March 2013.
Is my 4-storey building covered?
For façades, no: the law covers buildings of 5 above-ground storeys or more. The ground floor counts as a storey; levels entirely below grade do not. Watch out for the parking part, however, which applies whatever the number of storeys as soon as a concrete slab does not rest on the ground. In case of doubt (mezzanine, split level, sloping lot), we rule free of charge from your plans.
How often must my façades be verified?
A first verification when the building reaches 10 years, then every 5 years. If your last report is more than 5 years old, or if you have never had one although the building is more than 10 years old, you are in default.
What about parking slabs?
Every underground or multi-level parking structure in which at least one concrete slab does not rest directly on the ground is covered, whatever the number of storeys of the building. The owner performs an annual check recorded in the register, and an engineer performs an in-depth verification every 5 years.
Who is allowed to sign the report?
For façades, an engineer or an architect; for parking structures, an engineer. The professional must be a member of their order. At Groupe Darheim, every report is prepared and signed by structural engineers who are members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.
What does the verification report contain?
The description of each façade (or each slab) and its condition, the defects observed, located on plans and documented with photos, their priority level, the recommended corrective work, a schedule and a budget estimate. It is signed and sealed for filing in the building register.
What is a dangerous condition?
A situation in which a façade or slab element is at risk of detaching, falling or collapsing. The professional notifies the owner without delay; the owner must put in place emergency measures (safety perimeter, removal of the element, shoring), have the situation corrected and record everything in the register.
What are the penalties if I do not comply?
The owner is exposed to the fines provided for in the Building Act and, above all, to civil — even penal — liability in the event of an accident caused by an element that should have been verified. An up-to-date register is the best demonstration of diligence.
Which documents must I keep in the register?
The façade and parking verification reports, the annual slab checks, the description of the work carried out and the emergency measures taken, as well as the documents relating to the design and construction of the building. The register must be available to the RBQ on request.
How much does a Bill 122 verification cost?
The price depends on the number of façades, the height, the access method (balconies or rope-access technicians), the presence of a parking structure and the existing documentation. We provide a detailed, free quote; group rates apply to portfolios of several buildings.
Does the law apply to rental and commercial buildings?
Yes. Bill 122 covers every owner of a building of 5 storeys or more or of a parking structure with concrete slabs: condominium syndicates, owners of rental, commercial, industrial or institutional buildings, and property managers.
Condominiums: how does it relate to Bill 16?
Bill 16 requires every syndicate to obtain a maintenance log and a reserve fund study by August 2028. The façade and parking report feeds directly into those documents: same components, same estimates. Having both mandates carried out by the same team avoids duplication and inconsistencies. Read our Bill 16 guide →
Where do we start?
Check the age and number of storeys of your building, find your last report (if any) and request a quote. An engineer confirms your situation, your deadlines and the access method, then schedules the inspection — façades and parking structure during a single visit.