Taking The Confusion Out Codes & Standards

How Are Codes and Standards Developed?

Wood-burning professionals rely on codes and standards every day—whether installing appliances, inspecting systems, or advising homeowners. Yet many people find codes confusing, vague, or even inconsistent. Understanding how codes are created helps explain why they are written the way they are, and why inspectors are expected to work from the most current editions even before they are formally referenced by a province or municipality.

Why Do Codes Sometimes Feel Confusing?

Codes and standards are not written as step-by-step instruction manuals. They are developed by committees over long, predetermined cycles, based on:

• emerging safety concerns

• field experience

• incident investigations

• technological changes

• feedback from installers, inspectors, manufacturers, and regulators

A prime motivation for updating a code is often the recognition that existing wording has led to misunderstanding or unintended interpretation in the field.

Many professionals assume that code language should always be perfectly clear and black-and-white. In reality, codes must serve a wide range of users, jurisdictions, and enforcement systems. That complexity sometimes results in language that feels indirect or overly broad.

The Role of Local Authorities (AHJs)

One important factor that many users of codes don’t fully realize is the influence of jurisdictional differences.

Because conditions vary across Canada, some requirements are written deliberately with flexibility so that the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) can make final determinations locally.

In this sense, every municipality is a “microcosm” of the larger CSA model: local officials are expected to interpret and apply code requirements in a way that best serves their communities.

A healthy system depends on strong relationships between:

• municipal authorities

• installers

• inspectors

• other code users

Municipalities should not simply defer to installer opinion, nor should installers assume that local authorities will automatically provide technical leadership. A breakdown occurs when authorities fail to fulfill their responsibility to guide and regulate effectively.

Why CSA B365 Serves a Different Purpose

Unlike product-specific installation standards such as ULC S627 or ULC S629, the CSA B365 Solid-Fuel-Burning Appliances and Equipment Installation Code serves a broader function.

B365 helps define the relationship between multiple documents and provides guidance on:

• hierarchy of authority

• interpretation priorities

• additional directives the committee considers essential

It is, by necessity, more of a “framework” document than a single-topic standard.

Who Writes the Codes?

CSA codes are developed through a committee process mandated in the interest of public safety.

Each industry category (such as solid-fuel installation) is assigned a project manager. That manager oversees participation from stakeholders, which may include:

• installers and inspectors

• manufacturers

• fire protection professionals

• insurance representatives

• consumer safety advocates

• regulators and building officials

To function properly, committees require balance. No single interest group should dominate the process, because an unbalanced committee could result in standards that fail to adequately protect the public.

Committees Are Made of People

It is important to remember: committee members are human.

They bring different expertise, priorities, and limitations. Only so much change can realistically be achieved in each revision cycle.

Sometimes progress is incremental. For example, a single word change may be the only achievable improvement in one cycle, even if the entire section needs long-term restructuring.

Deadlines, competing priorities, and the need to build consensus all shape what makes it into the next edition.

“Dead Stars” in Code

Some parts of code remain long after they have become obsolete—requirements that no longer reflect modern practice but persist because they have not yet been revised.

These are like “dead stars” in the night sky: the star may have burned out long ago, but its light is still reaching us.

Solid-fuel heating is an ancient technology, and in Canada the industry remains largely unregulated. This makes it harder to attract funding and sustained development, despite the fact that wood-burning, when done correctly, is carbon-neutral and highly efficient.

Why WETT Inspectors Use the Most Current Codes

WETT inspectors are expected to inspect according to the most current version of applicable codes and standards, even if those editions have not yet been formally referenced in a provincial building code.

This supports consistency across the national industry and reflects the reality that:

• newer editions generally improve clarity and safety

• committees revise codes based on real-world lessons

• best practice evolves faster than legal adoption

That said, inspectors must still apply professional judgment and recognize nuance in how requirements are enforced locally.

When Do Codes Become Legally Enforceable?

Codes and standards become legally enforceable once they are referenced or adopted by governing documents such as:

• provincial building codes

• municipal bylaws

• regulatory authorities

Until referenced, they may function as best practice guidance, but not necessarily as enforceable law.

Closing Thought

Understanding how codes are developed helps professionals approach them with greater clarity, patience, and confidence. Codes are not static rules handed down from above—they are living documents shaped by people, experience, compromise, and the ongoing effort to keep the public safe.