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Owner-Builder Software · OBC 2024 · CSA F280

Prepare Your Own Ontario HVAC Permit Documents Software for Owner-Builders — You Stay the Designer

Heat loss. Heat gain. Ventilation. Equipment sizing. Radiant or duct design. A permit-ready PDF package built specifically for Ontario houses and the 2024 Ontario Building Code.

Building a house you own? The Building Code exempts you from the designer qualification requirement (Division C, Sentence 3.2.5.1.(3)(b)(i)). Our software walks eligible owner-designers through every calculation and document. The software does the math — you remain the designer and take responsibility for the information you enter.

Founder beta: the first 10 owner-builders get the complete HVAC permit package for $199 (regular $495), delivered within 24 hours.
Start My House
Tell us about your build — municipality, house type, heating system. We reply the same day with your intake link and founder pricing.
Owner-builder pricing requires property ownership · No spam · No obligation
Three Ways to Get It Done
Software, Professional Tools, or Done-For-You

1. Do It Yourself — Software

For the homeowner building their own house. Step-by-step, OBC-based, CSA F280 calculations — no HVAC experience required. Heat loss permit package $149. Full HVAC permit package $295. One house, no subscription. Founder beta open now at $199 for the full package.

2. Professional

For builders, HVAC contractors and qualified designers: unlimited projects, saved houses, professional permit packages with your designer information. $79/month or $695/year. Launching after the owner-builder beta — ask to join the waitlist in the form above.

3. Done For You

Our existing service, unchanged: send us your drawings and we prepare the complete BCIN-stamped design. Heat loss $395 · complete mechanical package $695 · 48-hour delivery, province-wide.

The Legal Foundation
Building Your Own House? You May Be Your Own Designer

Ontario regulates who may design HVAC systems for permit — but the 2024 Building Code contains a specific exemption: where a person’s design activities relate to construction of a house owned by that person (up to two dwelling units), the designer qualification requirement does not apply. On Schedule 1, eligible owners state the exemption instead of a BCIN number.

OBC Division C · Sentence 3.2.5.1.(3)(b)(i)
Suggested Schedule 1 wording: “Property owner designing own house — exempt under OBC Division C, Sentence 3.2.5.1.(3)(b)(i).” Full explanation in our guide: Who can sign an HVAC design in Ontario? →
Important
Being exempt from qualification does not exempt your submission from the technical requirements of the Code. The building department is entitled to a complete CSA F280 calculation with envelope values, room-by-room loads, ventilation design and equipment selection — that is exactly what this software produces. The software does the calculations; you remain the designer.
What You Get
Every Document the Building Department Asks For

F280 Heat Loss

Room-by-room and whole-house design heat loss with your municipality’s SB-1 outdoor design temperature.

F280 Heat Gain

Cooling load with orientation and solar gains — required when you install A/C or a heat pump.

Ventilation Design

OBC 9.32 total ventilation capacity, HRV/ERV selection with pass/fail check, and the exhaust schedule.

Equipment Selection

Heating capacity tied to the calculated load per OBC 9.33.5.1 — not a guess off the box.

Radiant or Duct Design

Loop schedules, manifolds, water temperatures and GPM — or room CFM, registers, branch and trunk sizing.

Schedule 1 & Declarations

Designer information pre-filled with the owner exemption wording, plus every assumption stated in writing.

Every package records the calculation engine version, the CSA F280 edition used and the design temperatures applied — your numbers never silently change when the Code does.

How It Works
Enter Your House Once. Get the Whole Package.

1. Create your house

Address and municipality — the correct SB-1 winter design temperature and OBC requirements load automatically.

2. Rooms & envelope

Add rooms with dimensions and windows. Pick assemblies in plain language — “ICF 6-inch,” “2×6 R22 batt,” “R-60 attic” — the thermal values are built in.

3. Review every number

Room-by-room results on screen. Nothing hidden, nothing to trust blindly — you verify and adopt the design as your own.

4. Generate the package

One button — the complete permit-ready PDF. If your building department comments on the calculations, we correct and regenerate free until accepted.

Founder Beta
Start My House
  • Complete HVAC permit package — founder price $199 (first 10 owner-builders; regular $495)
  • Delivered within 24 hours during beta
  • Free corrections until your building department accepts
  • Change your mind halfway? Have us finish it — BCIN-stamped, $695
Tell us about your build
Municipality, house type, heating system — we reply the same day.
Questions
Owner-Builder Software FAQ
Do I qualify as an owner-builder?

The exemption applies where your design activities relate to construction of a house you own, containing not more than two dwelling units. It covers your own new build, addition, renovation or secondary suite in your own house. It does not cover designing for friends, clients, or properties you do not own — for those, use our BCIN-stamped service.

Will my municipality accept a package without a BCIN?

The package includes Schedule 1 with the exemption stated, a cover note citing the OBC provision, and the complete technical submission the checklist asks for. Municipalities review the substance, and our free-fix guarantee covers any comments. As beta customers get approvals, we publish the municipality list.

What if the building department has questions?

Send us the comment letter — we correct the calculations and regenerate the package free until it is accepted. That guarantee is part of the founder beta.

What does the beta look like today?

You complete a guided intake, our system runs the calculations and we deliver your package within 24 hours. The fully self-serve wizard is rolling out to founder customers first — at the price you locked in.

Can you just do the whole thing for me?

Yes — that service is not going anywhere. Complete BCIN-stamped mechanical package, $695, 48 hours.

Related Guides & Services
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Ontario Heat Loss & BCIN Design Permit-ready heat loss calculations, HVAC design, and BCIN-stamped mechanical drawings for homeowners, builders, and designers across Ontario. Fast turnaround: free quote in 24 hours, most reports delivered within 48 hours after payment. Call 705-533-1633.
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BCIN CSA F280-12 Province-Wide
Building in Georgian Bay or Simcoe County? This site is run by the team at ICFhome.ca — 300+ custom homes since 1979. Our ICF showhome heats for about $100/month at the coldest. 705-533-1633