ICC Passes Residential Fire Sprinkler Mandate

The International Code Council (ICC) dealt a blow to the homebuilding industry with 73 percent of voting members supporting a residential fire sprinkler requirement for all new one- and two-family homes and townhouses.

The code change was supported by fire service and building code officials and opposed by the homebuilding industry. The code proposal, RB64, overcame a procedural requirement that mandated a super-majority of two-thirds approval.

The ICC’s International Residential Code (IRC) is used in 46 states. The sprinkler mandate will first appear in the 2009 IRC, which will be published by the end of the year.

The IRC Fire Sprinkler Coalition, an association of fire service, building code officials and safety organizations, was a leading proponent of the code change and worked to create a coalition united behind it after the proposal had been defeated in several previous ICC votes.

Adding Sprinklers May Increase Construction Cost

Residential fire deaths have declined dramatically in the past 30 years as smoke detectors became code.

Code supporters say residential fire sprinklers give families more time to evacuate a home and reduce firefighter deaths.

Those who opposed the code, including the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), argue the additional cost for installing residential sprinkler systems is unwarranted, especially in this down housing cycle.

NAHB says adding sprinklers can increase construction cost by as much as $12 per square foot.

Even a conservative estimate of $2 per square foot adds $4,800 to the cost of building a 2,400-square-foot home. The association’s surveys show only 15 percent of homebuyers are willing to spend that much money on sprinklers.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which supported the resolution, recently released its “Home Fire Cost Assessment Final Report” (pdf) that says the cost to install fire sprinklers is $1.61 per sprinklered square foot.

NFPA claims that figure includes all costs to the builder associated with the sprinkler system and increased tap and water meter fees.

Variable Costs of Residential Sprinklers

Some of the variable costs in running residential sprinklers include:

• Use of copper vs. PVC
• Availability of an on-site water supply vs. municipal water
• Local requirements that might force builders to cover garages or attics

The report indicates that some communities offer credits to builders for including sprinklers, such as the ability to place greater distance between fire hydrants in a new community if the homes have sprinklers.

It also says insurance companies will offer premium discounts between 3 percent and 7 percent. The report did not find that insurers will increase premiums due to risks of system leakage.

Ronny J. Coleman, president of the IRC Fire Sprinkler Coalition, said “sprinklers are the answer to the nation’s fire problem.”

“The vote was a historic moment in residential fire safety — and is a significant step in a long journey before sprinklers are installed in every new home,” noted Coleman.

“We’re now going to move forward at the state and local level to ensure new code requirement is adopted.”