Resi Fire Sprinklers Could Soon Be Mandatory

The United States is getting closer and closer to a radical new requirement in the construction of new single-family and two-family homes: the requirement of interior fire sprinkler systems.

The next stage was set back on November 1 when the International Code Council's (ICC) Residential Building Code Committee voted, 7-4, to keep the residential fire sprinkler system requirement for one- and two-family new construction homes in the International Residential Code (IRC) that is used in 46 states.

The requirement was in danger when the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) submitted proposals in 2008 to eliminate the requirement. The NAHB has presented data showing that the added costs for residential sprinklers are too expensive, plus the technology has not been proven to save lives.

The organization argues that, In the midst of the worst housing market in decades, builders will now spend more money and more time building houses, along with facing new inspections. For homebuyers, it will add up to higher costs for a home.

For integrators, this new code requirement could be a possible new source of recurring monthly revenue, because the waterflow devices inside the pipe need to be monitored for activation and backflow.

The final action on the residential fire sprinkler mandate will be voted on at the May 2010 meeting of ICC, where only building officials and code enforcers can vote. Opponents need to get a two-thirds vote to over-ride the sprinkler requirement.

The initiative is supported by the NFPA, U.S. Fire Administration, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and the International Association of Firefighters.