During its annual meeting Sept. 19-23, the International Code Council (ICC) approved a measure to require residential fire sprinkler systems in new one- and two-family homes and townhouses. Seventy-three percent of the voting members supported code proposal RB64, the fire sprinkler measure. The new residential fire sprinkler mandate will be included in the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC), and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2011. The new mandate will only impact jurisdictions that adopt the 2009 IRC as written.
Proponents of the residential fire sprinkler requirement praise its approval, citing the life-saving benefits of properly installed and maintained automatic fire sprinkler systems. The International Residential Code Fire Sprinkler Coalition, an international non-profit representing fire service and building code officials as well as safety organizations, calls the mandate “an uprecedented step forward in advancing home fire safety.”
Automatic fire sprinklers working with smoke alarms cut home fire deaths by 82%, says the National Fire Protection Association. Fire sprinklers alone reduce the chances of home occupants dying in a fire by 50% to 75%, and also reduce average property loss by 50% to 75%.
In making its case against a residential fire sprinkler mandate, the NAHB voiced concerns regarding the increased cost to builders and homeowners, the maintenance required of homeowners, the potential for home damage due to accidental discharge or frozen pipes, and adequate water supplies in areas where water shortages are common as well as in homes that use well water.
“NAHB is not opposed to fire sprinklers in single-family homes. What our members are opposed to are mandates—because the evidence is clear that they are not the right solution for every home,” said NAHB president Sandy Dunn in a statement. However, according to the IRC Fire Sprinkler Coalition, such concerns are largely unwarranted. “Fire sprinklers are the answer because they really require essentially no maintenance on the part of the homeowner,” Shapiro says. “The only maintenance required on a residential fire sprinkler system is making sure you don’t paint or caulk over the sprinklers.”
Shapiro also argues that the slight cost increase to the builder will not necessarily impact the cost to the home buyer. He envisions that builders in jurisdictions that adopt the 2009 IRC will adjust their standard home features to include sprinkler systems, rather than treating them as added-cost extras.
Earlier this month, the Fire Protection Research Foundation released its final Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report, which offers a national perspective on installation costs and cost savings of residential fire sprinklers based on an analysis of 10 communities. According to the report, the average cost to the home builder of installing sprinkler systems is $1.61 per sprinklered square foot.
Several of the IRC Fire Sprinkler Coalition’s member organizations and industry partners are working with insurance organizations to increase insurance credits for homes that include residential fire sprinklers. Also, because residential fire sprinklers reduce fire risk, the organization recommends that jurisdictions offer incentives for home builders installing the systems. According to Shapiro, the International Association of Fire Chiefs has established a committee focused on developing a model incentive package that jurisdictions can implement to help offset the cost of sprinkler systems.
For more on this topic, read CUSTOM HOME editor Leslie Ensor’s latest blog entry.
