Fire Sprinklers For All New Home Construction.
On October 28, 2009, members of the International Code Council’s Residential Building Code Committee made it clear that fire sprinklers are destined to become a standard feature in all new homes. The fire sprinkler requirement was added to the International Residential Code (IRC) last year, and it is scheduled to become effective January 1, 2011 in states that adopt the latest version of this code. Currently, 48 states use the IRC as a basis of regulating residential construction; although, some states lag behind in adopting updates.
What is the estimated cost of a fire sprinkler system? The latest survey information was collected in 2007 by the NAHB Research Center. They collected information on sprinkler costs in a nationwide survey completed by 102 builders who built 5,527 homes with fire sprinklers in 2006. The survey results show that the median cost of installing fire sprinklers in the 5,527 homes was about $5,573. The median size of the surveyed homes was 2,271 square feet, very close to the 2,248 square feet reported by the federal government for homes built in 2006. Estimated costs include the materials, design, installation and inspection fees. Keep in mind that homes built on scattered rural building lots with private water supply may have increased costs associated with an installed fire sprinkler system.
While the installation of a fire sprinkler system will have an impact on housing affordability, some insurance companies offer discounts, most often in the form of a percentage off the basic premium. However, this discount only modestly offsets the increase in price of the sprinkler system for a typical new home buyer. Check with your home insurance company for further details on any discounts that may apply.
Want to avoid the increased cost of a sprinkler system? The time to build is 2010: Besides the dollar savings buyers can obtain on homeowner insurance policies, buyers may have other reasons for desiring for fire sprinklers, such as an added sense of security it gives them. But if you are someone looking to avoid the cost of installing a sprinkler system in your new home, the time to build is prior to January 1, 2011, the commencement of the IRC fire sprinkler system requirement for all new construction.
