Home sprinkler system requirement moving forward

Builders in Virginia won't be required to install sprinkler systems in new homes -- at least for now.

Firefighters hope that will change, as the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development considers whether to adopt regulations regarding residential sprinkler systems.

The board voted Monday, after a public hearing, to move proposals for residential sprinklers through the regulatory process in Virginia.

Firefighters say sprinkler systems save lives. Home builders say the requirement would add thousands of dollars to the cost of homes in an already soft market.

A final decision on the regulation and whether it will be optional or mandatory is expected in the spring, said Hollie Cammarasana, spokeswoman for the Virginia board.

Firefighters argue that the installation of sprinkler systems is already optional. Builders want to keep it that way. "As long as it is an option, we are not opposed," said Barrett Hardiman, spokesman for the Home Builders Association of Virginia.

The debate was sparked by the International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, which approved a code this year calling for the installation of fire sprinkler systems in new oneand two-family homes.

Several localities across the country, including Prince George's County, Md., and Scottsdale, Ariz., have adopted mandatory home-sprinkler regulations. No state has adopted the requirement.

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is opposed to mandating the installation of fire sprinklers in new single-family houses, duplexes and town houses of three stories or less.

"Our greatest concern is with how an increase in the cost of production will damage efforts to develop more affordable housing and how that would affect economic development in Virginia," said Tyler Craddock, a chamber spokesman.

Art Lipscomb, spokesman for the Virginia Professional Firefighters, compared the argument against sprinkler systems to the same claims made in the 1970s by the auto industry regarding air bags.

The argument then was that air bags would make cars too expensive for most people, he said. But the cost and safety of air bags are no longer disputed.

The average cost to repair fire damage in a house with a sprinkler system is $2,900, compared with $40,000 without a system, Lipscomb said.

The initial cost for a home with a sprinkler system would be higher, but the higher price could be recouped in lower insurance premiums, he said.

The cost is a subject of debate. Firefighters claim the national average to install a system is an additional $1.60 per square foot.

Kevin McNulty, president of Lifestyle Builders & Developers Inc. in Midlothian, estimated the cost at $2.66 a square foot, which would add $5,000 to the cost of an 1,800-square-foot home.

"And that assumes the house in on a public water and sewer system," McNulty said.

A house in a rural area with a well-water system would cost even more, because a holding tank and separate system would be necessary, he said.

"We don't need the additional stress on the home-building industry and the consumers, especially in this environment," McNulty said.

The building industry has suffered through one its worst declines in decades.

"We don't believe it's a cost-effective way to deal with a public-safety issue," McNulty said. The focus should be on properly functioning smoke detectors, he said.

Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner, spokesman for the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association, said the argument shouldn't be all or nothing.

"Home builders and firefighters need to come together to see if we can come up with a middle ground," he said.

It's important to sort out the truths and the myths, Werner said. "The most important thing is to start a dialogue. The issue is complex and emotional."

Monday's board decision calls for creating work groups that represent different interests to come up with a consensus position and a recommendation to the board.