On Sept. 21, 2008, the International Code Council adopted amendment RB64-07/08 to the 2009 International Residential Code. This amendment mandates that beginning Jan. 1, 2011, all new one- and two-family residential dwellings along with townhomes be equipped with fire sprinklers.

Although the amended model code must ultimately be adopted at the state and local level, it is undisputable that the use of fire sprinklers for front line fire protection in residential structures will accelerate at a rate never before experienced. The timeline from now to the widespread adoption of the code is subject to debate, but given the fact that nationally more than 400 local jurisdictions already have some level of single family sprinkler requirements in place, the momentum for mandatory residential fire sprinklers will certainly advance.

There is also no question that the passage of RB64-07/08 will accelerate the adoption of local residential requirements before 2011. The first comprehensive residential ordinance was adopted by the city of San Clemente, Calif., 30 years ago. The growth of the single-family residential fire sprinkler industry after that time was slow, but steady with a noticeable increase in the last decade. Each ordinance was typically sponsored by local fire prevention officials and faced well-financed opposition from the homebuilders' lobby. However, with the most widely used model code in the world slated to require the installation of fire sprinklers in single family houses, the path for the adoption of a local residential ordinance now has the backing of the national code making community.

It is predicted by many in the industry that the number of communities specifying residential fire sprinklers in single family homes could double ahead of the IRC mandate in 2011. There is no doubt that strong opposition remains, but the passage of RB64-07/08 will make it difficult for jurisdictions to amend the requirement out of the code when it is adopted. The liability is high and public officials have little appetite for the potential risk that will come with the first fire death that occurs in an unsprinklered home that otherwise would have been protected as required in the IRC. As a result of these factors and the clear groundswell of support, the resolve of those opposed to residential fire sprinklers is weakening. Many homebuilders are now turning their attention to the task of how best to incorporate fire sprinklers into their marketing strategies and construction practices.

The impact on the fire protection industry will be profound. Using the number of housing starts and residential fire sprinklers sold for 2007, the current market size for sprinklered single family homes is placed between $90 and $100 million annually. The numbers are certainly noteworthy, but miniscule compared with the market potential. Based on HUD data, the 40-year average (through 2007) of single-family houses built is 1.169 million units a year. The average size of a single-family home constructed in 2007 was 2,479-sq.ft. When coupled with a conservative national installation cost of $1.00 per square foot, the market value is a staggering $2.9 billion. When measured in terms of sprinklers, it is estimated that when the requirement is fully implemented, over 29 million fire sprinklers will be installed annually in single-family homes.

The impact on the existing market size is huge. Up until the last few decades, fire protection requirements have been centered on property protection in commercial buildings. With the introduction of fast response fire sprinklers in the 1980s, requirements have been extended to multi-unit residential occupancies, with a focus towards multi-story buildings. As a result of the small market, single-family residential fire sprinklers have typically been the domain of a few contractors.

The coming mandate for residential fire sprinklers in single-family homes will change the look of the industry. Once the 2009 IRC is implemented, residential fire sprinklers will account for nearly half the fire sprinkler market. There are simply not enough qualified contractors, design technicians and installers to meet the coming demand. The opportunity for growing your business is enormous and those contractors who are prepared have that once in a lifetime chance to transform their business. The numbers of contractors specializing in residential fire sprinklers must expand. The market will demand it, and it is clear that plumbing contractors are in the best position to absorb this growth. Don't procrastinate on investigating this opportunity. It is too good to ignore.

In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss how a labor shortage in the fire sprinkler industry creates a need for plumbing labor, including an overview of the common “barriers to entry” that plumbing contractors need to consider when preparing to provide residential fire sprinkler services.

Russ Leavitt is a Fire Smarts Faculty member and CEO of Telgian Corp. With more than 27 years of experience, he holds a Level IV certification from NICET in Fire Sprinkler Layout and a Certified Fire Protection Specialist designation. He serves on the NFPA 13 correlating committee, NFPA 25 technical committee and NFPA 5000 (building code) correlating committee. Additional information is available at his Web site: www.RussLeavitt.com.