New Home 

Construction 

and Life Safety 

Sprinklers
Quality & Protection =

A Competitive Advantage

Problem: Fire kills more people in the United States 

annually than all natural disasters combined. On average, nearly 4,000 people perish in fires each year. Of 

those, 82 percent will die in their own homes.

Myth: Fires are a problem exclusive to older homes.

Fact: The leading causes of fires in both old and new 

homes are directly related to human behavior, such 

as:

 • cooking (both attended and unattended);

 • heating fires (including space heaters);

 • careless smoking; and

 • children playing with matches and lighters.

None of these is related to the structure itself!

Electrical fires that are structurally related account for 

only 10 percent or less of all home fires.

Fact: The home is the most dangerous place for a fire. 

Not only do home fire sprinklers dramatically reduce 

the risk of home fire deaths, they also decrease fire 

damage by as much as two-thirds compared to those 

without sprinklers.

No other option provides a home buyer with the peace 

of mind that fire sprinklers can. Including fire sprinklers in the homes you build is like hiring a firefighter 

to live with your buyer!

Solution: Automatic life-safety sprinklers!

Make your quality homes stand out above the competition. Install sprinklers. It’s a Win/Win situation!
There are two types of incentives for the home builder 

who voluntarily installs fire safety sprinklers in new 

home construction: economic, such as reduced impact fees, and design alternatives/tradeoffs like reduced compartmentation requirements or longer distances to exits.

Some design alternatives are in the building codes 

and some are not. For example, the model building 

codes already allow longer distances to exits in certain 

occupancies when the home will be sprinklered. They 

also allow lower fire resistance of certain separations 

if sprinklers are present.

But the building codes also limit these allowances, 

so builders should work with their local fire officials 

to look at what is allowed already and what they will 

need to amend or pre-empt in order to give the desired 

incentives.

Just because a design alternative is already in the 

building code does not mean that it should not be offered. The fact is, many architects and builders are 

not aware of these alternatives. Informing them could 

mean the difference in getting sprinklers installed.

The purpose of incentives is to reduce the net cost 

of installing sprinklers. Most of the incentives do not 

reduce the direct cost of sprinkler installation, that 

is, the price charged by the sprinkler installer for the 

work. But any cost that is reduced or avoided because 

sprinklers are installed will reduce the total cost of the 

project - thus the term net cost reduction.

The justifications for giving incentives are valid. For 

one, fires in sprinklered homes require about onehalf the number of firefighters and apparatus within 

the community. This lowers the demand on fire department resources and allows more liberal response 

times for backup companies. For another, if fewer fire 

stations are needed or new stations can be delayed, 

avoiding additional taxes or fire service fees reduces 

the economic impact on the home buyer.

Sprinklers Offer Economic 

Incentives to Home Builders and Peace of Mind to 

Your Buyers!
Incentives can go individually to the developer and/or 

the builder. It should be kept in mind that the direct 

benefit to one individual will result in a net cost reduction if the cost savings are passed on.

For example, if the developer saves money because he 

was allowed to install smaller water mains and fewer 

hydrants, the savings can be passed on to the builder 

and ultimately to the owner through lower property 

costs.

The incentives listed below are not in any particular order. A description and discussion of each 

incentive can be found on the RFSI Web site at

www.firesafehome.org

Incentives: Who benefits? 

 Developer Builder 

Reduced impact fees X X

Increased density X

Reduced fire flow X

Hydrant spacing X

Longer access road distance X 

Longer distance from fire stations X 

Reduced access to building sides X 

Narrower streets X 

Fewer parking restrictions X 

Longer cul-de-sacs X 

Reduced turnaround radius X 

Reduced permit fees X

Reduced or exempted plan review fees X

Reduced or exempted fees for field inspections X 

Reduced fire resistance ratings, no parapet walls X 

Increased distance to exits X
“The Family Tree”

(HOUSE!)

On January 1, 2001, a float called, “The Family Tree,” 

won the Tournament of Roses President’s Trophy for 

most effective overall floral presentation, use of flowers, and design of floral arrangements.

The float, built and presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), kicked off NAHB’s 

2001 Home Builders Care campaign, a celebration of 

the home building industry’s commitment to strengthening the Fabric of America - the theme of the parade 

- through community-service projects that support 

families, revitalize communities, and provide services 

for neighbors in need.

Now home builders can weave a new thread into that 

fabric - Protection! As surely as home builders can 

guarantee Quality in the homes they build, Protection

is now a low-cost option that all builders can provide 

to protect America’s families.

How can a home builder guarantee both quality and 

protection? Simple! By installing life safety sprinklers 

in all new home construction, the home builder can 

guarantee a reduction in fire-related consequences in 

the community over the long haul.

As the family tree grows stronger, so too does the foundation the home builder built! The design of the fabric 

starts with the home builder - weave the best and safest design for the family!!

By providing sprinklers in new homes, the Home Builders Care campaign can protect the needs of today’s 

and...tomorrow’s home buyers!!

Become a Partner for a Fire Safer World!
Quality, Protection,

Competition

Quality: From the shingles down to the foundation, 

quality products and craftsmanship ensure the integrity of the home you build!

Protection: With fire sprinklers, a home builder can 

guarantee that what buyers put into their home is as 

safe as what you put into the house!

Competitive Advantage: Offer something the competition does not - sprinklers offer protection - and watch 

your home sales soar!

Where to go for more home fire safety information:

Residential Fire Safety Institute (RFSI)

8935 Vendegriff Way N. • Maple Grove, MN 55311 

www.firesafehome.org

www.blazemaster.com www.pfa.org

www.phccweb.org www.nfsa.org

www.firstalert.com www.plastics.org

www.polyurethane.org www.sprinklernet.org

www.homefiresprinkler.org www.safesleep.org

www.nema.org www.nfpa.org

www.ul.com www.wirsbo.com

www.firesprinkler.org

For more information or copies of this publication, 

please contact:

Federal Emergency Management Agency

U.S. Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

800-561-3356

www.usfa.fema.gov

FA-258/July 2003