Adding home fire sprinklers can cost between $1.60 and $8 per square foot to the cost of a new home – but sprinklers are the most effective way to prevent fatalities in the event of a house fire. That’s especially true with new construction methods and materials which are more highly flammable than much older home construction.
The goal of preventing fatal fires was a key reason for Gov. Mark Dayton’s veto of a bill sponsored by Rep. Joyce Peppin (R-Rogers) and Sen. Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove) that would have prohibited the state building or fire code or a local political subdivision from requiring sprinklers be installed in new single family home construction, but would have required contractors to offer prospective homeowners the option to install sprinklers.
“Any objections to such a policy are best considered in the regular code adoption process,” Dayton wrote in his veto message. The governor also noted the requirement is part of the International Residential Building Code that will soon be considered for adoption in Minnesota.
HF460*/
SF297/CH47