Starting next year, all new single-family homes in Baltimore County must have automatic sprinkler systems installed.
The County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to add the new requirement to the building code. The change will apply to all one- and two-family homes built on or after Jan. 1, 2011. Homes under construction before that will not be subject to the requirement.
"Sprinklers make our job safer and create safer conditions for our citizens," said Doug Alexander, chairman of the residential sprinkler committee for the Maryland State Firefighters Association. "Sprinkler systems can also reduce the severity of the fire. There is also the insurance savings for the homeowner."
The Home Builders Association of Maryland argued against the ordinance, preferring to offer sprinklers as an option to buyers. Installing the systems can cost as much as $10 per square foot and can add significantly to the price of the home at a time when the housing market is in a downturn, said Michael Harrison, spokesman for the association. And the requirement includes the garage, where the sprinkler pipes will have to be insulated to prevent freezing.
"We are not opposed," Harrison said. "We know this is a tough vote to be against. But we now have developers with final plans, and this amendment is throwing a wrench in those plans."
Prince George's County has not recorded one fatality in a home with a sprinkler, said State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard. Baltimore City put a mandatory sprinkler ordinance in place July 1 and Baltimore County is the 12th county in Maryland to require sprinkler systems in detached homes. The county has required sprinklers in townhomes and multifamily dwellings for nearly 20 years.
Safety trumps cost, firefighters said. The lightweight construction materials in use today, the open floor plans preferred by buyers and the numerous plastic products throughout homes all allow fires to travel rapidly through a dwelling. While most homes are equipped with smoke detectors that alert residents to the presence of a fire, many have no equipment to halt its spread.
"Fire progresses rapidly through today's homes," said Barnard, who testified in support of the requirement. "Alarms cannot do anything to put out a fire."
Buyers may be reluctant to add as much as $5,000 to the cost of a home, but the requirement is necessary, said Timothy M. Kotroco, county director of permits and development.
The January deadline might cause a spike in permit applications before the year ends.
"If a builder makes an application for a permit prior to Jan. 1, the sprinkler system is not required," Kotroco said.