Sprinklers Mandated in New Homes, But Headed To Repeal?

Never mind granite countertops.

As spring approaches and thoughts turn to home building and buying, remember this:

New one- or two-family homes in Upper Macungie, South Whitehall or anywhere in the Lehigh Valley are now required by state law to have a fire sprinkler system installed.

, in an apparent move to beat the new sprinkler requirements on planned construction. That was not the case in South Whitehall, where a handful of applications were filed.

South Whitehall Fire Inspector John G. Frantz lauds the new requirement, which, as of Jan. 1, is part of the permit process for new construction. It’s a matter of safety, he says.

However, builders worry about the potential impact of the sprinkler mandate on construction and sales. It will make homes more expensive to build -- and therefore, more expensive to buy -- in an already difficult economy, they say.

There is movement in Harrisburg to try to repeal the mandate. The state House Labor and Industry Committee on Monday passed House Bill 377, which would in essence repeal the mandate.  The bill will go to the full House.

Frantz said that smoke detectors have been invaluable in saving lives and property, but like a service engine light on a car, they only alert homeowners to a problem. Sprinklers will douse the blaze, better protecting lives and reducing the extent of damages, he said.

“We make aesthetic choices in houses that mimic the cost associated with a residential sprinkler system,” Frantz said. “No one thinks it’s going to happen to them.”

But Larry Mirth, general manager of Chesapeake Homes, which is building in South Whitehall, Upper Macungie, Lower Macungie and other municipalities, said today’s new homes are much safer than older homes because of more elaborate, interconnected smoke detection systems. 

Rather than mandate sprinklers in new construction, he said, officials should leave the decision to buyers. And based on conversations he’s had, he said buyers don’t want sprinklers. He said they’d rather spend on upgrades, such as granite countertops, which would add value to their homes.

Mirth said sprinklers could add $4,500  -- and up -- to the cost of a new 2,000-square-foot home. That’s problematic for builders, who have had to lower home prices in the economic downturn and who have a small profit margin, he said.

“It’s hard enough to sell a house today,” said Mirth.

The mandate affects on-going and pending Chesapeake Homes developments, including the Park Ridge development in South Whitehall, where a few more permits are needed, and the proposed Parkland Fields at Schantz and Krocks roads in Upper Macungie. All other area builders who need permits for new construction also are affected by the mandate.

Frantz said two houses in South Whitehall already have sprinkler systems, including a group home. The other owner installed sprinklers as a condition of being allowed to build higher than the township ordinance allowed.

Fire service throughout the country is top notch, Frantz said, “and if there’s a fire in your house, we’ll get you out.” But he added, “The main question? Are you still going to be alive when we get you out? Time is not on your side.”

That, Frantz said, goes to the heart of the sprinkler mandate. He said the township has been fortunate in that no one has been killed in a South Whitehall fire in decades.

In December, however,

To illustrate the effectiveness of sprinklers, Frantz pointed to three recent fires in South Whitehall that were quickly doused because of sprinkler systems: At the AMC Tilghman 8 theaters, in November; at the GNC at the Village West Shopping Center, in November; and at Dorneyville Beverage, in December.

In Upper Macungie, caused approximately $12,000 in damage, but was contained by the building's sprinkler system.

Because the sprinklers quickly doused the fires, the South Whitehall businesses were back operating within two hours to a few days, he said.  Without sprinklers, the outcomes could have been much different, especially if the fires had gone undetected for some time, he said.

In each case, only one sprinkler head activated to douse the blaze. He said it’s a Hollywood fallacy that a whole sprinkler system would be triggered, soaking the entire interiors.

Today, Frantz said, because of the contents and materials in homes, things burn hotter and faster, which underscores the need for residential sprinklers.

As for the effects of the mandate, he said, “We’re not going to see the benefits of those for some time.”

Mirth, meanwhile, is keeping track of developments in Harrisburg in hopes that the mandate is repealed. Should he go forward and seek permits for new construction, or wait, in case there is a repeal? The uncertainty too is having an impact on building plans.