Does the sprinklering requirement of FC503.8.2 apply to accessory buildings, such as a detached garage or a detached shed?
The answer depends on the use, floor area and height of the accessory building. FC503.8.2 requires that buildings on public streets with an unobstructed width of less than 38 feet be protected throughout by a sprinkler system. The Fire Department has interpreted this provision to require sprinklering of newly-constructed buildings and certain buildings undergoing substantial alterations on public streets with a roadway of less than 38 feet, curb to curb. (See Frequently Asked Questions #4, 5 and 6.) As stated in Frequently Asked Question #6, “[t]he primary purpose of FC503.8.2 was to ensure that newly-constructed buildings on public streets whose width may impede fire apparatus access, be sprinklered. It was not intended that compliance with this sprinkler requirement be triggered by any alteration, no matter how small, to an existing building.” The term “building” is defined by FC202 as “an enclosed structure designed or occupied to house any use or occupancy.” As with the issue of al
