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Pennsylvania Sprinklers and Exceptions for SFR

jar546

Forum Coordinator
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
11,087
Location
Somewhere Too Hot & Humid
PA L&I sent out an alert on this a few weeks ago but there seems to be some BCO's who are not aware or simply are giving bad info to people.

In PA, as of Jan 1, 2011, any home built will have to be sprinklered UNLESS:

1) The permit is applied for prior to Jan 1, 2011.

2) You have a legal contract to build dated prior to Jan 1, 2010

3) You have a legal contract to design dated prior to Jan 1, 2010

Get that?

Contracts must be PRIOR to Jan 1, 2010. NOT 2011. I repeat, NOT 2011.

If you have been holding on to a contract to build or design for over a year then your permit will be issued under the 2006 IRC. Read this again. Yes, 2006 IRC if your contract is dated prior to Jan 1, 2010.

If your contract is dated Jan 1 thru Dec 31, 2010 then you will be sprinklering your house UNLESS you applied for your permit prior to Jan 1, 2011.

Contracts to design or build signed during any part of 2010 DO NOT exclude you from the sprinkler requirements UNLESS you apply for your permit prior to 2011.

This has been put in writing by PA L&I and verified by me with a follow up phone call.

I am still hearing from people who are telling me that in such and such a town, they only need a contract prior to 2011. NOT TRUE. Contract must be before 2010 at which point the permit shall be issued under the 2006 IRC.

I am typing lots of redundancy here because I am fielding a lot of phone calls where I shared this information with potential permit applicants for SFR's and they are calling me back telling me I am wrong. In this case, I am not wrong. This is the facts.

Call Jon Balson at L&I if you need to verify this like I already did. Read your UCC alerts or get on the email list for these alerts.

OK, soapbox done.
 
I see a bunch of back dated design contracts coming your way Jeff.......

As for the Avatar, a dive flag without additional artwork?

The phone calls must be getting to you.
 
pretty typical, actually... almost always depends on available funding (which kind of dried up in 2010).
 
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