Cost comparison: NFPA 13R vs. 13 Sprink

[NewSchool]

It is generally accepted that the square-foot cost of including a fire sprinkler system into the design equates to $1.50 per square foot.

And adding a sprinkler system AFTER construction = $2.00 per square foot.

These numbers are applied regardles of whether-or-not they are type 13 or type 13R. But I would assume that the residental type 13R system is less expensive considering it taps into the domestic water line.

Does anyone have a cost comparison for these two systems?

I've e-mailed this same question to two local fire sprinkler installers. I will let you know what I find out from them.

I anticipate that I will get a long, LONG answer that involves calculated hydraulic analysis... number of sprinkler heads... length of pipe... specifications required by insurance carrier... the S&P stock price index... etc.

[brudgers]

NewSchool wrote:
It is generally accepted that the square-foot cost of including a fire sprinkler system into the design equates to $1.50 per square foot.

I don't accept it. Maybe that's what you budget, but prices vary based on the market.

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And adding a sprinkler system AFTER construction = $2.00 per square foot.

These numbers are applied regardles of whether-or-not they are type 13 or type 13R.
Applied by who?
But I would assume that the residental type 13R system is less expensive considering it taps into the domestic water line.
Wrong. A 13R ties into the main and requires the same type of supply as a 13...subject to the AHJ (some locals may require a separate main for feeding sprinklers so I guess one could only enforce this for 13 but not 13R). 13D is allowed to tap into domestic supplies.


Does anyone have a cost comparison for these two systems?

I've e-mailed this same question to two local fire sprinkler installers. I will let you know what I find out from them.

I anticipate that I will get a long, LONG answer that involves calculated hydraulic analysis... number of sprinkler heads... length of pipe... specifications required by insurance carrier... the S&P stock price index... etc.

The hydraulics are different between the two systems, but except for cases with marginal water pressure it's unlikely to be a majordriver of cost.

The big differences in cost are:


which areas need to be covered...particularly when combustible construction is involved.
the cost of materials and labor...13R systems can use plastic pipe (CPVC) v. cast iron for 13.

[NewSchool]

My cohorts include a fire investigator, a former sprinkler installer, and a few other architects. They are the ones who agree that $1.50 is the S.F. cost to use during preliminary design. Someone else did argue that this was true six years ago but has since changed. So what is the current price?

The local AHJ does not require that the 13R system have a separate tap into the main water supply line.

I would agree that the main difference is PVC versus steel pipe. But asphaltparking lots arenow the same cost of concrete because of oil prices. Perhaps the time is coming that we will be payinga denariusforour daily bread (Rev 6:6).

[Coach]

I've seen commercial prices in the $1.65 - $1.80 range. That's California and when things were busier. Nebraska in this economy might very well be $1.50.

[brudgers]

$1.50 a square foot for sprinklers is like $100 a square foot for construction or $10,000 a floor for an elevator (or per space for structured parking). It gets you in the ballpark.

I recently had an NFPA 13 systemthatbid between 1.85 and 2.40 per square foot...clean new construction install in a pre-engineered building...higher than the contractor expected.