Bartow County, GA Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum system
- NFPA 13R automatic sprinklers
- Covered occupancies
- CLAs, personal care homes, lodging houses, board-and-care
- Excluded
- one- and two-family private residences
- Backup required
- 2A-rated ABC extinguisher per occupied floor
- Applies to
- new builds, conversions, and ownership changes
Summary
Bartow County requires a minimum NFPA 13R automatic fire sprinkler system in community living arrangements, personal care homes, lodging and rooming houses, and board-and-care occupancies. The mandate does not extend to an ordinary one- or two-family home used as a private residence in unincorporated Bartow County.
(a)Scope. This document covers all new buildings or portions thereof and all existing one- and two-family dwellings being converted to be used as personal care homes, community living arrangements, lodging or rooming houses and residential board and care homes of six or less residents who are not related to the owners or operators by either blood or marriage, whether licensed by a state agency or not. ... No portion of this document should be construed to refer to one- or two-family dwelling units used as a private residence. ... (c)Fire protection sprinkler systems requirements.(1)Subject to the exceptions in subsection (g) below, all occupancies subject to this section shall have a minimum NFPA 13R sprinkler system installed.
Full Breakdown
' The occupancies covered are the same group-living uses defined in subsection (b): community living arrangements, personal care homes, lodging or rooming houses, and board-and-care homes housing six or fewer unrelated residents, whether or not the operator carries a state license. ' Where a sprinkler system is installed, § 18-6(c)(2) requires it be electrically supervised and tied either directly to the fire department or through an approved central station, sound a local trouble alarm if disabled, trigger the building's fire alarm on activation, and be backed by at least one 2A-rated multipurpose ABC fire extinguisher on every occupied floor and in the basement, inspected annually by a licensed fire safety technician under NFPA 10.
Subsection (g) applies the sprinkler mandate to any new building built for a covered use, to any existing building converted to a covered use, and whenever ownership of an existing covered occupancy changes; a separate rule in § 18-7 sets design specifications for optional residential sprinkler systems installed in drive-under garages, using minimum ¾ inch supply piping and quick-response heads.
Violations & Fines
§ 18-6 carries no dedicated fine; the county fire marshal and building official enforce it through the general penalty in Bartow County Code § 1-19, and the building official may withhold or revoke a certificate of occupancy for a covered occupancy that lacks the required sprinkler system. Operating such an occupancy without required sprinklers is deemed a public nuisance the county may abate or close through magistrate or superior court action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my single-family home in Bartow County need a fire sprinkler system?
When does an existing group home have to add sprinklers?
Are drive-under garage sprinklers required countywide?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartow County
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