Brunswick County, NC Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)

Brunswick County Code Sec. 1-4-6 adopts the state's fire prevention code by reference for the county. The section explains that on January 1, 2002, North Carolina adopted a fire prevention code based on the International Fire Code, and that the most significant change in that code was a stronger push toward automatic sprinkler systems in new commercial and multifamily construction, sometimes letting a project skip more expensive construction requirements if it installs sprinklers instead. 6 of its Chapter 1, enforced by the fire marshal's office.

Critically for homeowners, Sec. " All other commercial occupancies and multifamily dwellings fall under the code's jurisdiction. Because the fire prevention code is what carries North Carolina's sprinkler push, and that code by its own terms exempts single- and two-family homes, Brunswick County has no ordinance requiring residential fire sprinklers in a typical house or duplex. Amendments to any adopted code take effect once filed with the planning director (Sec. 1-4-8), and official copies are kept on file there (Sec. 1-4-9). This provision applies countywide as an adopted code, but building permitting and inspection for construction within incorporated towns is typically handled by those towns' own building departments.