Des Moines, IA Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Townhouse rule
- Required in all townhouses
- Single-family threshold
- 8,000+ sq ft triggers requirement
- Small townhouse exemption
- 8 units or fewer exempt
- Existing buildings
- No retrofit on additions/alterations
- Code section
- § 26-310.10, amends IRC R309
Summary
Des Moines requires automatic fire sprinklers in townhouses and in one- and two-family homes of 8,000 square feet or more, with exceptions for smaller homes and existing buildings without a system.
R309.1 Townhomes automatic fire sprinkler systems. An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall be installed in townhouses. Exceptions:
(1)An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall not be required where additions or alterations are made to existing townhouses that do not have an automatic residential fire sprinkler system installed.(2)Townhouse structures that contain eight (8) or less dwelling units.(3)Townhouse structures less than eighteen thousand (18,000) square feet floor space, exclusive of any garages.(b)Delete section R309.2 and insert in lieu thereof the following new section: R309.2 One- and two-family dwelling automatic fire sprinkler systems. An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall be installed in one-and two-family dwellings that contain 8,000 square feet or more floor space, excluding attached garages and other unenclosed areas.
Exception: An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall not be required where additions or alterations are made to existing buildings that are not already provided with an automatic residential fire sprinkler system.
(O.15,861, 16,520)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Des Moines Municipal Code § 26-310.10 amends the state residential building code to require an automatic residential fire sprinkler system in every townhouse and in one- and two-family dwellings with 8,000 square feet or more of floor space, not counting attached garages and other unenclosed areas. Townhouses of eight units or fewer, or under 18,000 square feet of floor space, are exempt, as are additions or alterations to existing homes that were never built with a sprinkler system. The requirement applies to new construction citywide and is enforced through the building permit and inspection process before occupancy.
Violations & Fines
Building permits for noncompliant new construction are denied, and occupancy or a certificate of occupancy can be withheld until the required sprinkler system passes fire department inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every new house in Des Moines need fire sprinklers?
Are small townhouses exempt from the sprinkler rule?
Do I need to retrofit sprinklers into my existing home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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