Everett, MA Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Five or more stories, or fifty feet or more in height
- Design standard
- N.F.P.A. No. 13, Standards for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
- Standpipe
- Wet standpipe system in a stairwell
- Inoperable system
- Fire watch required, paid for by the owner
- Approval
- Satisfactory to the chief of the fire department
- General penalty
- Up to $300.00 per offense under Section 1-8
Summary
In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, every building erected or raised by alterations or additions to five or more stories, or fifty feet or more in height, must carry an automatic sprinkler system and sprinkler alarm satisfactory to the chief of the fire department. Section 8-5 also sets the design standard, riser hardware and a paid fire watch.
(a) All buildings erected or increased in height by alterations or additions so as to consist of five (5) or more stories or fifty (50) feet or more in height shall be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system and sprinkler alarm satisfactory to the chief of the fire department as defined in General Laws, chapter 148, section 1. The vertical distance is measured from the ground grade to the top of the highest roof beams of a flat roof, or to the mean level of the highest gable or slope of a hip roof. When a building faces on more than one (1) street, the height shall be measured from the average of the grades at the center of each street. (b) The sprinkler system shall be designed in accordance with N.F.P.A. No. 13, Standards for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. (c) Each tenant floor shall be considered a separate fire area in the design of the sprinkler system, with a shutoff valve for each floor. ... (g) That whenever a sprinkler system is inoperable, a fire watch will be required and paid for by the owner of the premises. The fire watch shall be in place until the sprinkler system becomes operable.
Full Breakdown
The rule sits in Chapter 8, Fire Prevention and Protection, of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Everett, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, adopted by the Everett City Council. It is a height trigger, not a blanket mandate for every home. Section 8-5 applies to a building that consists of five (5) or more stories or fifty (50) feet or more in height, whether it was erected that way or increased in height by alterations or additions. Height is the vertical distance from the ground grade to the top of the highest roof beams of a flat roof, or to the mean level of the highest gable or slope of a hip roof. A building that faces more than one street is measured from the average of the grades at the center of each street.
The system must be designed under N.F.P.A. No. 13, Standards for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. Each tenant floor counts as a separate fire area, with a shutoff valve for each floor. A one and one-half inch hose valve goes at the sprinkler riser exclusively for fire department use, and a wet standpipe system must also be installed in a stairwell, with one and one-half inch hose of suitable length to reach all floor areas. An indicator panel with local supervision must sit at the building entrance, easily accessible to fire fighters, to show by signal the floor on which the sprinkler system is operating. The panel must let fire fighters take over control of one or more elevators and run at least one elevator on emergency power.
Two neighboring provisions reach other buildings. Section 8-10 requires any construction of public buildings or additions to include a water sprinkler alarm system subject to approval of the fire department. Section 8-15 sets fire department permit fees, including $50.00 plus possible detail required for Sprinkler Inspection/Shutdown/Repair and $200.00 for Plans/Review of a Ground Up High Rise.
Violations & Fines
Section 8-5 prints no penalty of its own, so the General Penalty in Section 1-8 applies: a penalty not to exceed $300.00 per offense, with the enforcing agent setting the amount on a scale of $25.00 for a first offense, $50.00 for a second, $100.00 for a third and $300.00 for a fourth and later offense. Each day a violation continues is a separate violation. If a system is inoperable, the owner of the premises pays for a fire watch until it works again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Everett, Massachusetts require sprinklers in every house or apartment building?
Who decides whether the Everett sprinkler system is acceptable?
Who pays for a fire watch when the sprinklers are down in Everett?
How is building height measured under the Everett ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
Compare Everett to another location·View the Massachusetts building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Fire Sprinkler Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle fire sprinkler requirements.