Fayette County, GA Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered buildings
- Apartments, hotels, dormitories, board/care up to 4 stories
- Sprinkler standard required
- NFPA 13 or NFPA 13R
- Testing standard
- NFPA 25 (2011 Edition)
- Records retention
- Minimum 2 years on premises
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 2015-02, Feb. 12, 2015
Summary
Fayette County's Multifamily Residential Sprinkler Code requires automatic fire sprinkler systems in apartment buildings, hotels, dormitories, lodging houses and residential board and care facilities up to four stories in height, installed to NFPA 13 or NFPA 13R standards.
This standard deals with the design and installation of automatic sprinkler systems for protection against fire hazards in residential occupancies up to four stories in height. Residential occupancies falling under the scope of this standard include apartment buildings, lodging and rooming houses, residential board and care facilities, hotels, dormitories, personal care, and residential board and care occupancies. ... (a)Buildings which are included within the definitions of section 12-152 as residential occupancies shall provide and be protected by a fire sprinkler system in accordance with NFPA 13 or NFPA 13R. ... (c)No person shall shut off, disable, or disarm any automatic fire sprinkler system except for the following purposes:(1)In order to perform required or necessary service or maintenance to such system. Any such maintenance may be conducted after notice has been given to the fire department.(2)In the event of accidental damage to the system that causes undo water flow.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12, Article VI of the Fayette County Code adopts a standard covering "the design and installation of automatic sprinkler systems for protection against fire hazards in residential occupancies up to four stories in height" (Sec. 12-150). The covered occupancies are defined in Sec. 12-152 to include apartment buildings (three or more dwelling units with independent cooking and bathroom facilities), lodging and rooming houses, hotels and dormitories serving more than 16 unrelated persons, residential board and care facilities, and personal care and assisted-living arrangements. Sec.
" Owners are also responsible for inspection and testing under NFPA 25 (2011 Edition), and records of every inspection, test and maintenance visit must be kept on the premises for at least two years under Sec. 12-153(e). Sec. 12-153(c) prohibits shutting off, disabling or disarming an installed sprinkler system except to perform necessary service after notifying the fire department, or in response to accidental damage causing undue water flow; if a system must stay offline for repairs, Sec. 12-153(d) allows the fire department to require a continuous fire watch until the system is restored to full capacity.
The standard's purpose section (Sec. 12-151) states the sprinkler requirement is meant to prevent flashover in the room of fire origin and to improve occupants' chance of escape or evacuation.
Violations & Fines
Disabling a required sprinkler system outside the narrow maintenance and accidental-damage exceptions in Sec. 12-153(c) is itself a violation of the article, and the county can require a fire watch under Sec. 12-153(d) while a system is down for repair. Buildings covered by the article are also subject to the general fire prevention code penalty in Sec. 12-1(n): a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500.00 to $1,000.00, imprisonment of 30 to 360 days, or both, for each violation and each day of noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every apartment building in unincorporated Fayette County need sprinklers?
Can a property owner turn off a required sprinkler system for repairs?
Does the sprinkler mandate cover single-family homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fayette County
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