Goodyear, AZ Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 5-2-1 (IFC § 903.2.8)
- Sprinkler-free threshold (good access/water)
- Under 5,000 sq ft
- Sprinkler-free threshold (limited access/water)
- Under 3,600 sq ft
- Build-for-Rent multifamily
- Always sprinklered, no size exception
- Group R-4 garages
- Sprinklers required in all attached garages
- Max penalty (individual)
- $2,500 fine, up to 6 months jail
Summary
Goodyear requires automatic sprinklers throughout every Group R building, including Build-for-Rent multifamily projects, under City Code § 5-2-1 amending IFC § 903.2.8. One- and two-family homes and R-3 units get a size-based exception: none required under 5,000 square feet with adequate water and access, or under 3,600 square feet if either is limited.
903.2.8 Group R. An automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3 shall be provided throughout all buildings with a Group R fire area, to include "Build for Rent" type multifamily project, except as follows: Exception: Automatic sprinkler systems shall not be required in one- and two-family dwellings and R-3 occupancies that are less than 5,000 square feet when there is adequate water supply and an approved fire apparatus access road. When there is inadequate water supply or limited fire department access, automatic sprinkler systems shall not be required in one- and two-family dwellings and R-3 occupancies that are less than 3,600 square feet. The square footage shall be determined based on the total floor area, which includes the living area, attached garages and areas under roof or horizontal projections... This exception does not apply to care facilities located in one- or two-family dwellings where the occupants are incapable of self-preservation or Build to Rent properties.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-1648, passed April 27, 2026).
Full Breakdown
3 is required throughout every building with a Group R fire area, expressly including "Build for Rent" multifamily projects, not just traditional apartment buildings. The code then carves out a size-based exception for detached and duplex homes and other R-3 occupancies: sprinklers are not required below 5,000 square feet of total floor area if the site has adequate water supply and an approved fire apparatus access road. If either of those, water supply or access, falls short, the sprinkler-free threshold drops to 3,600 square feet.
Total floor area for both thresholds counts everything under roof or horizontal projection, living space, attached garages, porches, sunrooms and courts, and folds in any detached structure that fails to meet the required fire separation distance from the main house. The exception does not apply at all to care facilities operating inside a one- or two-family dwelling where residents cannot self-evacuate, or to Build-to-Rent developments, both of which must sprinkler regardless of size. 5, layers on a further mandate for Group R-4 occupancies: sprinklers must be installed in all attached garages, closing a gap the base exception would otherwise leave open for that occupancy class.
Violations & Fines
Building or occupying a Group R structure without the required sprinkler system violates Article 5-2 of the Goodyear City Code and is a misdemeanor: $50 to $2,500 in fines for an individual, $400 to $20,000 for a business, and up to six months in jail. The city may instead treat it as a civil code violation enforced through Goodyear City Court under Chapter 18, and can withhold or revoke a certificate of occupancy until sprinklers are installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a new single-family home in Goodyear need fire sprinklers?
Do Build-for-Rent apartment communities in Goodyear get the size exception?
What counts toward the square footage threshold for the sprinkler exception?
Sources & Official References
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