Lee's Summit, MO Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Mandatory residential sprinklers
- not required
- Builder duty
- must offer sprinkler option before contract
- State law mirrored
- RSMo § 67.281
- IRC R313.1/R313.2 mandates
- deleted (§§ 7-909, 7-910)
- Code-stated expiration date
- December 31, 2022
Summary
Lee's Summit does not require automatic fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes or townhouses. City Code § 7-908 only obligates the builder to offer the buyer the option to install sprinklers at the buyer's own cost, and the IRC's own mandatory sprinkler subsections are separately deleted by §§ 7-909 and 7-910.
Section R313 is hereby amended to read as follows: A builder of a one-and two family dwelling or townhouse shall offer to any purchaser, on or before the time of entering into the purchase contract the option, at the purchaser's cost, to install or equip fire sprinklers in the one- and two-family dwelling or townhouse. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no purchaser of such one- and two family dwelling or townhouse shall be denied the right to install a fire sprinkler system in such dwelling or townhouse being purchased. The provisions of this section, which are intended to mirror the requirements of section RSMo 67.281, shall expire on December 31st, 2022.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 | Unified Development Ordinance: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
Section 7-908 amends the IRC's Section R313, Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems, to read: "A builder of a one- and two family dwelling or townhouse shall offer to any purchaser, on or before the time of entering into the purchase contract the option, at the purchaser's cost, to install or equip fire sprinklers in the one- and two-family dwelling or townhouse. 2 One- and two family dwellings automatic fire systems" outright, so neither of the IRC's own mandatory sprinkler triggers for townhouses or one- and two-family homes applies inside city limits.
In short: a Lee's Summit builder must give a buyer the paperwork option to add sprinklers and cannot refuse a buyer who wants to pay for them, but the city imposes no sprinkler mandate of its own on single-family, duplex, or townhouse construction. Commercial and multifamily buildings remain covered separately under the adopted International Building Code and Fire Code, unaffected by this residential carve-out.
Violations & Fines
Because Section 7-908 sets a builder disclosure duty rather than a sprinkler mandate, the exposure runs to the builder, not the homeowner: failing to offer the purchase-contract sprinkler option, or refusing a purchaser's request to install one, is a Chapter 7 violation under § 7-177, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are fire sprinklers required in new houses in Lee's Summit?
Can a builder refuse to install sprinklers if I want them?
Why doesn't Lee's Summit require sprinklers when the national code does?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee's Summit
Compare Lee's Summit to another location·View the Missouri 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 Jackson County handle fire sprinkler requirements.