Richland, WA Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)

RMC § 20.05.020 sets the citywide framework for fire alarm and automatic sprinkler installation, tying the obligation to Table 20.05.020's occupancy-by-occupancy thresholds rather than a single blanket rule. For most commercial and institutional occupancy groups the table triggers sprinklers at specific square-footage or occupant-load numbers under IFC authority, but the R3 row, covering single-family dwellings, duplexes, and child care serving fewer than 24 hours and five or more persons, lists the sprinkler trigger as 'any building containing this occupancy group,' with the Washington Administrative Code cited as the controlling authority rather than the IFC used for most other occupancy groups.

Subsection C extends the same analysis to mixed-occupancy buildings whenever the combined ratio of actual to allowable area for each use reaches or exceeds one. Where a sprinkler system is designed to the residential NFPA 13D standard, subsection H requires it to be installed per NFPA 13D and IRC section P2904, to meet the sprinkler installer licensing requirement in Chapter 18.270 RCW, and to tie into the city's cross-connection control program without needing a separate backflow-prevention device. Every fire alarm and sprinkler alarm must route through the public safety answering point for Richland fire and emergency services under subsection G, and building owners must keep current contact information on file, since a missed testing notice sent to the last known address does not excuse noncompliance under subsection F. Periodic sprinkler testing and maintenance documentation is due to Richland fire and emergency services within 14 calendar days of completion under subsection E.