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Sandy, UT Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Sprinkler trigger
Fire flow over 2,000 gpm
Exempt
R-3, Group U, worship, IRC homes
Standard
NFPA 13 installation
FDC placement
Within 100 ft of a hydrant
Enforced by
Sandy Fire and Police Departments
Penalty
Class B misdemeanor, § 20-8-2

Summary

Sandy's fire code amendment requires automatic sprinklers only in buildings where required fire flow exceeds 2,000 gallons per minute, and it expressly exempts worship buildings, Group R Division 3 (single-family and duplex) occupancies, Group U buildings, and structures built under the International Residential Code from that mandate.

Section 903.2 shall be amended to include the following additional subsection: An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 13 throughout the buildings containing all occupancies where fire flow exceeds 2,000 gallons per minute, based upon Table B105.1 of the 2018 International Fire Code. Exempt locations as indicated in Section 903.3.1.1.1 are allowed. Exception: Automatic fire sprinklers are not required in buildings used solely for worship, Group R Division 3, and Group U occupancies and buildings complying with the International Residential Code unless otherwise required by the International Fire Code, 2018 Edition.

Full Breakdown

1 of the 2018 International Fire Code, exceeds 2,000 gallons per minute must have an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA 13. 1 remain exempt under the local amendment as well. " In practical terms, a typical single-family or duplex home built to the IRC is not swept into Sandy's local high-flow sprinkler mandate. 2 to let two-hour masonry firewalls divide a building into separate fire-flow calculation areas. All of Title 20's fire code provisions are enforced jointly by the Sandy City Fire Department and Police Department under Section 20-1-2.

Violations & Fines

Violating any provision of the adopted International Fire Code or its Sandy amendments, including the Section 903.2 sprinkler amendment, is a Class B misdemeanor under Section 20-8-2. Each violation is charged separately, and when a violation isn't otherwise time-limited, every ten days the condition continues counts as a new, separate offense. The Fire Chief can also deny or condition a building permit until fire-flow and sprinkler requirements are met, and a permit denial can be appealed to the Sandy City Board of Appeals within 30 days under Section 20-8-1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sandy require sprinklers in new single-family homes?
No. Section 20-1-3's amendment to IFC 903.2 specifically exempts Group R Division 3 occupancies (single-family and duplex homes) and buildings complying with the International Residential Code from the city's fire-flow sprinkler mandate, unless the IFC itself requires sprinklers for that structure.
What triggers Sandy's local sprinkler requirement?
A building must have automatic sprinklers installed to NFPA 13 standards when its required fire flow, calculated under IFC Table B105.1, exceeds 2,000 gallons per minute. This is a flow-based threshold that applies across occupancy types, subject to the residential and worship exceptions.
How far can a sprinkler system's fire department connection be from a hydrant?
Section 20-1-3 amends IFC Section 912.2 so that a fire department connection on an automatic sprinkler or standpipe system must be located within 100 feet of a fire hydrant, unless the Fire Chief approves a different location.

Sources & Official References

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