Maricopa County adopted the 2018 IRC but, like every Arizona jurisdiction, deleted the IRC R313 residential sprinkler mandate consistent with ARS section 9-807. New homes in unincorporated Maricopa County need not have NFPA 13D sprinklers, though commercial and multifamily NFPA 13 systems remain required.
ARS section 9-807 (echoed by ARS 11-861 for counties) bars Arizona local governments from requiring fire sprinklers in single-family or two-family detached homes built since 2010. Maricopa County complies by amending IRC section R313 out of the adopted residential code. NFPA 13D systems remain optional and may earn an insurance discount. Larger structures still must comply: townhomes three or more units require NFPA 13R systems under IRC R313.2, multifamily and commercial buildings need full NFPA 13 systems per IBC chapter 9, and high-rise hotels follow IBC 403. Maricopa County Fire Marshal inspects systems jointly with the contracted Rural Metro fire districts.
Skipping a required NFPA 13 or 13R system in townhomes, multifamily, or commercial buildings violates the adopted IBC and IFC and triggers stop-work orders, civil penalties up to seven hundred dollars per day, and certificate-of-occupancy denial.
Scottsdale, AZ
Fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, and similar appliances require compliance with the Construction Code and appropriate permits. Maricopa County prohibits wood-b...
Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale requires defensible space around structures to mitigate wildfire risk, particularly in the McDowell Mountain area and ESLO desert hillside zones. ...
Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale has significant wildfire risk areas, particularly in the McDowell Mountain area, Scottsdale Mountain, and desert hillside areas in the northern pa...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Maricopa County.
See how other cities in Maricopa County handle fire sprinkler requirements.
See how Scottsdale's fire sprinkler requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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