Sioux Falls, SD Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- IRC edition adopted
- 2021 International Residential Code
- R313.2 sprinkler rule
- Not adopted by the city
- R313.1 town house rule
- Also not adopted
- If installed voluntarily
- Must meet Section P2904 or NFPA 13D
- Governing chapter
- City Code Chapter 150, Building
Summary
Sioux Falls adopted the 2021 International Residential Code but expressly did not adopt the IRC's automatic fire sprinkler requirement for one- and two-family dwellings or town houses, so new homes don't need sprinklers.
R313.1 Town house automatic fire sprinkler systems. Not adopted by the city. R313.1.1 Design and installation. When an automatic sprinkler system for town houses is installed, it shall be designed and installed in accordance with Section P2904 or NFPA 13D. R313.2 One- and two-family dwellings automatic fire systems. Not adopted by the city. R313.2.1 Design and installation. When automatic sprinkler systems are installed, it shall be designed and installed in accordance with Section P2904 or FPA 13D. R314.2.2 Alterations, repairs, and additions. Where alterations, repairs, or additions requiring a permit occur with a valuation of more than $1,000, the individual dwelling unit shall be equipped with smoke alarms located as required for new dwellings. Exceptions:
1. Work involving the exterior surfaces of dwellings, such as the replacement of roofing or siding, the addition or replacement of windows or doors, or the addition of a porch or deck.
2. Installation, alteration, or repairs of plumbing or mechanical systems. R314.3 Location. Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:
1. In each sleeping room.
2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics and not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
The city adopted the 2021 International Residential Code as its residential building code under § 150.001, covering one- and two-family dwellings and town houses up to three stories. But § 150.002, which lists local amendments to that code, states plainly that R313.1 (town house automatic fire sprinkler systems) and R313.2 (one- and two-family dwellings automatic fire systems) are 'Not adopted by the city.' That means builders of new houses, duplexes, and town houses in Sioux Falls face no sprinkler mandate. If someone installs a system anyway, R313.1.1/R313.2.1 still require it to follow IRC Section P2904 or NFPA 13D.
Violations & Fines
No fire-sprinkler violation applies to one- and two-family homes or town houses in Sioux Falls; sprinklers are purely optional, so building without one triggers no permit denial, fine, or code-enforcement action under Chapter 150.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sioux Falls require sprinklers in new houses?
Can a builder install a sprinkler system voluntarily?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
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