Fire Sprinkler System

Within the Town of Truckee, residential fire sprinkler systems are required to be installed in new single-family and multi-family residences. For projects which are additions and/or alterations please refer to the Truckee Fire Protection District ordinance: Ordinance 01-2016 (PDF).

Per 2022 California Building Code (CBC) Section 903.2.8 and 2019 California Residential Code (CRC) Section R313.3, an automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall be installed in one and two-family dwellings. Stand-alone and multi-purpose wet-pipe sprinkler systems that do not include the use of anti-freeze shall be designed in accordance with CRC R313.3. Per the 2022 Edition of NFPA 13D, any proposed use of anti-freeze requires the product to be listed. Since there currently are no listed products available, additional considerations and documentation are required if proposing to use anti-freeze within the sprinkler system. View Antifreeze Solutions in Residential Fire Sprinklers (PDF) for more details.

The installation of a fire protection system, excluding an electrical alarm system, shall be performed only by a contractor holding a fire protection contractor classification (C-16), a contractor holding a plumbing classification (C-36), or by an owner-builder of an owner-occupied single-family dwelling if not more than two single-family dwellings on the same parcel are constructed within one year.

The design of the fire protection system can be done by a fire protection engineer, a civil engineer, a C-16 contractor, or a NICET II/III. The person or company that designs the system does not have to install it but they do need to stamp the plans. If a C-36 is performing the installation, either the designer or a C-16 must perform the hydro-test and inspection. Only the C-16 may do the annual/5-year inspections.

Within the Town of Truckee and per agreement with the Truckee Fire Protection District, the review of plans, permitting, and inspecting of these systems in one and two-family dwellings is the responsibility of the Building Division. Read the Fire Sprinkler Protection and Inspection Agreement (PDF) for more information.

A residential fire sprinkler permit shall be submitted, reviewed, approved, and issued prior to requesting a rough inspection of the residential permit. Please allow for the appropriate amount of time for this process. (The water utility district requires preliminary information regarding the sprinkler system demands in order to determine their water hook-up fees. Since a copy of the receipt for paid water fees is required prior to issuance of the permit for the residence, it is recommended the sprinkler design occurs concurrently with the residence).

Submittal for residential fire sprinkler system requires:

Prior to issuance of the residential fire sprinkler permit, written approval by Truckee Donner PUD 530-587-3896 shall be obtained by the applicant (suggest concurrent submittal to the TDPUD at the time of permit submittal). The TDPUD will verify the final sprinkler design required water flow demand is available or requires appropriate upgrades. For this reason, it is recommended that TDPUD is included in the development phase of the project as noted above.

Once plans are approved and TDPUD approval is obtained the permit can be issued.

  • A permit fee will be due at issuance, per our current fee schedule - contact the permit technician regarding the actual final payment amount prior to completing a check for payment. View the Full Fee Schedule with Change for 2023 (PDF) for more details.

Prior to the final of the sprinkler permit, written approval by Truckee Donner PUD 530-587-3896 shall be obtained by the applicant. The TDPUD requires a test of the backflow prevention device in order to obtain their final approval. This test and approval shall occur prior to requesting final approval by the building division.

Access the Residential Fire Sprinkler (PDF) for an example of the plan correction items for sprinkler installations.

Additional Resources for Residential Fire Sprinklers