No Home Fire Sprinklers Required Under New LG Building Code

La Grange City Council unanimously approved the first reading of several ordinances to adopt the most recent international building, fire and electrical codes at their meeting on Monday, June 25.

One change in the codes that caught a lot of attention was a new requirement for fire sprinklers in single-family homes and duplexes. However, City Manager Shawn Raborn told the Council that a state law passed in 2009 prohibits Texas cities from enforcing the sprinkler provision in the new code. A document prepared by City Manager Shawn Raborn that was included in Monday’s meeting packet stated that the average cost of installing a sprinkler system in a 2,500 sq. ft. home was about $12,500. Raborn’s document also stated that a survey of local insurance agencies indicated that homeowners with a sprinkler system could receive a four to ten percent discount on home insurance premiums.

Local insurance agent Dusty Littrell spoke against the sprinkler rule during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting: “If it cost $12,000 to put in a system, with a maximum 10 percent discount, then the maximum discount on a $1,200 a year premium is $120,” Littrell said. “It would take 100 years for that client to recoup the cost based on the discount. That’s not a selling point, in my opinion.”

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