California is making fire sprinklers a formal mandate as of January, 2011. This code has been on the books since 2005 but it was governed and policed by each county and its fire chief. But now, for some unknown reason, the state is making it mandatory for all structures no matter the size or the material. The impact is more money spent on the home. For example, a 2000 sq ft home could have a cost of somewhere between $6500 to $10000. The actual fire sprinkler plan has to be drawn by a certified fire sprinkler consultant. It is usually the installer and it can cost between $750-$1500 for the plan. Typically it is reimbursed if you hire that company to install.

There is still time to get a set of plans done and submitted into the county by the end of the year. So don't waste time---lets get going!