# Sprinkler Requirement in Townhomes - IRC 2018 NJ



## nickedemus (Mar 18, 2021)

R313.1 states that an automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall be installed in townhomes. 

I guess a 2-hr separation wall does not count as an exception?


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## Rick18071 (Mar 18, 2021)

nickedemus said:


> I guess a 2-hr separation wall does not count as an exception?




If they meet the definition of a townhouse I don't think it does even with a 3 hour wall unless NJ code has an exception.


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## cda (Mar 18, 2021)

nickedemus said:


> R313.1 states that an automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall be installed in townhomes.
> 
> I guess a 2-hr separation wall does not count as an exception?



I think in the old days a two hour was required, with no sprinklers

Since current unaltered irc requires sprinklers , it went down to one hour

You would have to ask the ahj, and see what the guy says.


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## nickedemus (Mar 18, 2021)

FYI.

I just spoke with a state code official. He (thankfully) confirmed that sprinklers are unnecessary in town houses as long as it falls under the single-family category (it does) and our height and area requirements are met (they are).

NJ has an additional section, R300-Height and Area Limitations, which I did not see because I was looking at the unammended version. Furthermore, the scoping requirements have been deleted out of R313.

The ICC website drives me crazy. It's just awful. In addition to a million little glitches that reduce my level of access seemingly at random, the way it labels things in the browser can be misleading. 

If you are not careful, you could be looking at the standard code instead of the state code, even though your sidebar shows the state code. That's what happened to me here.


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## nickedemus (Mar 18, 2021)

nickedemus said:


> He (thankfully) confirmed that sprinklers are unnecessary in town houses as long as it falls under the single-family category (it does) and our height and area requirements are met (they are).


And also if we have the required 2-hr fire separation (which we do).


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## Rick18071 (Mar 19, 2021)

[RB] TOWNHOUSE. A single-family dwelling unit constructed
*in a group* of three or more attached units in which
each unit extends from foundation to roof and with a yard or
public way on not less than two sides.

R101.2 Scope. The provisions of the International Residential
Code for One- and Two-family Dwellings shall apply to
the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement,
replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location,
removal and demolition of *detached one- and two-family
dwellings and townhouses* not more than three stories above
grade plane in height with a separate means of egress and
their accessory structures not more than three stories above
grade plane in height.

NJ code must have a different definition and doesn't require that one and two family dwellings to be *detached*.


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## jar546 (Mar 19, 2021)

Rick18071 said:


> [RB] TOWNHOUSE. A single-family dwelling unit constructed
> *in a group* of three or more attached units in which
> each unit extends from foundation to roof and with a yard or
> public way on not less than two sides.
> ...


They must have a different definition because to call a townhouse an SFR to circumvent fire-sprinkler requirements is a stretch.


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## classicT (Mar 19, 2021)

jar546 said:


> They must have a different definition because to call a townhouse an SFR to circumvent fire-sprinkler requirements is a stretch.


Even in Florida, a townhouse is defined as a single-family dwelling.

*2018 FBC-R*​*[RB] *TOWNHOUSE. A single-family dwelling unit not exceeding three stories in height constructed in a group of two or more attached units with property lines separating such units in which each unit extends from foundation to roof and with a yard or public way on not less than two sides.​
I think the case is that all residential buildings built per the _IBC_ require sprinklers, but those built per the _IRC _do not.


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## tbz (Mar 19, 2021)

nickedemus said:


> FYI.
> 
> I just spoke with a state code official. He (thankfully) confirmed that sprinklers are unnecessary in town houses as long as it falls under the single-family category (it does) and our height and area requirements are met (they are).



Nic,

NJ deleted the charging statements for 1013 from the 2018 IRC, thus not required, when built under a 2018-NJ-IRC pulled permit.

The ICC website shows this, here is the link from the ICCSAFE.org website

You have to watch which version you view, in the html version you will get the modification but not the double side hash marks, you need to open the pdf versions to see the call out for modifications and changes since last model code publication.


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## nickedemus (Mar 19, 2021)

tbz said:


> You have to watch which version you view, in the html version you will get the modification but not the double side hash marks, you need to open the pdf versions to see the call out for modifications and changes since last model code publication.


Yes, thanks. I noticed that when I was talking to the code official. 



classicT said:


> I think the case is that all residential buildings built per the _IBC_ require sprinklers, but those built per the _IRC _do not.


Yes. The NJ IBC section 310.6 refers us back to the IRC for the R-5 occupancy.


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## Rick18071 (Mar 19, 2021)

classicT said:


> Even in Florida, a townhouse is defined as a single-family dwelling.


But the IRC only covers *detached *one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses. They are 2 different things. Townhouses are not detached.


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## classicT (Mar 19, 2021)

Rick18071 said:


> But the IRC only covers *detached *one- and two-family dwellings *and townhouses*. They are 2 different things. Townhouses are not detached.


Huh? The IRC covers the following:

Detached one-family dwellings,
detached two-family dwellings,
And townhouses.
Townhouses are covered by the IRC. There should be no questions on that.


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## classicT (Mar 19, 2021)

Rick18071 said:


> Townhouses are not detached.


Check out the definition of a townhouse. By definition, they are attached. That is what makes them townhouses, and not SFD with zero-foot offset to property line. Kind of the defining feature.

*[RB] *TOWNHOUSE. A single-family dwelling unit constructed in a group of three or more *attached *units in which each unit extends from foundation to roof and with a yard or public way on not less than two sides.​


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## jar546 (Mar 20, 2021)

Townhouses built on a single lot intended for rental units


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