# Exceptions to Sprinklers For Two-Unit Apartment Addition?



## fj80 (Sep 30, 2019)

2015 IBC. Planning an addition to an existing building. Existing building is 1,254 s.f. office, use group B. Owner wants to add two one-bedroom apartment units to the back of the building (R-2)1,474 s.f. 

Per Section 903.2.8 it appears fire sprinklers are required, regardless of how small the R-2 area is. And it appears to say the sprinklers are required throughout the entire building, even the Group B office area. Is that correct? Are there any ways to not have sprinklers in the office portion, such as a rated fire wall, fire barrier, etc?


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## Rick18071 (Sep 30, 2019)

A fire wall would make it two separate buildings. Then it would not be considered apartments but a two family dwelling if they have separate entrances. Then you go by the IRC and would just need to sprinkler the house per NFPA 13D (pex piping). But your state may have took this requirement out of the code for dwellings..


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## RLGA (Sep 30, 2019)

If only two units, then it would be a Group R-3 if using the IBC.

A fire wall would be the only option I can think of that would prevent having to sprinkler the existing building.


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## fj80 (Sep 30, 2019)

RLGA said:


> If only two units, then it would be a Group R-3 if using the IBC.
> 
> A fire wall would be the only option I can think of that would prevent having to sprinkler the existing building.


A two-unit apartment addition has to be considered R-3 and not R-2? I thought apartments were always R-2 per the description in 310.4, but now I see it says "more than two dwellings..."


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## cda (Sep 30, 2019)

fj80 said:


> A two-unit apartment addition has to be considered R-3 and not R-2? I thought apartments were always R-2 per the description in 310.4, but now I see it says "more than two dwellings..."




i take it the original building has no fire sprinklers???


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## fj80 (Sep 30, 2019)

cda said:


> i take it the original building has no fire sprinklers???


It does not.


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