Many development regulations are put in place to protect homes from fire; these are designed to limit the closeness of houses and their distance from a dependable water source. While these regulations do a lot to protect homes from fire, they can also make it difficult for developers.

If you’re a developer, you have a lot to gain by installing residential fire sprinklers in your homes. Regulation exceptions may be available to those who install fire sprinklers in new developments—and the added safety is worth money to customers. Here are a few reasons why installing residential fire sprinklers in your homes may boost your bottom line.

Freedom to build more homes.  Common restrictions on new developments include restrictions on cul-de-sacs, tee turnarounds, and the length of dead-end streets.  These restrictions limit the number of units you can build on your property, and with good reason—fewer units and more space between units reduces the risk of fires spreading. 

If you install residential fire sprinklers in your homes, the added fire protection could mean an easement of certain fire protection measures—meaning you may have room to build more homes on your property. Some developers find they can install 10% to 20% more units on their properties with the added room allowed as a result of fire sprinkler installation.

Added value to your lots.  With fire sprinklers installed in your residence, you may be able to reduce the number of fire hydrants required on your streets.  This allows for more street parking, which can be a draw for buyers.

In some cases usual restrictions require streets in developments to be wide enough to accommodate fire trucks.  With fire sprinklers installed, this requirement may be relaxed in your development—allowing for narrower streets and larger lots, which can translate to increased value.

In addition, developers are usually required to set homes close enough to the street so that fire hoses can reach them easily. With fire sprinklers installed, you may be allowed to set your homes further from the street—allowing for larger front gardens, added privacy, and increased value.

Reduced construction costs. There are a number of ways your construction costs may be reduced if you install fire sprinklers in your homes. Fire sprinklers use only a fraction of the water firefighters use to extinguish a fire, mainly because they activate while a fire is still small and easy to control. AS a result, you may be required to make less water available to the development if fire sprinklers are installed in your homes—which can dramatically cut your construction costs.

In most developments, streets are required to be flat and straight enough to allow fire trucks to navigate them easily. With fire sprinklers installed, this requirement may be relaxed a bit. This will reduce your need to dramatically reshape your landscape, which can reduce development costs considerably.

Strong selling points for residents. With fire sprinkler systems installed in your development, you give buyers a strong incentive to choose your homes.  The added safety of fire sprinkler systems is worth any cost—no fire fatality has ever been reported in a home with fire sprinkler systems installed.  Fire sprinklers are also easy to maintain: fire sprinkler inspections should take place approximately four times a year, and it’s not difficult to set up regular contracts with professional inspectors. In addition, fire sprinkler systems can add up to cost savings for buyers in terms of home and fire insurance reductions.

There are plenty of reasons why fire sprinkler installation can benefit developers as well as homebuyers. With fire sprinklers installed, you may be allowed restriction easements that will boost your profits and reduce your construction costs. In addition, fire sprinkler systems differentiate your development from your competitors’—and give buyers a powerful reason to choose your homes. With fire sprinkler systems, both homeowners and developers benefit.