Fire Sprinkler System Cost

Fire Sprinkler System Cost

How Much Does a Fire Sprinkler System Cost?

Sprinkler systems have a lengthy record of saving lives and property from the catastrophe of fire to commercial and residential properties. For this reason, no business owner or facility manager objects to installing a fire sprinkler system on any commercial property.

The only hesitation to the proposal is not knowing the cost of installing fire sprinklers. Since each fire protection plan is unique, there is no pat answer to this question—sorry. However, here are some considerations that determine the Fire Sprinkler System Cost.

Fire Protection vs Fire Sprinklers

The goal of fire protection systems is to save lives and property, with four major goals.

To save human lives and protect property by:

1. Avoid fires from starting. Fires need three things to begin and continue—oxygen, fuel, and enough heat or spark to ignite a fire.
2. Prevent fires from spreading.
3. Rapid evacuation of the facility occupants.
4. Efficient communication with emergency responders.

Fire sprinklers are one component of fire protection systems that use water to extinguish flames. Fire protection systems employ many more means to extinguish flames and move people.

When Water is the Best

Some fires should not be extinguished with water; fires that start in the presence of extremely valuable objects (such as artwork or archived records), fires in the presence of fragile electronics (such as a server farm), and fires that originate in oils, fats, or grease (since the oil will float on the water surface and spread the flame). For most other types of fires, water is the best solution for extinguishing fires.

A network of pipes carries water throughout a structure and holds it in a ready position. Sprinkler heads are designed to direct the spray of water as desired. The trigger is a fragile glass bulb that contains a small amount of liquid. Heat will cause the liquid to expand and shatter the bulb, releasing the water immediately on the source of the fire. When employed, fire sprinklers are extremely efficient at extinguishing fires at the source.

Fire Sprinkler System Cost Considerations 

• Size and Layout. Multi-story buildings or facilities with tremendous square footage require pumps with great capacity and this will affect the cost. If the layout is complex and the design intricate, this will affect the cost.
• Material Quality. The quality of the pipe material and the design of the sprinkler heads will affect the cost of the system.
• New Construction vs. Retrofit. The fire sprinkler network can be installed before the walls and ceilings are closed and finished. If the walls and ceilings need to be opened for the installation of the pipe network, it will raise the cost.
• The sprinkler system will need to be inspected and cleaned regularly. Occasionally, sprinkler heads will leak and need to be replaced. These costs are minor but should be included in your considerations.
• A building with fire sprinklers is insured at a much lower rate than a building without since they extinguish fires so quickly and reduce repair/replacement costs. This should also be a part of your cost considerations.

Fire Safe Protection Services Can Help Assess Fire Sprinkler System Cost

Call Fire Safe Protection Services today at 713-722-7800 or visit our online form, and we will be in contact as soon as possible about your Fire Sprinkler System Cost questions.