search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • EBOOKS
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!
Plumbing NewsPlumbing, HVAC and Fire Protection CodesPlumbing & Mechanical Engineer Fire Protection

Washington town mandates fire sprinklers

In 2003, legislation was introduced to require fire sprinklers in new residential housing in Camas, Washington.

By Amanda Rae
Washington town mandates fire sprinklers

Fire sprinklers help protect residents in Camas, Wash. Photo credit: BlazeMaster

The benefits to builders of installing sprinklers

The benefits to builders of installing sprinklers include facilitating narrower streets, permitting additional units, increasing fire hydrant spacing and more. Photo credit: BlazeMaster

Washington town mandates fire sprinklers
The benefits to builders of installing sprinklers
May 16, 2017

In 2003, legislation was introduced to require fire sprinklers in new residential housing in Camas, Wash., a small city in the southwestern part of the state.

Despite the backing of local fire officials, the measure failed in City Council after opposition from homebuilders and real estate agents.

Yet, last year, without an ordinance, 214 of 215 new homes in Camas were built with fire sprinklers. How was this accomplished?

It’s largely due to Randy Miller, deputy fire marshal for the Camas-Washougal Fire Department, who didn’t want to give up the fire protection residential sprinklers provide. But how? Miller and his predecessors realized that builders might voluntarily add sprinklers if given the proper incentives.

So, the fire department agreed that if a builder added fire sprinklers, the city would waive the fire impact fee it usually assessed each new house. The fee in Camas is $0.20 per square foot, or $700 for a 3,500-square-foot house, an amount that lessened the extra cost to builders of adding sprinklers.

The second approach took advantage of a strict fire code in Camas (pop. 23,000), a fast-growing, affluent community perched on the Columbia River near Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore.

The land is hilly and builders want to get as many lots as possible out of their property. To do so, they sometimes needed waivers from the fire code, which regulates a lot of development.

When developers asked for waivers, Miller asked for sprinklers in return.

Want a narrower road than required? Put in sprinklers.

Want to limit the number of exits and entrances to a new development? Put in sprinklers.

Want to build on a slope that is steeper than allowed? Put in sprinklers.

Want to build in an area with below-standard hydrant flow? Put in sprinklers.

Miller knew the added protection of sprinklers would offset any increased risk in loosening the fire code.

Developers didn’t like it (“It’s been an unpleasant job many times,” Miller says), but if they wanted to build as many lots as possible, they agreed to it and, over the years, the number of sprinklered homes grew to about 2,000 of the 7,500 in the city.

“The council of builders probably had no idea the percentage we were getting,” Miller adds.

“For us, slow, steady and patient is the way to do it,” Camas Mayor Scott Higgins said.

“Everybody was sort of aware that 99% of the homes in Camas were being sprinklered. That was seen as the price of doing business out there,” says James Howsley, government affairs director for the Building Industry Association of Clark County, which had helped defeat the ordinance in 2003.

The BIA and real estate agents had so resigned themselves to sprinklers in Camas that when another ordinance was introduced this year, no one showed up to testify against it. They did send a letter in opposition, but the ordinance requiring sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes passed easily.

That means Miller will no longer have to swap waivers for sprinklers and the city can again begin collecting the fire impact fee.

“It was a very emotional moment for me,” Miller says. “It’s like a weight was taken off my shoulders.”    

 

Builders benefit from sprinklers

There are many financial “trade ups” that developers can receive in some communities for including fire sprinklers. These benefits include:

  • Narrower streets;

  • Longer dead-end streets;

  • “T” turnarounds permitted, creating at least one additional lot per cul-de-sac;

  • Increased street grades and building setbacks;

  • Additional units permitted;

  • Expansion of existing water supply might not be needed;

  • Increased hydrant spacing;

  • Building code alternatives that allow for fewer fire-rated portioning requirements; and

  • Allowing delayed access via gated communities.

As the example of Camas shows, sprinklered developments benefit builders, residents, the fire service and the overall community.

KEYWORDS: plumbers and pipefitters residential fire sprinklers

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Amanda Rae is marketing manager, Americas, Fire Protection, The Lubrizol Corporation.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

    Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

    Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
  • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

    The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

    Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
  • March 2024 Women in Plumbing hero image of woman engineer overlayed by circle of hexagon shapes with numbers from 1 to 10

    Celebrating 10 Influential Women in the Plumbing Industry

    Celebrating Women's History Month and Women in...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • J.J. Keller CMV vehicles on road
    Sponsored byJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

    The dash cam game-changer for small business safety

Popular Stories

Plumbing equpment parts and wrench on the white background close up.

Plumbing & Mechanical 2025 Plumbing Tools Survey

Latin American plumber fixing a toilet in the bathroom.

Troubleshooting common airflow plumbing issues

Empty modern room with large windows looking out onto a green lawn and trees.

Transitions: What do I do about cooling? (Part 1)

PM BEMIS June 25 Free Webinar: Optimizing Plumbing Solutions for Single-Family, Multi-Family & Public Spaces

Events

November 13, 2024

Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Will business be up or down in 2025?

Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

Download the FREE Water Conservation, Quality & Safety eBook: Plumbing Trends Increasing Safe Water Availability

Related Articles

  • Fire.jpg

    National survey says homeowners more likely to buy home with fire sprinklers

    See More
  • kimball feat

    Protecting cloud ceilings with fire sprinklers

    See More
  • Ballanco

    Proposed Illinois plumbing code mandates 160° F water

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • The ACCA Job Safety (1).jpg

    The ACCA On-The-Job Safety Handbook (Pack of 5)

  • building-code.gif

    Significant Changes to the International Building Code 2015 Edition

  • plumbing code.jpg

    2018 International Plumbing Code®

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • May 21, 2014

    ICC, PMI Webinar: Changes to the 2015 IPC

    The free webinar will be hosted on Wed., May 21, 2014 and will offer 0.1 ICC CEUs.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing