Deadline nears on New York City sprinkler requirement for tall office buildings

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, New York City enacted a requirement that all office buildings 100 feet tall or taller install sprinkler systems.

The deadline for meeting that code mandate is this July 1. Building owners must submit a final report on the sprinkler system by an engineer or architect by that date. The deadline is not for receiving approval from the city, says Daniel Colombini, principal and director of plumbing and fire protection engineering, Goldman Copeland.

“It’s important to allow time for the engineer or architect to inspect the building and for the building contractor, before that, to close out the building department application,” Colombini says. “It can take a month or more for the contractor to complete that process.”

Some spaces that were exempt under older codes, such as bathrooms and mechanical rooms, are now covered. “It’s essential to ensure that all such spaces are now sprinklered,” he adds. Extension requests are no longer being accepted by the city, and there is no process for appeal.