Sussex council approves updated building code

Sussex County Council has approved an updated 2021 International Building Code, but without a requirement for residential sprinklers.

Council President Mike Vincent, a lifetime member of the Seaford Volunteer Fire Department, said residential sprinklers are still on the table. “There is a lot of information we need to gather about cost,” he said. “There are a lot of questions out there, and we can amend the ordinance at any point. We need to get facts and not opinions. This is not a dead issue.”

Rick Blake of Bay to Beach Builders testified during a May 17 public hearing that residential sprinklers the company installs in some Maryland counties drive the cost of a house connected to a public water system up as much as $10,000. He said Bay to Beach has constructed 57 homes with sprinklers in Maryland since 2017. He said the average price is about $3 per square foot.

Homeowners with wells could pay an additional $2,500 for a variable-speed water pump, he said.

Lewes area resident Eul Lee told council they should consider residential sprinklers. She said she understands installation is not a simple matter and a second water line connection could be required.

“I’ve seen several fires lately, and as houses get closer and closer, it’s time to seriously think about fire danger,” she said.

Lee said a local firefighter told her that newer building materials that ignite quicker have reduced the time a person has to get out of a burning house to about three minutes. It used to be 17 minutes. “The fire danger is real,” she said.

Sprinklers will not be required for single-family homes, duplexes or townhomes up to three stories. They are required for apartment complexes, residential buildings more than three stories and most commercial buildings.