As a reminder, the next interim report filing for Local Law 26 of 2004 — the 14 Year Report — is due this Sunday, July 1, 2018
Local Law 26/04 mandates that New York City commercial/office buildings 100 feet or taller must have a full system of automatic fire sprinklers installed by July 1, 2019. Interim reports prepared by a New York State architect or engineer must be filed with the Department of Buildings, and a final report, also prepared by an architect or engineer, must be submitted certifying that the installation of the sprinkler system is fully compliant.
Extensions
Owners who are unable to comply by the final deadline because of undue hardship may be granted an extension as long as they have met all previous filing deadlines; obtained all the required applications, permits, and plans; have made a good faith effort to complete the required work; and are able to substantiate the claim of undue hardship. The deadline for extension applications is also July 1, 2018.
No Time for Delay
As a rule of thumb, the design phase of a building-wide sprinkler system can take up to six months. The length of a fire sprinkler system project, from the initial decision to proceed, until completion and final approval of the installation, depends on the size of the space to be sprinklered and the specifics of the building. The entire sprinkler project can take up to a year or more, so owners should start planning well in advance to meet the July 1, 2019 deadline.
Questions?
To learn more about Local Law 26/04 and sprinkler systems, see our Local Law 26/04: Fire Sprinkler Requirement Fact Sheet. If you have any questions or require help filing for an extension, contact RAND at 212-675-8844 or info@nullrandpc.com.
Peter Varsalona, PE is Principal of RAND and head of its Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing team.
