Sprinkler Requirements Under Local Law 26 of 2004

Local Law 26 of 2004 requires all office buildings 100 feet or more in height to be fully protected by July 1, 2019. Local Law 26 was signed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2004, allowing a full fifteen years for building owners to comply.

I. Effective date:

Effective Immediately.

II. Background:

Local Law 26 of 2004, effective October 22, 2004, added section 27-929.1 in Article 1 of Subchapter 17 of the 1968 building code to mandate retroactive requirements for a full system of automatic sprinklers to be installed in office buildings one hundred feet or more in height and buildings classified in occupancy group E one hundred feet or more in height in existence on October 22, 2004. The installation of such sprinkler systems shall be completed on or before July 1, 2019.

The local law included provisions for the application for extension where the owner of a building is unable to complete the installation on or before July 1, 2019. Paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 27-228.5 states:

“(2) Where the owner of a building is unable to comply with the requirements of subdivision (a) of section 27-929.1 on or before July 1, 2019 because of undue hardship, and where such owner timely filed all interim reports as required in paragraph (1) of this subdivision and has obtained approval of all required applications, plans and permits relating to the required work, such owner may submit to the department an application for additional time to comply with such requirements.”

The local law also requires that the owner file a fourteen year report per paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of section 27-228.5, which states: “Unless a final report is filed on or prior to July 1, 2018, a
fourteen year report shall be filed no earlier than January 1, 2018 and no later than July 1, 2018. Such fourteen year report shall contain a certification by an architect or engineer of the percentage of the building in which sprinklers have been installed as of the date of such report and an implementation plan, prepared by such architect or engineer detailing when and how the remaining portions of the building will be made fully compliant.”

All owners of office buildings shall refer to Part III of this bulletin to determine the requirement to complete and submit form Attachment A. Building owners seeking an extension shall follow the application process detailed in this bulletin.

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