San Francisco's 2022 fire code requires owners of pre-1975 high-rises to install sprinklers in every apartment room by 2035, affecting roughly 10,000 units. Retrofit costs run $200,000 to $300,000 per unit, prompting hundreds of residents to push back. Mayor London Breed introduced legislation to delay the permit deadline by three years while the city studies feasibility.
San Francisco might postpone the looming sprinkler retrofit deadline that would cost homeowners tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. San Francisco's fire code was amended in 2022 to require automatic sprinklers installed in every single room of every single unit of high-rise buildings built before 1975. They have to do that work by 2035 and get permits for that work by 2027. But after an outcry from hundreds of residents out of the nearly 10,000 units that would be impacted, Mayor Lorie has introduced legislation to postpone the deadline by 3 years to get permits for this work so that the city can study feasibility. Estimates from contractors and HOAs who have dug into what would be required to perform these renovations are thinking between $200,000 to $300,000 per unit, an amount that would be untenable for many residents and force them to have to sell their homes. We'll keep you updated on any forthcoming analyses on feasibility and legal process, so follow me for more updates.
