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3/12/08
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Per a recent update sent out by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los Angeles:
Commercial building owners in California are in for a surprise. For buildings with sprinklers or any other water-based system, the cost of inspection has gone up dramatically.
Last year, the State Fire Marshal decided unilaterally to adopt NFPA 25 as the code governing these systems, with little or no notification to the affected parties, including office and industrial building owners, hospitals and schools. Many owners are unaware that this change occurred last summer, and have yet to evaluate the impact on their operations.
While a number of the new provisions are costly, the change from the term “service” to “testing and maintenance” will cause a significant increase in inspection costs for property owners. Previously, a building owner or engineer could visually inspect systems on a quarterly basis. Now, “testing and maintenance” requires a licensed contractor.
In the case of one building in the South Bay region, annual sprinkler, pump, tank and riser inspection costs will quintuple, from $20,000 to $100,000.
Members of the LA Area Fire Chief’s Association contacted BOMA/GLA to alert BOMA to the change, and ask them to join a coalition to push for a modification or rescission of the rule. The association’s local Codes and Regulations Committee will be working with BOMA Cal to reverse this expensive and unnecessary code change.
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