Commercial Fire Sprinkler System Cost

For some business owners, a fire suppression system is a requirement by the law. For others, especially property owners, setting up a fire sprinkler is basically a matter of choice.

In either case, you will have to understand commercial fire sprinkler expenses ahead of time as part of the planning stage.

According to an expense evaluation by the National Fire Security Association (NFPA), the typical fire sprinkler setup expense will be somewhere around $1.35 per square foot of coverage. This will equate to about $6,000 for a brand-new, 4,500 square foot space.

As you might have seen already, the price of these stems differs from one job to another. So, what will affect these prices, and just how much should you be ready to spend on one?

The Typical Commercial Fire Sprinkler Price – Market Estimate

The typical expense of having a fire lawn sprinkler depends upon the size of the area that will be covered under the system. The total expense is basically a mix of the costs of each specific element.

This includes sprinkler heads that cost somewhere between $1 and $33 per piece, valves, and gauges that vary from $9 to $55 each, in addition to pumps and switches that have a price of about $15 to $60 per piece.

Also check out our articles about the cost of office cubicles, steel buildings, and office trailers.

New commercial property owners must be ready to pay $1 to $2 per square foot, which includes both setup and equipment costs. Owners of older structures pay out more to retrofit the residential or commercial property, normally $2 to $7 per square foot.

For high rise structures, you must be ready to pay approximately $2 to $4 to retrofit the area. Historical structures are costlier, costing $10 per square foot to set up the sprinkler system.

What Will Affect the Price of Commercial Fire Sprinklers?

As you can see, the expense of setting up a fire sprinkler system in a business or domestic structure differs from one job to another.

To reach the real cost, you will have to think about a number of elements to that area that are known to impact the cost of commercial fire extinguishers.

Here are a few of the most important elements that will help you figure out just how much you will pay to have one set up:

Fire Sprinkler System Parts

Just as you’d expect with any other fire suppression system, a fire sprinkler system includes a lot of different parts.

The different functions you need to have in your system will affect the overall cost. A few of the functions you must think about, in this case, consist of:

Booster Pump and Water Tank Cost

The majority of residential and commercial properties that have fire sprinkler systems set up typically have access to the local water system.

Nevertheless, if you utilize a well or another water source, your system will most likely need a tank and booster pump. This increases the fire sprinkler setup cost by approximately 25 percent.

Backflow Preventer

The function of this gadget is to prevent polluting the local water system with pressurized fire sprinkler water.

It isn’t needed in lots of jurisdictions, however, your system may require one if your sprinklers operate on an antifreeze solution.

For a standard domestic fire sprinkler setup, a backflow preventer might add $75 to $350 to the cost of the job. Nevertheless, you need to be ready to pay more for bigger commercial systems.

Nature of the Setup

Are you having the system set up for the very first time or simply retrofitting an existing system?

This, in addition to the kind of building you are working on, will also affect the setup price. Here are a few of the primary fire sprinkler setup types you need to think about:

New Constructions

The best time to set up sprinklers is throughout the preliminary construction stage of a building or structure.

The quote in such a case is most likely to be only between $1 and $2 per square foot of coverage. This expense is inclusive of all the necessary devices and setup.

Fire Sprinkler Retrofit Installations

You can set up sprinklers in an existing home or company at an approximated expense of $2 to $7 per square foot of the space that will be covered by the sprinkler.

A retrofitted high-rise will cost you anywhere between $2 and $4 per square foot.

Setup on Historical Structures

Due to the rigorous design standard needed to keep a historical structure’s aesthetics, setting up a sprinkler system here might cost as much as $10 per square foot.

Design and Material of the Piping System

Though not by a substantial amount, the piping design you settle on will also have an impact on the overall expense of setup.

Essentially, you will have an option of 2 primary designs for your business fire sprinkler system piping, consisting of:

Standalone Systems

This kind of sprinkler system is developed with pipelines created only to provide the sprinkler heads with water.

Standalone systems are the most common. Owing to its need for more material and labor, a standalone piping system will be more expensive.

Multipurpose Piping System

This is when a system utilizes one set of piping for domestic water and the sprinkler water system.

Since less piping is needed, this kind of system normally costs less to set up. Given that a few of the parts are shared, this system needs fewer setup parts.

All these make the design more cost-effective, as compared to the standalone piping system.

Metal Pipes

Garages, attics, and incomplete basements might need more costly metal piping. Copper, in particular, will increase the price quote to set up a fire sprinkler system.

Plastic Pips

If you are dealing with a minimal spending plan, plastic pipes can help save you a substantial amount of cash in acquiring costs.

As a matter of fact, it is the most budget-friendly kind of piping utilized in sprinkler systems. Set up plastic pipes whenever possible to keep setup expenses down.

All set to Install a Commercial Fire Sprinkler System?

If you’re searching for methods to enhance fire security in your residential or commercial property or organization, you are smart to consider setting up fire sprinklers.

Various suppliers might provide you with different quote estimates, however, the rate will basically include elements and labor expenses.

As you have actually found out above, commercial fire sprinkler costs will also depend on the space covered, nature of the setup, and piping design.

Read our commercial emergency alarm system cost guide to find out the benefits of having an alarm system.

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Alec Pow

Alec Pow is a thorough and methodical Financial and Business Analyst with over 15 years of experience in financial statement analysis, Foreign exchange derivative hedging instruments analysis, modeling, and risk management, with a long history of writing for big news publications like Forbes, MSN.com, Washington Post, and many more.