March 3, 2025

Preparing a Residential Fire Sprinkler Submittal Package

You’ve engaged a fire sprinkler professional to complete a design for your project, and now have the plans in hand. What’s next? Navigating the submittal requirements of building and plan review departments can often seem complex. In this article we will introduce some common plan submittal scenarios to help you avoid delays and facilitate the successful approval of your fire sprinkler system.

A Word about Deferred Submittals

Fire sprinkler plans are notable in the construction world, in that they are not always required to be submitted along with the rest of the architectural building plans in the initial submittal. Commonly a building department will allow what is termed a ‘deferred submittal,’ where portions of plans are submitted at a later stage of the project in a separate plan review and permitting process. Deferred submittals are especially useful for fire sprinkler systems, as they allow for more flexibility in the overall construction process as well as the creation of a more informed and detailed system design.

Locating the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)

An AHJ is the party responsible for reviewing and approving the fire sprinkler plans, and for issuing the sprinkler construction permit. The AHJ for your specific project could be any of the following:

  • City building department
  • County building department
  • Local fire department/fire district/fire marshal
Northern California Fire District Map

Credit: Data provided by Nevada County

Locating the AHJ may require some detective work on your part. Keep in mind that your fire sprinkler AHJ may or may not be the same entity that is reviewing the rest of your building plans. A good place to start is to reach out to your local building department to enquire. Often, they can guide you to the correct AHJ. Your fire sprinkler designer can also help you with this process.

Additionally, many online resources exist to help you in your search, such as county GIS (Geographical Information System) maps. If the project is in California, for example, a map of statewide fire districts can be found here.

Gathering Plans and Supplemental Documents

There are three fundamental documents that are always required in a fire sprinkler submittal, regardless of specific AHJ:

  • The fire sprinkler plans, stamped by a licensed contractor or professional engineer
  • Sprinkler hydraulic calculations
  • A collection of sprinkler system material data sheets

Supplemental documents your jurisdiction may require include:

  • AHJ fire sprinkler application
  • A fire flow letter/report from the project’s water district
Man Looks at Pipe Pressure Meter

Photo Credit: pvproductions from Freepik

Determining the AHJ’s Submittal Requirements

Once the AHJ is known, it is important to discover their specific submittal requirements. Many AHJs will post their requirements directly on their website. The majority of plans these days will be submitted electronically, though a small number of districts still require physical copies to be submitted in person.

In the case of an electronic submittal, the AHJ’s website should give detailed instructions for submittal, whether via an email process or through an official permit portal. For physical submittals, multiple copies of your documents will need to be printed and delivered to the AHJ’s office in person.

Keep in mind that submittal fees are usually due at the time of submittal. Be sure to ask the AHJ for the number of plan copies needed for physical submittals, as well as the submittal fee amount.

The Plan Review Process

After submittal, the plan review process begins. The AHJ will review the plans internally or send them to a 3rd party reviewer. The average review time can range from 4-6 weeks. You should ask your AHJ for their typical plan review turnaround time. Sometimes AHJs also offer an expedited review timeline for an additional fee. With the help of a skilled designer and the absence of any unforeseen obstacles, your plans should be approved during the first plan review cycle. Otherwise, the AHJ will generate a plan review comment letter. In this situation, the plans will need to be corrected by the designer and resubmitted similarly to the first plan review cycle. The AHJ may require a resubmittal fee.

Approval

Once the AHJ approves the plans and issues a permit, your sprinkler system is ready for installation. Keep in mind that if the system gets installed in a manner that diverges too far from the plans, during the rough inspection the AHJ may require another submittal called an ‘as-built’ submittal. In this case, the plans should be altered to match the installed system and submitted in the same way as the previous submittal processes.

Sample AHJ Requirements and Application

The following is an example of a fire sprinkler requirement checklist/application from an actual California AHJ, taken from the AHJ’s website. The requirements therein are typical of any AHJ’s.

Sample AHJ Application Part 1
Sample AHJ Application Part 2

Parsing through the specific administrative requirements of building, planning, and/or fire departments can prove to be a challenging process. While it’s true that every jurisdiction will ultimately have different requirements, knowing the basic structure of a submittal package and what to expect from the AHJ’s plan review process will help you mitigate any uncertainties on your pathway to plan approval.

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