Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Permit in Sterling, Colorado

Sterling requires a fire sprinkler / fire alarm system permit for: The City has adopted the 2018 International Fire Code, together with Appendices A through G, per Municipal Code Sec. 7-6; Construction permits (which cover fire protection/life-safety system installations such as sprinklers and alarms under the IFC) are required in Sterling; IFC operational permits are explicitly NOT required, per Sec. 7-9; The Fire Chief is the fire code official responsible for enforcement and may appoint deputies, including classified firefighters; the city building-code official may also be appointed a deputy fire code official, per Sec. 7-8; IFC Section 903.2.8 (Group R) is locally amended: an automatic sprinkler system installed per IFC Section 903.3 is required throughout buildings with a Group R fire area, EXCEPT buildings covered by the International Residential Code (i.e., detached one- and two-family dwellings/townhouses), per Sec. 7-6(b); Consistent with that carve-out, the City's adopted IRC (2018 edition) explicitly omits IRC Section R313 (Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems) in its entirety for one- and two-family dwellings, per Sec. 5-56(d); Appeals of fire code official decisions go to the public works board, which serves as the appeals board established under IFC Section 108, per Sec. 7-10; A separate, distinct mechanism exists for ALARM MONITORING (not fire-system installation): Municipal Code Sec. 9-296 et seq. establishes an official police-department alarm monitoring system for business burglar/holdup/fire/police alarms, with its own hookup fee (amount set by City Council resolution) and false-alarm charges after 9 false alarms in a year — this is separate from, and should not be confused with, the IFC construction permit for installing a fire alarm system itself. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Sterling Public Works Department, Code Enforcement Division at (970) 522-9700, ext. 1109 (Marianne, permits and licenses); main line (970) 522-9700; fax (970) 521-0632 before starting work.

Sterling does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Sterling Public Works Department, Code Enforcement Division at (970) 522-9700, ext. 1109 (Marianne, permits and licenses); main line (970) 522-9700; fax (970) 521-0632 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Fire/Building Construction Permit Application (covering fire sprinkler/alarm system installation). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Sterling Public Works Department, Code Enforcement Division at 421 N. 4th Street, P.O. Box 4000, Sterling, CO 80751. Phone: (970) 522-9700, ext. 1109 (Marianne, permits and licenses); main line (970) 522-9700; fax (970) 521-0632, email: harbart@sterlingcolo.com (permits and licenses); pubworks@sterlingcolo.com (general Public Works). Office hours: Not published on the Permits and Licenses page as of this review; inspection requests are scheduled by phone at (970) 522-9700, with a stated same-day/next-day cutoff (see reviewTimelineNote on inspections below).. Official information: https://www.sterlingcolo.com/departments/public_works/permits_and_licenses.php.

Sterling, Colorado has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC), with Appendices A, E, and I — City of Sterling Municipal Code § 5-31, adopted by Ord. No. 5-2023 (eff. 6/13/23); a copy is kept at the City Clerk's office for public inspection; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), with Appendices F and H — Municipal Code § 5-56, adopted by Ord. No. 7-2023 (eff. 6/13/23); IRC Section R313 (Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems) is expressly omitted in its entirety; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Municipal Code § 5-43, adopted by Ord. No. 6-2023 (eff. 6/13/23); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Municipal Code § 5-106, adopted by Ord. No. 8-2023 (eff. 6/13/23); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Municipal Code § 5-140, adopted by Ord. No. 9-2023 (eff. 6/13/23); 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), with Appendices B and C, adopted in its entirety without amendment per state law — Municipal Code § 5-150, adopted by Ord. No. 10-2023 (eff. 6/13/23); Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, 1994 Edition (ICBO) — Municipal Code § 5-16, as amended by Ord. Nos. 12-1992, 26-1995, and 2-2009; Any references to plumbing or electrical requirements (except required-fixture references) are explicitly EXCEPTED from both the IBC and IRC as locally adopted — Municipal Code § 5-31(b) and § 5-56(b) — because plumbing and electrical permitting/inspection in Sterling is handled by the State of Colorado, not the City; Manufactured/mobile home installations follow C.R.S. § 24-32-3101 et seq. rather than a City-adopted installation code — Municipal Code § 5-121. Local amendments apply — see the Sterling overview page for the full list.

The Sterling Fire Department, the City's own fire department (not a separate district). The Fire Chief is the fire code official under the adopted 2018 International Fire Code (Municipal Code Ch. 7, Art. II); IFC construction permits are required for fire protection system installations, though the fee is not separately published — contact the department directly at (970) 522-3823.

No. The City's IFC amendment (Sec. 903.2.8) requires automatic sprinklers throughout buildings with a Group R fire area, but explicitly exempts buildings covered by the International Residential Code (one- and two-family dwellings/townhouses), consistent with the City's IRC adoption which omits IRC Section R313 in its entirety.