We are trying to make housing attainable. Why would we add cost?

Because this cost is small – and it can save money, save water, and save lives. Land, labor, financing, impact fees and materials all move the price of a house further and faster than a sprinkler system does. And the premise that building codes drive up home prices just isn’t supported by the data. A 2026 University of Alabama study examined 45 adoptions of newer residential code editions across 26 states and 2.7 million home sales from 2011 to 2022. For new construction, the price effect was statistically indistinguishable from zero. Across the full sample, 43 of 45 adoptions showed no price increase and 32 showed decreases. If a jurisdiction wants housing to be more attainable there are larger levers available, and none of them require accepting substandard life safety components.