Is any of this data independent, or is it all the sprinkler industry? And what’s that acronym?

Sources in this document fall into four groups.

Federal and independent. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and the National Park Service (NPS) are federal agencies. The 2026 study of building codes and home prices is University of Alabama research. FM Global is an insurer’s research arm. The Insurance Services Office (ISO), now part of Verisk, rates community fire protection for the insurance industry.

Standards bodies. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) writes NFPA 13D, the installation standard for one- and two-family dwellings, and publishes the fire statistics every side cites, including the opposition. Its Fire Protection Research Foundation is its research affiliate. The International Code Council (ICC) writes the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Fire Code (IFC), including IRC Section P2904, the multipurpose sprinkler standard. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is the drinking water utilities’ association and sets guidance for how utilities serve sprinklered homes. The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) represents fire service leadership.

The building industry’s own. Several figures here come from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), including its 2024 construction cost survey and its per-square-foot and per-home cost claims. Where this document compares a sprinkler system to the rest of a house, the comparison numbers are theirs.

The sprinkler industry. The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) is the industry’s trade association, and the Colorado Fire Protection Association (CFPA) is its Colorado chapter. The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) is an education group funded by the industry.