The Department of Permits and Inspections is
created as an agency of the County government. The Department shall
be administered by the Director of Permits and Inspections under the
supervision of the County Manager.
All building standards and supplements shall
be maintained on file by the Director of Permits and Inspections and
by the County Manager and shall be made available for public inspection
during normal business hours upon request.
[Added 9-25-2007 by Bill No. 1106; amended 2-22-2014 by Bill No. 1256; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions,
Art. I)]
A. The International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family
Dwellings® (International Code Council,
500 New Jersey Ave. NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20001), edition
applicable in the State of Maryland, and the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) Standard 13D, Standard for the Installation of
Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured
Homes, 2007 ed., shall govern requirements for installation of interior
automatic fire sprinkler systems in one- and two-family residential
construction and manufactured homes.
B. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following
definitions apply:
GROSS FLOOR AREA
The total horizontal floor area in square feet measured from
the exterior walls of a building, including all conditioned space
as defined in the International Residential Code®, edition applicable in the State of Maryland, as adopted from time
to time, but not including crawl spaces, vent shafts, unroofed inner
courts, or unconditioned spaces below ground or in attics.
RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS
All new one- and two-family dwellings, including manufactured
homes constructed at the plant after the effective date of this section.
SUBSTANTIAL NEW ADDITIONS
New construction that exceeds 50% of the structure's total
preexisting gross floor area and adds more than 400 square feet of
new gross floor area.
SUBSTANTIAL REBUILDING
Reconstruction that exceeds 75% of the structure's present
assessed value for property tax purposes as determined by the Maryland
Department of Assessments and Taxation.
C. Applicability.
(1) The requirement for interior automatic fire sprinkler
systems shall apply to all building permits issued after the effective
date of this section in accordance with the provisions of this section
to:
(b)
Substantial rebuilding; and
(c)
Substantial new additions; however, the requirement
shall be applicable only in the new area of the structure.
(2) The requirements of this section do not apply to accessory
or uninhabitable structures (e.g., detached carports, detached garages
with no habitable space, greenhouses, and sheds).
D. Standards. Interior automatic fire sprinkler systems
shall be installed and maintained in all new one- and two-family dwellings
in accordance with the most recent version of Standard 13D, Installation
of Sprinkler Systems in One and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured
Homes, as promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA), and as modified and adopted by the Maryland State Fire Prevention
Code, Md. Code Ann., Public Safety Art., Title 9, as amended from
time to time.