Fire Protection (C-16) · Lesson 1 of 6

Where Sprinklers Are Required: CFC 903.2 Triggers

"Where Sprinklers Are Required: CFC 903.2 Triggers" is lesson 1 of 6 in the Fire Protection (C-16) Learning Hub. It opens with "Start With the Occupancy Group and the Fire Area" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Start With the Occupancy Group and the Fire Area
  2. Assembly Groups A-1 Through A-4 (CFC 903.2.1)
  3. Education, Factory, Mercantile, Storage and Parking
  4. Height, Basements and Whole-Group Rules
  5. Pick the Installation Standard

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 5 steps, from "Project A" through "Tally the answers".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Where Sprinklers Are Required: CFC 903.2 Triggers" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Education, Factory, Mercantile, Storage and Parking".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Height, Basements and Whole-Group Rules".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Pick the Installation Standard".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Where Sprinklers Are Required: CFC 903.2CFC 903.2 TRIGGERS (any one applies)A-1, A-3, A-4: area > 12,000 sq ft or load 300+A-2: area > 5,000 sq ft or load 100+E: area > 12,000 sq ft or load 300+F-1, M, S-1: area > 12,000 sq ft, or > 3 stories, or combined floors > 24,000Repair garage: > 10,000 sq ft (2+ stories) or > 12,000 sq ft (1 story)Parking: enclosed > 12,000; open > 48,000Any story with load 30+ at 55 ft or more above lowest FD vehicle accessR, I, H: system throughout (903.2.8, .6, .5)FOUR PLAN CHECKSA: A-2 restaurant, 4,200 sq ft, load 120Load 120 is 100 or moreYESB: M store, 1 story, 10,500 sq ftAll three M limits passedNOC: F-1, 11,000 + 11,000 + 3,000 mezz.25,000 combined is over 24,000YESD: open parking garage, 50,000 sq ft50,000 is over 48,000YESTally: three of four need a systemTest the fire area, the occupant load, the stories and the height for the occupancy groupWhere met, install per 903.3.1.1 (NFPA 13 as amended in CFC Chapter 80)A, C and D require sprinklers; B does not (903.2.7)Always check high-piled storage (903.2.7.1) before calling B unsprinkleredSource: 2025 CFC 903.2.1.2, 903.2.4, 903.2.7, 903.2.10, 903.2.11.3; same triggers in 2025 CBC 903.2CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Start With the Occupancy Group and the Fire Area

California Fire Code (CFC) Section 903.2 says approved automatic sprinkler systems must be provided in new buildings in the locations described in Sections 903.2.1 through 903.2.12 and 903.2.14 through 903.2.21. Most of those sections turn on one of three numbers: the fire area in square feet, the occupant load of that fire area, or the number of stories or height. The same triggers are printed in 2025 CBC Section 903.2, so plan check reads the same in either book. Before you price a system, find the occupancy group on the plans and test every trigger for that group.

Step 2: Assembly Groups A-1 Through A-4 (CFC 903.2.1)

A-1, A-3 and A-4 fire areas need sprinklers when the fire area exceeds 12,000 sq ft, the occupant load is 300 or more, or the fire area is on a floor other than a level of exit discharge serving it (A-1 also when it contains a multiple-theater complex). Group A-2, such as a restaurant or bar, is tighter: the fire area exceeds 5,000 sq ft, or the occupant load is 100 or more, or it is on a floor other than a level of exit discharge. When a trigger is met, the system runs throughout the story and through every story down to and including the level of exit discharge serving that occupancy.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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