Fire Watch
Contents
How Long Can Sprinklers Be Down Before Fire Watch
Most city codes give you 4 hours. After that you must post certified fire watch guards or start paying fines that climb faster than your blood pressure.
Four hours sounds generous until you factor in traffic, permit delays, and the one contractor who forgot the specialty wrench. We have seen buildings hit the 5 hour mark and receive a $5 k citation before the repair truck even parks.
The clock starts the moment the impairment tag is signed, not when you notice water pressure dropping. That is why smart property managers call us the second the contractor says “we need to isolate the riser.”
What the 4-Hour Rule Really Means
It means continuous patrol, digitally stamped logs every 15 minutes, and a guard who can reach a pull station within 60 seconds. It does not mean a security camera, a sleepy concierge, or a maintenance guy with a flashlight.
And if your building is over 75 feet tall, NYC requires FDNY F-01 certification on top of the normal card. Miss that detail and the inspector will write you a second ticket for improper qualifications.
Timeline Cheat Sheet
- 0-2 hours: Call vendor, schedule repair, book fire watch as backup
- 2-3 hours: Guard arrives, logs first round, notifies fire marshal
- 3-4 hours: Double check paperwork, overlap shifts if job runs long
- 4+ hours: Without watch = $5 k fine first hour, $10 k each after
Exceptions That Buy Extra Time
Some smaller towns allow 6 hours if the building is fully sprinklered and under 3 stories. Do not bank on it. We always deploy at the 3 hour mark so you stay bulletproof no matter who shows up with a clipboard.
High hazard occupancies like paint warehouses or plastic recycling plants sometimes get only 2 hours. The fire marshal posts a red tag on the riser and sets a stopwatch. Miss that window and he can order an immediate shutdown of all operations.
And here is a twist most folks miss: the clock resets if pressure is restored even for 5 minutes. Contractors love to brag “we got it back online” then isolate again an hour later. The second isolation starts a fresh 4 hour window, so keep the guard on standby until the final bolt is tight.
Real Fines We Saw Last Quarter
A 12 story office in Dallas hit 4 hours 12 minutes and paid $5,500. A Chicago condo stretched to 6 hours and left with a $15 k ticket plus a court date. Both owners thought they had “plenty of time” until the inspector arrived early.
The math is brutal. One extra hour costs more than an entire day of professional fire watch. And once the violation is written it lives on the property record for 3 years, driving insurance premiums up across the board.
How to Never Cut It Close
Book the guard when you book the plumber. Tell the contractor you want a 30 minute heads up before isolation. Our dispatch software texts you the guard photo and ETA so you can forward it to the marshal before he even asks.
We average 73 minutes from hang-up to badge scan, so you still have time to spare if you move fast. And because we overlap shifts you will not pay overtime if the job runs long.
Call now and we will tell you exactly how long your sprinklers can be down before fire watch is mandatory. The answer may save you thousands before lunch.
And remember, the marshal does not accept “we tried.” He accepts signed logs with GPS timestamps. Get them, or get fined.
