NFPA 13 and NFPA 13R in Same Building?

1/25/2019

Is it permissible to have an NFPA 13 and 13R system in the same building, or by code is it an all-or-nothing prescriptive standard? The most common scenario we would see this apply is with first-floor retail/mixed use construction with residential above.

Posted anonymously by a member for discussion. Discuss this | Subscribe

10 Comments

Robert Blakeman

1/25/2019 10:07:19 am

You cannot mix the two unless the two areas of the building are considered separate buildings under the building code.

Cameron Brown

9/19/2024 11:32:40 am

What constitutes 2 separate buildings? I have a 2-story building we are looking at z the first floor is a public assembly use (restaurant and bar), and the second floor is a residential use 1-2 family dwelling apartment. We are trying to achieve a 2-hour separation. This is a renovation-repurpose.

Claude

1/25/2019 10:30:46 am

If a residential building has an enclosed underground car park, do you use NFPA 13 for the car park and use 13R for the building

Dave

1/25/2019 10:48:47 am

While 13R is unlike 13 in that 13R is life safety, there are such scenarios, like the popular pedestal/podium scenario discussed here by Matt Klaus:
https://youtu.be/xHt5gGXMAmM

sean

1/25/2019 12:53:52 pm

the example you give, a mixed use retail first floor and residential apartments above could be a special building in the IBC a podium building and technically two buildings.

Lets look at something that is one building a hotel. The first floor has conference rooms, restaurant, etc. and then 2-3 floors of dwelling rooms (hotel rooms). The height is not exceeded per nfpa 13R and as long as the building area does not require NFPA 13 we go ahead with 13R. The controlling standard would be NFPA 13R, and 13R specially says that areas outside of the dwelling unit not specifically addressed in that standard should refer to NFPA 13. The building is being design and installed per NFPA 13R. While portions need to meet NFPA 13 the entire building only has one "system" for the building codes purpose.

Andrew Gonci

7/9/2025 06:18:31 am

This is partially true. A hotel is designated as an R occupancy and 13R that has areas needing to be covered by NFPA 13 like parking garage, kitchen, meeting rooms etc.

I am not so sure this is the same, though you make a valid point. I think the key here is that a hotel is one occupancy, vs a retail space and residents above is not.

We would consider this a commercial building, which falls under 13.

sean

7/9/2025 12:18:33 pm

my point is that one building means one standard.

James

2/13/2019 11:31:46 am

Like other's have said, it isn't permitted unless the buildings are considered to be constructed as separate buildings under the local code. Go into the explanatory information for Section 1.1 of NFPA 13R:

"Where buildings of mixed use can be totally separated so that the residential portion is considered a separate building under the local code, NFPA 13R can be used in the residential portion while NFPA 13 is used in the rest of the building".

miles

3/5/2020 12:32:31 am

A very thorough answer to this question can be found here:

https://www.meyerfire.com/blog/when-can-i-use-nfpa-13r-part-i

Andrew

7/9/2025 06:24:37 am

In this case you would require the building to be NFPA 13. Code is not the clearest but here you go.

If a building is mixed, the code would be based on the most demanding area. So Retail on the lower floor, residential on the upper floor, and these are two separate tenants, then it is 13.

Where you have a hotel with some retail, meeting rooms, parking garage, these are all incidental use spaces and the code addresses them. The building is 13R but the spaces that are commercial are protected in accordance with 13.

So this project would be consider 13

Leave a Reply.

Home
Our Cause

The Blog
The Forum

PE Exam Prep
The Toolkit
MeyerFire University

Pricing
Login
Support
Contact Us

MeyerFire.com is a startup community built to help fire protection professionals shine.
Our goal is to improve fire protection practices worldwide. We promote the industry by creating helpful tools and resources, and by bringing together industry professionals to share their expertise.

MeyerFire, LLC is a NICET Recognized Training Provider and International Code Council Preferred Education Provider.
All text, images, and media Copyright © 2016-2025 MeyerFire, LLC

We respect your privacy and personal data. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The views, opinions, and information found on this site represent solely the author and do not represent the opinions of any other party, nor does the presented material assume responsibility for its use. Fire protection and life safety systems constitute a critical component for public health and safety and you should consult with a licensed professional for proper design and code adherence.

Discussions are solely for the purpose of peer review and the exchange of ideas. All comments are reviewed. Comments which do not contribute, are not relevant, are spam, or are disrespectful in nature may be removed. Information presented and opinions expressed should not be relied upon as a replacement for consulting services. Some (not all) outbound links on this website, such as Amazon links, are affiliate-based where we receive a small commission for orders placed elsewhere.

NFPA 13 and NFPA 13R in Same Building?

Leave a Reply.

ALL-ACCESS

SUBSCRIBE

COMMUNITY

YOUR POST

PE EXAM

FILTERS

ARCHIVES

PE PREP SERIES