The debate over mandatory fire sprinklers in new residential construction has come to the Quad-City area and a coalition of housing industry advocates including REALTORS®, homebuilders and the chamber of commerce are in opposition, saying requiring costly sprinkler systems will negatively impact housing affordability and consumer choice.

In a recent Quad-City Times article, Eugene Holst, CEO of the Quad-City Area REALTOR® Association, said affordability is a big concern.  “While cost estimates for sprinkler systems vary widely, $2,000 is an often-quoted price. For each additional $1,000 added to the price of a home, a certain number of buyers are priced out of a home,” Holst told the Quad-City Times.

“Education is first and foremost, of the public and of elected officials,” he said. “It goes back to choice. We’re not against sprinklers, we’re not against safety, we’re against eliminating personal property rights.”