# Fire inspection, testing and maintenance schedule (reference)

Baseline intervals for common commercial fire protection systems, from the NFPA standards most U.S. jurisdictions adopt. The local fire marshal (authority having jurisdiction) decides which editions and amendments apply. General guidance, not legal advice.

Interactive version (builds a dated schedule for a specific building): https://plumbregistry.com/tools/inspection-schedule/

## Wet pipe sprinkler system (NFPA 25)

The most common sprinkler system: pipes stay filled with water.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Control valve check | Your staff | Confirm control valves are open and locked or supervised. Sealed (unlocked, unsupervised) valves need weekly checks. |
| Quarterly | Quarterly inspection | Licensed contractor | Gauges, alarm devices, waterflow alarms, fire department connection and signage. |
| Annual | Annual inspection and test | Licensed contractor | Full inspection of sprinklers, pipe and hangers, main drain test, valve operation and alarm tests. |
| Every 5 years | Internal pipe assessment | Licensed contractor | Open the system to check for obstructions and corrosion. Also replace or recalibrate gauges every 5 years. |
| By age or type | Sprinkler sample testing | Licensed contractor | Standard-response sprinklers are sample-tested or replaced at 50 years, fast-response at 20 years. |

## Dry pipe or preaction sprinkler system (NFPA 25)

Pipes hold air until a sprinkler opens; used in unheated spaces.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | Quarterly inspection | Licensed contractor | Air pressure, gauges, alarm devices and valve condition. |
| Annual | Annual trip test | Licensed contractor | Partial trip test of the dry pipe valve every year; a full-flow trip test every 3 years. |
| Annual | Drain condensate before freezing weather | Licensed contractor | Drain low points (auxiliary drains) before the freezing season and as needed after. |
| Every 5 years | Internal pipe assessment | Licensed contractor | Check for obstructions and corrosion; dry systems are especially prone to it. |
| Every 10 years | Dry sprinkler testing | Licensed contractor | Dry-type sprinklers are sample-tested or replaced every 10 years. |

## Fire pump (NFPA 25)

Boosts water pressure for sprinklers and standpipes.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | No-flow (churn) test | Your staff | Run the pump without flowing water: weekly for diesel pumps, monthly for most electric pumps. |
| Annual | Annual flow test | Licensed contractor | Full-flow performance test compared against the pump's rated curve. |

## Standpipe system (NFPA 25)

Hose connections firefighters use inside multi-story buildings.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | Annual inspection | Licensed contractor | Hose connections, valves, piping and signage. |
| Every 5 years | 5-year flow or hydrostatic test | Licensed contractor | Flow test for automatic and semi-automatic standpipes; hydrostatic test for manual and dry standpipes. |

## Backflow preventer on the fire line (NFPA 25 and local water utility)

Keeps sprinkler water from flowing back into the public supply.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | Annual backflow and forward flow test | Specialist | Usually done by a certified backflow tester; many sprinkler contractors have one. Your water utility may set its own deadline. |

## Fire alarm system (NFPA 72)

Detectors, pull stations, horns and strobes, and the control panel.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | Annual inspection and test | Licensed contractor | Test initiating devices, notification appliances, the control panel, batteries and monitoring connection. |
| Every 2 years | Smoke detector sensitivity test | Licensed contractor | Within a year of installation, then every 2 years (up to 5 if results stay within range). |

## Portable fire extinguishers (NFPA 10)

Hand-held extinguishers throughout the building.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Monthly visual check | Your staff | Confirm each extinguisher is in place, charged (gauge in the green), unobstructed and tagged. Record the date. |
| Annual | Annual maintenance | Licensed contractor | Full maintenance and new service tag by a licensed company. |
| Every 6 years | 6-year internal maintenance | Licensed contractor | For stored-pressure dry chemical extinguishers that require a 12-year hydrostatic test. |
| By age or type | Hydrostatic test | Licensed contractor | Every 5 years for water, CO2 and wet chemical (Class K) units; every 12 years for dry chemical. |

## Kitchen hood suppression system (NFPA 17A and NFPA 96)

Wet chemical system over commercial cooking equipment.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semiannual | Semiannual inspection and service | Licensed contractor | Inspect and test the system and replace fusible links. |
| Semiannual | Hood and duct cleaning | Specialist | Interval depends on cooking volume: monthly for solid fuel, quarterly for high volume (24-hour, charbroiling, wok), semiannual for moderate, annual for low volume. Done by a hood cleaning company. |
| Every 12 years | Cylinder hydrostatic test | Licensed contractor | Agent cylinders are hydrostatically tested every 12 years. |

## Emergency and exit lighting (NFPA 101)

Battery-backed exit signs and egress lights.

| Frequency | Task | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Monthly 30-second test | Your staff | Switch each unit to battery for at least 30 seconds and record the result. |
| Annual | Annual 90-minute test | Your staff | Run each unit on battery for 90 minutes. Often done by an electrician or fire alarm company. |

## Who must do contractor work, by state

### Texas

- Wet pipe sprinkler system: Texas SFMO fire sprinkler registration (SCR)
- Dry pipe or preaction sprinkler system: Texas SFMO fire sprinkler registration (SCR)
- Fire pump: Texas SFMO fire sprinkler registration (SCR)
- Standpipe system: Texas SFMO fire sprinkler registration (SCR)
- Backflow preventer on the fire line: Texas TCEQ-licensed backflow prevention assembly tester
- Fire alarm system: Texas SFMO fire alarm registration (ACR)
- Portable fire extinguishers: Texas SFMO fire extinguisher registration (ECR)
- Kitchen hood suppression system: Texas SFMO fire extinguisher registration covering fixed systems (ECR)

### California

- Wet pipe sprinkler system: CSLB C-16 license or OSFM "A" license (Type 1, water-based)
- Dry pipe or preaction sprinkler system: CSLB C-16 license or OSFM "A" license (Type 1, water-based)
- Fire pump: CSLB C-16 license or OSFM "A" license (Type 1, water-based)
- Standpipe system: CSLB C-16 license or OSFM "A" license (Type 1, water-based)
- Backflow preventer on the fire line: Certified backflow tester recognized by your water utility
- Fire alarm system: Licensed electrical contractor (typically CSLB C-10)
- Portable fire extinguishers: California State Fire Marshal-licensed extinguisher concern
- Kitchen hood suppression system: OSFM "A" license (Type 2, fixed systems) or CSLB C-16 license

_Published by Plumb Registry. Sources: NFPA 25, NFPA 72, NFPA 10, NFPA 17A, NFPA 96, NFPA 101._