Are updated plans required for alterations consisting of 20 sprinklers or less?

• A. Yes, Updated Plans Are Required
• B. No, Updated Plans Are Never Required
• C. Yes, But Only For Alterations Involving More Than Fifty Sprinklers
• D. No, Updated Plans Are Not Required If All Floor Areas Were Protected Prior To The Alteration

Answer: (D)

When you’re making alterations to a sprinkler system, updating the plans is about reflecting changes that affect what areas are protected. For minor alterations—up to 20 sprinklers—there’s an exception: if all floor areas were already protected before the work, updated plans aren’t required. The reason is simple—the overall protection scheme doesn’t change, so the existing documentation still represents the system accurately after the work.

This means the key condition is whether any floor area was previously unprotected or becomes unprotected because of the alteration. If everything stayed protected as before, no plan update is needed. If protections change—either new areas become protected or existing protections are removed—then updating the plans would be necessary.