Virginia fire inspection rules

Why Virginia companies are not listed here

Virginia's public list names individual certified inspectors, not companies, and gives no employer. FireInspectorNear counts it but does not publish people, so a Virginia company appears here only if another state on this site licensed it.

Check a Virginia inspector on the state's own lookup linked below, and ask for the certification number before work starts.

Sources: DPOR list 2723; Lists refresh every 5 business days

Who licenses fire protection companies in Virginia

Source: Board for Contractors certifies sprinkler inspectors

Who may inspect and service

Under Code of Virginia 54.1-1147, no one may perform or offer to perform inspections of automatic fire sprinkler systems in Virginia without the state certification.

An uncertified person in a training or apprenticeship program may do sprinkler inspections only when accompanied by a certified inspector, who must sign any required inspection forms.

The certification rule does not apply to building officials enforcing the Uniform Statewide Building Code or fire officials enforcing the Statewide Fire Prevention Code, or their technical assistants.

Under Virginia's Statewide Fire Prevention Code, people who service or maintain portable fire extinguishers must hold a valid certificate from an approved agency or organization for the type of work.

Sources: Only certified inspectors may inspect sprinklers; Extinguisher service personnel must be certified

License types

The Board certifies as an automatic fire sprinkler inspector anyone holding a NICET Level II or higher Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems certificate, or a substantially similar certification from a Board-approved national training program.

Virginia contractor firms licensed in the Fire Sprinkler (SPR) classification may install, repair, alter, test, maintain, inspect and remove water-based fire sprinkler systems, but not other kinds of fire suppression systems.

The Fire Suppression (FSP) contractor specialty covers halon and other gas, dry chemical and carbon dioxide suppression systems, and it does not cover water sprinkler systems.

The Fire Alarm Systems (FAS) contractor specialty covers installing, repairing or improving fire alarm systems that run at 50 volts or less; the electrical (ELE) classification may also do this work.

Sources: Certified Automatic Fire Sprinkler Inspector (FSI); SPR fire sprinkler contracting firms; FSP fire suppression specialty

What inspections and tags must show

When an annual inspection or test is completed, Virginia's Statewide Fire Prevention Code requires an inspection tag or sticker on each fire protection system near the main control valve, main panel or another visible spot the fire code official accepts.

The annual tag or sticker must show the agency and individual who did the work, the date, the type of inspection or test, and the result.

Source: Annual inspection tag on each system

Getting licensed in Virginia: fees and insurance

To renew, a certified automatic fire sprinkler inspector must complete eight hours of continuing education on the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code; no renewal is allowed once 30 days past expiration, after which a new application is needed.

The renewal fee for a certified automatic fire sprinkler inspector is $110.

Unless the rules say otherwise, certifications under the Board's individual license rules expire two years from the last day of the month in which they were issued.

Source: Eight hours of continuing education to renew

Checking a company's license in Virginia

DPOR's Regulant Lists page offers a downloadable list, number 2723, of Certified Automatic Fire Sprinkler Inspectors.

DPOR updates its downloadable regulant lists on its website every 5 business days, usually on Mondays.

Source: DPOR list 2723