I actually took a small amount of time to do some research on the subject, and I'm amazed at how inexpensive they are for new construction. The NFPA did a draft study in 2008 which concluded that installed cost averaged $1.61 per s.f. which works out to about $4000 for a new, average sized American home.
I think that's a good deal, but I stand by my argument from my previous post on the subject, that fires in new construction are less of a problem than fires in pre-existing, non-conforming dwellings.
I'm also irritated that the insurance study that the NFPA did in their report concludes that there is only a 5-10% drop in annual premium costs for houses that have an automatic sprinkler system. That makes for a payback period on the install cost of over 30 years. Homeowners are apt to be more interested in things that generate a faster return on investment.
So, I am tentatively in favor of Massachusetts adopting this as a code requirement for new construction.
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