The Town already agreed our systems are the simpler home-style kind. Most of the expensive work being asked for comes from a stricter standard that no longer applies. Here is what is required, what isn't, and what to ask for.
This is research compiled by and for owners, not legal advice. It is drawn from the Association's own records, Maine law and the fire codes Maine has adopted. Points marked Needs confirmation should be checked with a Maine condominium attorney or a fire protection engineer before anyone relies on them.
Finish what the board started in 2025: bring the inspection rule, the newsletters and the inspection standard in line with the 13D reclassification the board itself won, and stop treating NFPA 25 items as required until the Town or State says in writing that they are.
Every figure below comes from the Association's own minutes and newsletters.
Encore's $22,500 quote for all 126 units (April 2026 minutes). It was $165 in 2024.
Replace about 15 heads and switch the antifreeze to a new product (March, April and September 2026 minutes).
Simple multiplication of the per-unit quotes. This is the decision that deserves scrutiny.
| What | Who | Per unit | Source |
|---|
The quotes we have are lump sums, so line-item pricing should be requested. Public parts prices give a sense of scale. These are Secondary source figures, not local quotes:
The remainder is labor, drain-down, disposal and margin. That may be fair for the work, but the question is whether the work is required at all. Note also that, per the minutes, contractors say there is "no price break for doing multiple homes," which is unusual for 126 identical systems and worth testing with a group bid.
This is everything that has been flagged or quoted, checked against the codes Maine has adopted: NFPA 13D (2016 edition) and NFPA 25 (2014 edition), both under 16-219 CMR ch. 4.
| Item | Required for 13D? | Why | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly test and inspection by a Maine-registered inspector | Yes | Maine's sprinkler rule says "All sprinkler systems shall be tested at least once a year by means of the Test Connection," with a certification filed with the State Fire Marshal (16-219 CMR ch. 4, §6-1.10). The same rule says maintenance "is the obligation of the owner." Maine law requires anyone who "inspects" a system to be registered (32 M.R.S. §1372). The open question is who chooses the inspector, not whether to have one.About $179 to $220 per unit. | Code/statute |
| Yearly antifreeze test before freezing weather | Yes | NFPA 13D Chapter 12 requires annual antifreeze testing. Samples should come from two points in the system.Usually part of the yearly visit. | Code/statute |
| Replace painted or damaged heads | Yes, those heads only | NFPA 13D requires replacing any head that is painted, corroded, damaged or leaking. The 2025 Q&A says many units had painted "caps." If only a decorative cover plate was painted, a new cover plate may be all that's needed; a painted head itself must be replaced.Ask the inspector which it is in your unit. | Code/statute |
| Fix broken bells, valves, leaking flow switches | Yes | Normal repairs to keep the system working. Any licensed company can do them. The sample unit's flow switch was leaking. | HOA record |
| Replace all heads at 20 years | Not for 13D | The 20-year test is NFPA 25 §5.3.1. NFPA 25 §1.1.5 says the standard "shall not apply" to 13D systems, except through Chapter 16, which covers small board-and-care homes, not condos. Even under NFPA 25, the rule allows testing a sample instead of replacing every head.This is most of the upgrade cost. | Code/statute |
| Replace the glycerin with new antifreeze | Only if it fails or is drained | NFPA 13D (2016) lets existing systems keep premixed glycerin up to 50%. The sample unit read 47.2% and passed. New listed antifreeze is needed if a system fails its test, or is drained and the old fluid can't be reused.Records of whether the original fill was premixed would settle it. | Code/statute |
| 5-year internal pipe obstruction exam | Not for 13D | An NFPA 25 requirement. Same scope exclusion. | Code/statute |
| 5-year pressure test of the fire department connection | Not for 13D | An NFPA 25 requirement. Same scope exclusion. The Navy added these connections, but an add-on does not turn a 13D system into a 13R one. | Code/statute |
| Spare-head box with wrench and head list | Cheap either way | An NFPA 25 item. Inexpensive and sensible to have; not worth a fight. | Code/statute |
| Who picks the inspector | The owner | Declaration §5.4 makes inspection the owner's job. The board's June and September 2026 records say owners may use any licensed company. The Rule that has the management company schedule everyone predates the 13D change. | HOA record |
NFPA 13D is the sprinkler standard for one- and two-family homes and similar dwellings. It aims to give people time to get out. Upkeep is the owner's responsibility (13D Chapter 12).
NFPA 13R is for low-rise apartment and residential buildings. Those systems are maintained under NFPA 25, a detailed inspection, testing and maintenance standard with quarterly, annual, 5-year and 20-year tasks.
Our systems were treated as 13R through 2024, which is why NFPA 25 items appear. After the 2025 reclassification, NFPA 25 should drop away. NFPA 25 (2014) §1.1.5:
"Unless required by Chapter 16, this standard shall not apply to sprinkler systems designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with NFPA 13D."NFPA 25, 2014 edition, §1.1.5. Chapter 16 is limited (§16.2.1) to small residential board-and-care occupancies.
Each unit has its own 1-inch riser, a local bell and no central alarm panel. That is consistent with a 13D design. The Navy commonly added a fire department connection and an exterior bell to 13D systems in family housing.
Needs confirmation The Fire Department's 2025 reclassification letter is the controlling document. Its exact wording and any conditions should be read before anyone relies on this table.
Even under NFPA 25, after 20 years heads may be replaced or sample-tested. A passing sample pushes the next test out 10 years (§5.3.1.1.1.3).
Sampling is a fallback. Under 13D the 20-year test should not apply at all, so the first step is to ask for the written basis for requiring it.
The rules changed after a 2009 fire involving antifreeze that was too concentrated. The rules differ by standard:
The sample unit's August 2026 report records: "Antifreeze specific gravity as measured meet solution requirements: Pass" and "Antifreeze tested and results indicate correct freeze points in system: Pass," at 47.2% glycerin, freeze point −15°F.
Two cautions keep this honest. One passing reading doesn't prove the original fill was factory-premixed, and the test should sample two points in the system. If a system has to be drained for a repair, it will likely be refilled with listed antifreeze, so plan repairs that can isolate parts without a full drain.
A condominium's Declaration is the top document. The Bylaws and the board's Rules have to fit inside it. Maine law says so too (33 M.R.S. §1602-103 and §1603-102).
"Each Unit Owner shall keep and maintain his or her Unit and its equipment, systems, appliances and appurtenances in good order, condition and repair… This includes the inspection and maintenance of the fire sprinkler systems and the dryer vents."Amended & Restated Declaration §5.4 (March 2025)
"The Association shall also have the right to perform maintenance required of a unit Owner under Section 5.4, but not performed by the unit Owner… and the unit Owner shall be liable for… the expense of such maintenance."Declaration §5.5
"The fire suppression system in your Unit is complex and must be inspected and tested yearly by a certified technician. The Property Management Company will schedule this visit… All costs associated with the fire suppression system are the responsibility of the Unit Owner."Rules & Regulations, Owner Requirements (b). Unchanged from the November 2024 version through June 2026.
Needs confirmation No Maine court has ruled on this exact sprinkler rule. The general principle is that governing documents are read as a contract, as a whole, without making any clause meaningless (Scott v. Fall Line Condominium Ass'n, 2019 ME 50).
The Bylaws give the board power to "adopt and publish rules and regulations governing the use of the Common Area… by unanimous consent, provided such rules and regulations are not inconsistent with, and do not have the effect of, amending or terminating any provision of the Declaration" (Bylaws, Powers of the Board, Section 1(a)).
The Rules themselves say "The Board may amend the Rules & Regulations at any time with a majority vote."
The Declaration (§9.1(g)) separately allows rules "not in conflict with the provisions of this Declaration, concerning the use and enjoyment of the Property," so this is not a knockout argument. It is a fair question: was the sprinkler rule adopted by unanimous board vote, and is that in the minutes?
Board materials warn that an insurer could refuse to pay after a fire if inspections aren't documented. That is worth taking seriously, but it needs to be separated into two policies.
The Declaration requires the master policy to provide that "no act or omission by any Owner… will void such policies or be a condition to recovery," and that the insurer is not relieved of liability because the hazard increased or because of "any act or neglect by… any Owner" (Declaration §18.2, items 3 and 6). It also requires the insurer to waive subrogation against owners. One owner's missed inspection should not void the building coverage.
Each owner's own policy is separate (Declaration §18.6), and its terms vary. The practical protection is the same either way: keep a yearly report from a registered inspector, whoever you hire. Ask your own insurer whether they offer a discount for a documented, working sprinkler system. Some do.
Probably not for most units. The board was told by the State Fire Marshal's office that a system required for new construction can't be removed, and that Brunswick requires sprinklers in buildings with three or more attached units. Duplexes are the only realistic candidates. The Declaration's building list shows 7 duplex buildings (14 units): 1–3, 13–15 and 42–44 Guadalcanal; 21–23 Forrestal; 26–28 Enterprise; 13A–13B Antietam; and 17–19 Hornet. One building has three units (11–15 Hornet) and the rest have four. Even for the duplexes, the board's 2025 research found that removal needs approval from the Town, the State Fire Marshal and the insurer, plus bedroom egress windows with at least 5.7 square feet of clear opening. Removal is a long, uncertain path. The 13D route is the practical one.
This keeps every unit safe and documented, respects the Declaration, and lets owners shop on price.
Tap a button to copy, then paste into an email to the management company and the board.
Subject: Records request under 33 M.R.S. §1603-118 – fire sprinkler systems To the Mariner's Landing Condominium Association Board and Foreside Management, Under 33 M.R.S. §1603-118, I request to examine and copy the following Association records. Electronic copies are fine. 1. The Brunswick Fire Department's 2025 letter (or other written decision) reclassifying our sprinkler systems from NFPA 13R to NFPA 13D, with any conditions, and the request or application that led to it. 2. Any written statement from the Brunswick Fire Department or the State Fire Marshal's Office identifying which inspection, testing or replacement items are required for our 13D systems, with the code section for each. 3. The contract, proposal and scope of work with Encore Fire Protection for 2026 inspections ($22,500), and any other sprinkler bids received. 4. All 2026 inspection reports the Association received, and any summary of deficiencies by unit. 5. Board minutes or written consents showing the vote adopting the fire sprinkler rule in the Rules & Regulations (Owner Requirements, item b). 6. The general ledger detail for account 6493 (Fire Sprinkler Expense) for 2026, including amounts billed back to owners. 7. Whether Encore Fire Protection or Interstate Fire Protection participates in the management company's First Call Preferred Vendor Program, and any fees, rebates or other payments related to sprinkler work. Please let me know when and where these records will be available. Thank you. [Name] [Unit address] [Date]
1. In 2025 the Town approved reclassifying our systems as 13D "allowing owner inspections." Will the board share that letter and any conditions with all owners? 2. Our sample inspection in August 2026 was done "in accordance with NFPA 25," which by its own scope (§1.1.5) does not apply to 13D systems. Which code section requires the 20-year head replacement, the 5-year obstruction exam and the 5-year connection test for our 13D systems? 3. The January 2026 notice called head and antifreeze replacement upkeep "not part of required inspections," but the September newsletter said they "need to be replaced." Which is correct, and what written authority is it based on? 4. Will the board update the sprinkler rule so owners can use any Maine-registered inspector and submit their own report, as the June 2026 minutes and September newsletter already allow?
Subject: Mariner's Landing Condominium – 13D sprinkler requirements Hello, I own a unit at Mariner's Landing Condominium in Brunswick. Our Association's records say the Fire Department approved reclassifying our unit sprinkler systems from NFPA 13R to NFPA 13D in 2025. Could you please confirm in writing: 1. That our unit systems are treated as NFPA 13D systems, and any conditions of that approval. 2. What yearly inspection and testing the Department requires for them, and whether an owner may hire any Maine-registered sprinkler inspector to do it. 3. Whether the Department requires any NFPA 25 items for these systems, such as 20-year sprinkler head testing or replacement, 5-year internal obstruction investigation, or 5-year fire department connection hydrostatic testing, and if so, under which code section. 4. Whether existing premixed glycerin antifreeze that passes its annual test may remain in service under NFPA 13D (2016) as adopted in Maine. Thank you for your help. [Name] [Unit address] [Phone]
Send to the Brunswick Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division. The Town's website lists the current address.
Subject: Freedom of Access Act request – Mariner's Landing sprinkler reclassification To the Town of Brunswick (Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division, and Codes Enforcement), Under Maine's Freedom of Access Act (1 M.R.S. §408-A), I request copies of the following public records: 1. Any letter, decision, approval or email from 2024 or 2025 reclassifying the unit fire sprinkler systems at Mariner's Landing Condominium (Guadalcanal, Hornet, Forrestal, Enterprise and Antietam streets, Brunswick Landing) from NFPA 13R to NFPA 13D, including any conditions. 2. The request, application, engineering drawings or other materials submitted to the Town in connection with that reclassification. 3. Any letters to the Mariner's Landing Condominium Association about bedroom egress windows or sprinkler removal (including a letter dated on or about December 12, 2024). 4. Any written statement of the inspection, testing or maintenance the Town requires for these systems. Electronic copies are preferred. Please tell me in advance if any fees will exceed $25. Thank you, [Name] [Unit address] [Email]
Send to the Town of Brunswick's public records contact, listed on the Town website. Under the Act, the Town must acknowledge the request within 5 working days.
These answer most of the open questions about your own unit and are useful to any inspector you hire.
Code section text was checked by independent reviewers against the 2014 and 2016 editions. A licensed fire protection engineer should confirm the item table before it is relied on for spending decisions.