Start from the list of character-defining features the preservation documents protect, then trace every new sprinkler, alarm, egress, and separation change against those features across the set. AI can flag conflicts; the design team, the preservation reviewer, and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.
What does NFPA 914 cover?
NFPA 914 is the Code for the Protection of Historic Structures. NFPA describes it as describing principles and practices of fire safety for historic structures and for those who operate, use, or visit them.
NFPA’s official NFPA 914 page identifies the 2023 edition as current when checked on October 5, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
NFPA 914 often works alongside the existing building provisions in the IEBC guide and the life safety provisions in the NFPA 101 guide. If the building also houses a collection, add the NFPA 909 cultural resource guide. Record which documents the authority and any preservation review apply.
Start from what must be preserved
Collect the existing conditions survey, the preservation plan or list of character-defining features, the demolition and new work plans, the reflected ceiling plans, the sprinkler and fire alarm drawings, the egress and life safety plans, the wall and door schedules, any performance-based or alternative approach narrative, and the specifications.
Note each place where the design proposes an alternative to a prescriptive requirement. Those alternatives need the same description on every sheet that relies on them.
Trace new work against preserved features
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Preserved features | Preservation plan, existing conditions, demolition plans | Confirm features listed for preservation are not shown as removed or altered on the new work sheets. |
| Sprinkler routing | Sprinkler plans, reflected ceiling plans, sections | Identify pipe routes and heads drawn through ceilings or finishes the preservation plan protects. |
| Alarm devices | Fire alarm plans, reflected ceiling plans, preservation notes | Check device locations against decorative ceilings and walls the notes call out. |
| Egress changes | Life safety plans, door schedule, demolition plans | Match new exits, doors, and stairs across the life safety and architectural sheets. |
| Separations and openings | Wall types, door schedule, existing conditions | Compare upgraded assemblies and doors with the existing construction they modify. |
| Alternatives | Performance narrative, drawings, specifications | Check that each alternative described in the narrative is reflected on the sheets that depend on it. |
Carry existing opening upgrades into the NFPA 80 fire door guide, new sprinklers into the NFPA 13 sprinkler guide, and the project type into the historic preservation project review.
Example: sprinkler mains across a protected ceiling
Hypothetical example. The preservation plan lists the decorative plaster ceiling in the main hall as a character-defining feature. The sprinkler drawings route an exposed branch line across that ceiling, while the reflected ceiling plan notes concealed piping in the attic above.
The sprinkler drawings show exposed piping across the main hall ceiling, which the preservation plan protects, while the reflected ceiling plan notes concealed piping above. Please confirm the pipe route and update the drawings to match.
The design team coordinates the route with the preservation reviewer. Whether the solution meets the adopted code and preservation requirements is for the designers and the authorities to decide.
Review a historic building package with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 914 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the existing conditions survey, preservation plan, demolition and new work plans, reflected ceiling plans, sprinkler and fire alarm drawings, life safety plans, wall and door schedules, alternative approach narrative, and specifications. Flag preserved features, routes, devices, exits, assemblies, and alternatives that differ between sources. Use the supplied NFPA 914 edition where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets behind it. It does not judge whether a feature is historically significant.
Document review does not approve alternatives, assess historic significance, or certify compliance. Those decisions remain with the design team, the preservation reviewer, and the authority having jurisdiction.