The MN requirement for sprinklers in residences comes from the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC). Since this code is the basis for most state building codes in the US, each of those states will eventually be forced to accept the sprinkler requirement or pass legislation to amend the code if it hasn't already done so (the requirement was also in the 2009 IRC) Currently I believe only California, Maryland and DC have allowed the sprinkler requirement to become law unmodified. MN adopts the IRC after review and amendment and it has recently amended the 2012 IRC to exempt houses smaller than 4,500 s.f. Since the average size of a single family home in the US is 2,700 s.f. the rule appears to allow most single family homes in MN to be built without sprinklers. However, the building area includes all "conditioned space" so it can include conditioned lower levels and bonus rooms even if those spaces are unfinished. Even so, it seems easy enough to avoid the requirement if you really don't want sprinklers. The ICC has strongly advocated home sprinklers since 2006 when the requirement was included as an option to be adopted locally. The fight over including the requirement in the IRC has always been between home building associations (and the NHAB) and fire fighter associations (and the NFPA). A very small percentage of homeowners die in fires each year so the home buying public understandably cares more about price than sprinklers but about 45% of firefighter deaths occur in those home fires so the sprinkler code fight is basically between homebuilders and firefighters.

Davidtay, I did look at the link and try hard to find stores that have these bulbs but I could not. I will call Cree today and the phone number they give for Cree Sales Residential. I just measured the room that needs recessed lights and without the two foyer areas and not counting the connecting dining room that has a half a wall high and a half a wall long separating the home office (which is the living room) my room is 17' 8" long X 12' 2" wide. My kitchen has 6 recessed light in there that are supposed to be 900 Lumen's and it is not bright enough for me unless I put the 7th light on the sink on and that room is 14' long X 10' wide. I think I may need more than 6 recessed lights? My kitchen lights have very pretty color (Halogen Reveal but I should have went with the GE Halogen bulbs as the radius of light is not that wide on my bulbs creating areas with no light. The ceilings are 8 feet in these rooms that I am putting the recessed lights in. Maybe 800 Lumen's from a CR6 is better use of lumen's than the 900 lumen's from the Halogen bulb in my kitchen? Maybe 2,700K LED is a whiter cleaner light than Incandescent bulbs that are too yellow to me? I like the 90 CRI of the CREE. Philip's has LED bulbs with higher lumen's and more of the 3,000L I want but the CRI is 82 and they are bulbs they go in a can while I seem to like the one piece look of the CREE. Thank you Davidtay again for always helping us.

Re: cost/benefit - Our town, which is constantly wringing its hands about needing more affordable housing, requires 13D systems for all new single family homes. The cost of the system was $8,000 for us (we went with the lowest bid - other bids came in twice that). As I said, we were doing post and beam and required some creative layout to hide the system, so I'm sure a regular stick frame house system would have been cheaper, but we are also a pretty small house - 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath. In addition to the cost for the system itself, there were building modifications to hide the system, plus extra costs for plumbers and electrician to connect the system. And the space that the tanks take up that can't be used for anything else. We are getting a credit on our homeowners insurance, and the town does give a small property tax credit (presumably because the system saves on firefighting costs), but it will take a very long time for those to benefits to earn the cost of the system back - and at some point we will need to replace the pump, have the system inspected, etc. - so it will continue to have costs. Of course, if we ever have a fire, I'm sure I will be very happy we have it. But if I were to do it over in a town that didn't have the requirement, we would just install a sprinkler over the stairs and other exit paths (and probably just tie it into the regular plumbing system). Having sprinklers in the closets (ours were just large enough to need them) definitely does not seem cost effective....

Its best if your electrician buys the trims or lets you use his discount at his supplier. Just because your GC won't markup the prices doesn't mean the electrician won't. In any case, you need accurate prices for the trims and that's very hard to do online. If the wrong trims were delivered or were defective then or later, you would be the one taking the hit. [The only building materials I ever ordered online were PVC downspouts and its been over 2 months and I haven't seen them yet. It turns out they were made in Denmark and had to be shipped through Canada to SC and then to MA] The next thing to do is to find the best local supplier, go see the fixtures in the showroom and get real prices. Maybe that will involve more than one supplier. Until that happens you are spinning your wheels.