Can Automist be approved as an alternative to a 13D sprinkler system?

Yes. Automist can be used as an alternative to an NFPA 13D fire sprinkler system in one- and two-family dwellings, where permitted by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Automist is a UL 2167A Listed water mist fire suppression system, designed and installed in accordance with NFPA 750 and the manufacturer’s Design, Installation, Operation and Maintenance Manual (DIOM).

To make approval straightforward, we publish a complete AHJ Submission Package containing everything a plan reviewer needs: the UL certificate and listing verification links, the DIOM, the UL equivalence letter, component cut sheets, peer-reviewed research, and a project-specific submission checklist.

What is Automist designed to do?

Automist is a fire suppression system, not an extinguishing system. Like an NFPA 13D sprinkler system, Automist is designed to:

• Suppress and control fire growth
• Limit heat release and smoke production
• Prevent flashover in the room of fire origin
• Enable safe occupant escape and support fire service intervention

Unlike extinguishing systems, Automist does not aim for immediate, total flame knockdown using a fixed agent quantity. Its function is aligned with the life-safety purpose of NFPA 13D: aiding the detection and control of residential fires so occupants can escape or be evacuated.

What code path allows Automist to be used?

Automist is Listed under UL 2167A, the Outline of Investigation for Targeting Water Mist System Units for One- and Two-Family Dwellings for Fire Protection Service, developed specifically for electronically controlled targeting water mist systems.

International Fire Code (IFC) §903.1.1 permits alternative automatic fire-extinguishing systems complying with Section 904 where recognized by the applicable standard and approved by the fire code official. IFC / California Fire Code (CFC) §904.11 specifically permits automatic water mist systems, provided they are:

• Listed for the purpose. Download the UL Certification: UL System Certificates for Automist (PDF)
• Designed and installed in accordance with NFPA 750
• Installed in accordance with their Listing and the manufacturer’s instructions (the Automist DIOM)

Automist is not proposed as an alternative for code exceptions, area increases, or egress leniencies tied to sprinkler systems under Section 904.2.1. It is also not used to replace sprinklers in commercial or multifamily residential buildings.

In a letter dated February 13, 2026, UL Solutions confirmed that the residential life-safety purpose statements of NFPA 13D (§1.2.2) and NFPA 750 (§1.2.3, echoed for dwellings in §10.3.2) are equivalent, and that an AHJ evaluating a targeted water mist system as an alternative to an NFPA 13D sprinkler system can consider their life-safety purpose as equivalent. The letter also notes that IFC §903 and §904.11 indicate that automatic water mist systems can be permitted by the AHJ in applications consistent with the applicable listing. The UL equivalence letter is available to download here.

How do I submit Automist to my AHJ?

Plumis, the manufacturer of Automist, publishes an AHJ Submission Package that contractors and homeowners can include with a permit application. It is organized for efficient plan review and includes:

• The UL 2167A certificate, with verification links to UL Product iQ File EX29276
• The Design, Installation, Operation and Maintenance Manual (DIOM), the manufacturer’s listed design and installation documentation required by NFPA 750
• The UL Solutions equivalence letter (February 13, 2026)
• A clause-by-clause summary of how Automist addresses NFPA 750 requirements
• Component cut sheets, ISO 9001 certification, and peer-reviewed research published in Fire Safety Journal
• A project-specific submission checklist, including verification that the available water supply and pump exceed the calculated system demand (2.37 gpm) by at least 10 percent per NFPA 750 §12.5.2.2(2)

Download the AHJ Submission Package (PDF)

Automist has been reviewed and approved by AHJs across the United States. A selection of approved projects and case studies is available for reviewers who want to see how peer jurisdictions have evaluated the system.

Plumis also offers a free online training course for AHJ personnel covering the system fundamentals, code basis, installation verification checkpoints, and common review questions

Does Automist require a 104.11 performance-based submission?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Section 904.11 provides a prescriptive code path for Listed water mist systems in domestic occupancies, and where an AHJ accepts Automist under that path, a separate alternative materials and methods (AMMR) submission under IFC/CBC 104.11 may not be required.

However, acceptance is at the discretion of the local AHJ. Some jurisdictions will accept Automist directly under 904.11 as a Listed system installed to its Listing and the manufacturer’s instructions. Others may require an AMMR submission under 104.11 to document equivalence to NFPA 13D before granting approval. AHJs may also impose additional local requirements regardless of the path taken.

Contractors should confirm the preferred path with the AHJ early in the process. We can support either route, including supplying the UL Listing, the NFPA 750 / NFPA 13D equivalence documentation, the AHJ Submission Package, and project-specific information needed for an AMMR where one is requested.

How can contractors present Automist to AHJs?

Here’s a clear and compliant way to describe Automist to an AHJ:

How is Automist maintained?

Automist is inspected, tested, and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s DIOM, consistent with NFPA 750 requirements. Where the AHJ applies IFC/CFC 904.11.3, water mist systems are maintained in accordance with NFPA 25 (2011 edition): nozzles inspected annually and the system operated annually in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Automist also performs automated self-monitoring and diagnostic checks and alerts the homeowner to any system fault. Conventional NFPA 13D systems have no equivalent capability; a 13D system can be rendered inoperable by a closed valve, frozen pipe, or internal corrosion without any notification to the occupant.

Summary

• Automist is a fire suppression system, not an extinguishing system.
• It is Listed under UL 2167A for one- and two-family dwellings and installed in accordance with NFPA 750 and the manufacturer’s DIOM.
• The code path is IFC/CFC 904.11. It is not proposed as an alternative for code exceptions under 904.2.1.
• Where accepted under the prescriptive 904.11 path, a separate 104.11 AMMR submission may not be required. Some AHJs will ask for an AMMR to document equivalence, and acceptance in all cases is at the AHJ’s discretion.
• A complete AHJ Submission Package, precedent approvals, and free AHJ training are available to support plan review.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to all of the aspects of the building/fire code but rather a useful source of background information. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the contents of this post are correct at the time of publication, it should never be used as any form of substitution for the full NFPA® codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides. It should be noted that there may be specific additional requirements dependent upon the Authority Having Jurisidiction (AHJ).