The Fire Code of the Philippines, read for a house
Republic Act 9514, the Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008, covers every building, a family house included. For most owners it touches three things: the fire certificates the building and occupancy permits depend on, when a home may be inspected, and a short list of acts anyone in the house can commit. Each point below carries the section it comes from.
The certificates your permits depend on
Two offices take turns. The Bureau of Fire Protection evaluates, inspects and certifies; the Building Official issues the building permit and the occupancy permit. Section 5(g) ties them together at the end: no occupancy permit is issued without the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate.
- Bureau of Fire Protection Plan evaluation FSEC in 7 working days Needed before the building permit (RA 11589 Section 3(d); RA 11032)
- Building Official Building permit half the fire fee first Paid before the permit issues (Section 12(b)(2))
- Bureau of Fire Protection Construction stop-work notice For work off the approved plans, permit or clearance (Section 5(k))
- Bureau of Fire Protection Fire safety inspection balance of the fee Equipment and electrical system checked (Sections 7(a)(1) and 12(b)(2))
- Bureau of Fire Protection Fire Safety Inspection Certificate 7 working days RA 11032
- Building Official Occupancy permit not without the FSIC Section 5(g)
The first certificate is set by a later law. RA 11589, the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021, makes the Fire Safety Evaluation Clearance “a prerequisite for the issuance of the building permit” (Section 3(d)), and amends Sections 5, 12 and 13 of the Fire Code accordingly. The building permit guide lists it among the clearances, and the occupancy permit guide covers the steps the Building Official takes at the end. The inspection before occupancy follows the owner's own application; the Section 5(h) consent rule matters for any other inspection of a home, such as the yearly one in Section 5(g).
What the Fire Code (RA 9514) says about a house, section by section
Each row gives the point, the rule in short, and the section it comes from.
Who it covers
| Point | In short | Source and condition |
|---|---|---|
| Every building, a house included, whether built before or after the Code took effect | every building | RA 9514 Section 4: the Code applies "to all persons and all private and public buildings, facilities or structures erected or constructed before and after its effectivity" |
| The detailed fire safety features a building must have | set by the rules | Section 7(d): sprinklers, alarms, fire walls, exits, emergency lights and the rest, for every building except those the implementing rules exempt. Which of them a house needs is in the rules |
Inspections and permits
| Point | In short | Source and condition |
|---|---|---|
| An inspection of a single-family dwelling | consent or court order | Section 5(h): "upon the consent of the occupant or upon lawful order from the proper court" |
| The plans and specifications of the building | on request | Section 5(j): the Bureau may require the owner or occupant to submit them |
| The Fire Safety Evaluation Clearance | before the building permit | RA 11589 Section 3(d): the Bureau evaluates the plans, and the clearance "shall be issued as a prerequisite for the issuance of the building permit" |
| Work built without, or against, the approved plans, permit or clearance | stop-work notice | Section 5(k): a written notice to the owner or contractor; no work continues on that portion until the violation is corrected |
| A fire safety inspection before the permit to use or occupy | before occupancy | Section 7(a)(1), including the installation of fire protection and fire safety equipment and the electrical system |
| The occupancy permit | not without the FSIC | Section 5(g): no occupancy permit is issued without a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate. An official who issues one anyway is administratively liable (Section 11, 2(a)(4)) |
| The Fire Safety Evaluation Clearance and the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate | 7 working days at most | RA 9485 Section 12(a), inserted by RA 11032 |
| A business later run from the house | basis for a new FSIC | RA 9485 Section 12(b), inserted by RA 11032: the certificate issued at the occupancy permit stage is "sufficient as basis for the issuance of the FSIC for a business entity" |
Fees
| Point | In short | Source and condition |
|---|---|---|
| The fee on a new building | half before the permit | Section 12(b)(2): a share of the building's verified estimated value, with a ceiling; half is paid before the building permit issues, the balance after final inspection and before the occupancy permit |
| The yearly fire tax on buildings | not on a single-family home | Section 12(b)(3): charged on the assessed value with the real estate tax, "except on structures used as single family dwellings" |
What anyone at home can break
| Point | In short | Source and condition |
|---|---|---|
| Blocking exits, stairways, hallways and corridors | prohibited | Section 8(a): exit ways and access "clearly marked for fire safety purposes" |
| Gates, entrances, walkways or structures on a public way that block fire trucks | prohibited | Section 8(b) |
| Blocking a fire lane or the way to a hydrant | prohibited | Section 8(d) |
| Locking fire exits while people are inside | prohibited | Section 8(f) |
| Jumpers, tampering with the wiring, or overloading the electrical system | prohibited | Section 8(m) |
| Leaving a building without the appropriate safety measures | prohibited | Section 8(k) |
If a hazard is found
| Point | In short | Source and condition |
|---|---|---|
| A notice to comply | 10 to 15 days | Section 9: the period depends on what the fix reasonably takes |
| A sign reading "WARNING: THIS BUILDING/STRUCTURE IS A FIRE HAZARD" | up to 15 more days | Section 9: posted in front of the building if the notice is not met, then an abatement order, then closure "notwithstanding any permit clearance or certificate earlier issued" |
| A building declared a firetrap and a public nuisance | owner pays | Sections 9 and 10: if the owner does not abate it in time, the Bureau abates it summarily; the cost is a prior lien, and unpaid after 90 days the building or structure is sold at public auction |
| Penalties | fine, closure or prison | Section 11: an administrative fine, closure, or both; for wilful failure to correct, imprisonment of 6 months to 6 years, a fine, or both. The fines are in pesos and are not printed here |
Where the Fire Code meets your plans
- Exits and stairs. The stair has to meet the building code as well, and the stair dimensions checker tests its rise, run, width and headroom against PD 1096.
- The gate and the driveway. Section 8(b) prohibits gates, entrances, walkways and structures on public ways that obstruct fire trucks and equipment.
- The wiring. The inspection before occupancy covers the electrical system, and the electrical plans are signed by a professional electrical engineer, as the house plan guide sets out.
A set drawn with the exits, stair and wiring worked out together is what permit and documentation assistance prepares before it goes to either office.
What this page does not cover
- The implementing rules. The detailed requirements, which of them apply to a house, and the fee schedule are in the 2019 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, which the Bureau of Fire Protection publishes on its website. We could not open the official copy, so nothing on this page is taken from it.
- Businesses and larger buildings. Business permit renewals, hazardous materials and public assembly buildings are covered by the Act, and are not summarised here.
- The fee amounts. The Act sets the fee on a new building as a share of its value with a ceiling in pesos; the certificate fees are left to the rules. The Bureau assesses them.
Sources: Republic Act No. 9514, as published by the Official Gazette; and, as published by the Lawphil Project, Republic Act No. 11589 and Republic Act No. 11032, for Section 12 of RA 9485, which RA 11032 inserted.