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We're Adding Crews to Keep Up With Wildfire Sprinkler Demand

Shawn Gardner, Managing Partner of FireRoofs

Shawn Gardner, Managing Partner

June 23, 2026·5 min read·Wildfire Defense
We're Adding Crews to Keep Up With Wildfire Sprinkler Demand

If you are planning wildfire defense for your home this year, two things are worth knowing right now. Material costs have climbed. And demand has us adding install crews to keep up.

Here is what that looks like from our side.

Getting Ready for Monday

This week we are in the office staging copper for our next install, which starts June 29. The photos show part of it. Bags of copper press fittings sorted by type. Tees, elbows, couplings, reducers. The control enclosure that houses the system brain. The signage that goes up on site.

FireRoofs install crew in branded hi-vis gear working on a roof during a wildfire sprinkler system installation
Our crew on site. Two-man teams handle every install from pipe runs to controller mounting. We are adding crews to keep up with demand.

We run all-copper pipe. Not PEX. Not plastic. Copper holds up to heat in ways other materials do not, which matters when the whole point of the system is to protect a home during a wildfire. Staging everything ahead of time means our crew shows up and gets to work instead of chasing parts.

Close-up of copper press fittings used in FireRoofs all-copper wildfire sprinkler systems
All-copper press fittings. Every joint in a FireRoofs system is copper. No plastic, no PEX, no shortcuts.

Material Costs Are Up 20 to 30 Percent

Over the last year, the copper and fittings that go into every system have gone up 20 to 30 percent. That is not a one-week spike. It is a steady climb across the materials we depend on.

We have held our build where it is. Same all-copper system. Same crews, no subcontractors. So we have absorbed a lot of that increase instead of cutting corners on what goes into your home.

If you have been quoted before and you are sitting on it, the math is not moving in your favor. Materials cost more today than they did last season, and nothing about that is reversing.

We Are Booked, and We Are Adding Crews

Demand has kept our install calendar booked solid for weeks. That is a good problem, and we are treating it like one. We are bringing on additional install crews so homeowners are not waiting longer than they should to get protected.

Copper press fittings and control enclosure staged at FireRoofs office before a wildfire sprinkler install
Staging day at the office. Every fitting sorted, every component accounted for. This is how we keep installs moving without delays.
Bay Area home with shingle siding and elevated deck in wildfire-prone wooded terrain, scheduled for Fortress wildfire defense system
Our next install. Shingle siding, mature trees close to the structure, elevated deck. This home is getting a Fortress-level system.

This homeowner has a Class A metal roof and 10,000 gallons of water storage dedicated to the exterior wildfire sprinkler system. The system going in is our Fortress tier: fully automated with eave sprinklers, Class A foam injection, and roof sprinklers on a separate detached garage. Every weak point addressed, every zone covered.

The homes in these photos sit in the kind of terrain where embers travel. Shingle siding. Mature trees close to the structure. Vents that can pull embers inside and ignite a home from within. The work we do hardens those weak points and adds active defense on top.

More crews means we can do that for more homes before peak season.

Hardie-shake fiber-cement siding covering both structures on a WUI home, with a gable vent and downspout visible
Hardie-shake fiber-cement completely covering both structures. Even with non-combustible siding, a proper wildfire defense system addresses every remaining vulnerability.

What This Means for You

If wildfire defense is on your list this year, the move is to get on the schedule now. Not because of pressure. Because of timing and cost. Demand is high and materials are more expensive than they were. We are adding crews to keep timelines reasonable, but the calendar still fills as fire season gets closer.

Front view of a Bay Area craftsman home with garage and covered porch scheduled for a FireRoofs Fortress wildfire sprinkler installation
Front elevation of our next Fortress install. Class A metal roof, 10,000 gallons of dedicated water storage, and mature tree canopy surrounding the property.

If you want a system in before peak season, the next step is a site evaluation. Book one at fireroofs.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does FireRoofs use all-copper pipe?

Copper holds up to heat far better than PEX or plastic. Since the system exists to protect a home during a wildfire, the material it is built from has to survive the conditions it is defending against.

Are you taking on new installs right now?

Yes. Demand has kept us booked for weeks, so we are adding install crews to keep timelines reasonable. Getting on the schedule now is the way to secure a slot before peak season.

Have material costs really gone up 20 to 30 percent?

Yes. Over the past year the copper and fittings in every system have climbed 20 to 30 percent. We have absorbed much of that increase rather than change the build.

How long does a wildfire sprinkler installation take?

It depends on the home and the system tier, but staging materials ahead of time keeps crews working from day one instead of waiting on parts.

What makes a home vulnerable to wildfire embers?

Common weak points include eave vents, foundation vents, and gable vents, which can pull embers inside and ignite a home from within. Shingle siding and trees close to the structure add risk.

What is a Fortress-level system?

Fortress is our highest protection tier. It includes everything in our Guardian system plus Class A foam injection during the highest threat activation. The system going in this week also includes eave sprinklers and roof sprinklers covering a detached garage, all fully automated with satellite wildfire monitoring.


Sources and further reading:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does FireRoofs use all-copper pipe?

Copper holds up to heat far better than PEX or plastic. Since the system exists to protect a home during a wildfire, the material it is built from has to survive the conditions it is defending against.

Are you taking on new installs right now?

Yes. Demand has kept us booked for weeks, so we are adding install crews to keep timelines reasonable. Getting on the schedule now is the way to secure a slot before peak season.

Have material costs really gone up 20 to 30 percent?

Yes. Over the past year the copper and fittings in every system have climbed 20 to 30 percent. We have absorbed much of that increase rather than change the build.

How long does a wildfire sprinkler installation take?

It depends on the home and the system tier, but staging materials ahead of time keeps crews working from day one instead of waiting on parts.

What makes a home vulnerable to wildfire embers?

Common weak points include eave vents, foundation vents, and gable vents, which can pull embers inside and ignite a home from within. Shingle siding and trees close to the structure add risk.

What is a Fortress-level system?

Fortress is our highest protection tier. It includes everything in our Guardian system plus Class A foam injection during the highest threat activation. It also includes eave sprinklers and roof sprinklers covering detached structures, all fully automated with satellite wildfire monitoring.

Written by Shawn Gardner, Managing Partner of FireRoofs

Researched and reviewed by industry professionals.

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