Rock Island is the first city in the Quad Cities area to require fire sprinklers in new homes. The change sparked fears of a costly new system addition, but in this home, it turned out to be cheaper than first thought. WQAD reports:
But with the change came hesitation.
"We were somewhat discouraged, somewhat scared," says Rock Island home builder Bob Votroubek.
Potential new Rocky residents worried the change would cost too much.
One local group against the change estimated it would cost home owners an extra $4.24 a square foot to put in sprinklers.
"The data presented from the opposition is just not actually what we're seeing," says Marty.
This new house cost much less.
"The sprinkler was added at a cost of $1.63 per square foot," says Marty.
