NFPA 72 Record of Completion: What It Is and How to Fill It Out
Every new fire alarm system I have ever turned over came with one piece of paper the fire marshal asked about before anything else: the Record of Completion. It tells the next technician, the owner and the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) what was installed, how it is powered, how it reports, and who stands behind it.
It is also one of the most commonly half-filled-out documents in our trade. Here is what it is, when you need one, and how to fill it out so it holds up.
What the NFPA 72 Record of Completion Is
The Record of Completion is a standardized form in NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. It documents a fire alarm or signaling system as installed and accepted. The documentation requirements for it live in Chapter 7 of NFPA 72, and the code includes a sample form that most contractors and software tools follow.
The form has changed between editions. Sections have been added, renamed and split into supplemental records for things like emergency communications systems, power systems and notification appliance power panels. That is why the edition matters: fill out the form from the edition adopted by your AHJ, not the newest one on the shelf and not the one your last employer printed ten years ago.
When a Record of Completion Is Required
New installations
A new fire alarm system gets a Record of Completion at acceptance. That is the baseline expectation in NFPA 72, and most AHJs will ask to see it before they sign off on the acceptance test or the certificate of occupancy.
Modifications and alterations
When a system is modified, the documentation has to keep up with it. NFPA 72 allows a Record of Completion to be prepared for the modified portion of the system, rather than redoing the whole thing, as long as the record reflects what changed. A tenant fit-out that adds devices, a panel replacement, or a change in the monitoring path should all produce updated documentation.
Some AHJs want a full updated record after any significant change. Ask before you close out the job, not after.
Who Prepares and Signs It
The installing contractor, through its system representative, prepares and signs the Record of Completion. That person is attesting that the system was installed and tested in accordance with the approved plans and the code. In shops like ours, that signature carries a qualifications line, and in Connecticut a NICET credential is what fire marshals look for.
The owner receives a copy. It belongs to the building, not to the contractor. The AHJ may require a copy at acceptance and may ask to see it at any later inspection.
What the Record of Completion Typically Includes
Section names vary by edition, but a complete record covers the same ground.
Property and system information
- Name and address of the property
- Description of the property and occupancy
- Name and contact information for the owner or property representative
- Installation contractor, service organization and testing organization
System type and code edition
- The type of system (for example, a protected premises fire alarm system, or one with an emergency communications component)
- The edition of NFPA 72 the system was installed under
- Other codes and standards referenced, as applicable
- Approved plans, specifications and any approved deviations
Power supplies and secondary power
- Primary power source, location of the disconnect, and the circuit
- Secondary power type (batteries, generator or both)
- Battery type, location and capacity
- The calculated standby and alarm operation the batteries support
This is the section that gets skipped most often, and it is the one the next technician needs most when they are standing in front of a panel with a battery that will not hold.
Circuits and device counts
- Signaling line circuits and notification appliance circuits, with their class or pathway designation where the form calls for it
- Counts of initiating devices by type (manual stations, smoke detectors, heat detectors, waterflow and supervisory switches, and so on)
- Counts of notification appliances by type
Monitoring and supervising station
- Whether the system is monitored, and by what type of supervising station
- Monitoring company name, account number and contact information
- Means of transmission (for example, cellular or IP communicator, or other approved methods)
- Signals the system transmits off premises
Certification and signatures
- The installing contractor’s signature, name, title and date
- Acceptance test information and witnesses, where applicable
- Supplemental records attached
Common Mistakes on the Record of Completion
After 20 years of reviewing these at acceptance tests and on service takeovers, the same problems show up again and again.
Blank fields. A blank is not the same as “none.” If the building is not monitored, say so. If there are no duct detectors, write zero. A blank tells the fire marshal you did not look.
Wrong edition. Filling out a form from one edition while the system was designed and permitted under another creates confusion at plan review and at acceptance. Match the edition adopted by your AHJ.
Missing battery information. No battery size, no calculated standby time, no install date. The batteries will be replaced several times over the life of the system, and the original calculation is the reference for every replacement.
Missing signatures. An unsigned Record of Completion is a draft. Get the signature before you leave the site, or the paperwork stalls for weeks.
Not updating after modifications. A record that shows 40 smoke detectors in a building that now has 70 is worse than no record. Every alteration should leave the documentation matching the system.
Wrong supervising station details. Monitoring companies and account numbers change. The record should reflect the monitoring arrangement at the time of acceptance or modification.
Where the Record of Completion Is Kept
The Record of Completion is part of the system documentation that stays with the building. NFPA 72 calls for system documentation to be kept on site, and where a documentation cabinet is required, the record of completion belongs in it alongside the as-built drawings, sequence of operations and other records. The owner should keep a copy with their own files, and the service contractor should keep one too.
When I take over service on an existing building, the first thing I open is the documentation cabinet. When the Record of Completion is missing, we are rebuilding history from the panel programming.
How We Fill It Out at Titan
I co-founded CodeGreen ITM, the inspection, testing and maintenance software we run Titan on every day. The NFPA 72 Record of Completion in CodeGreen ITM fills itself in from the system already built in the app: the property, the panel, the batteries, the circuits and the device counts come straight from what the technician set up. It asks only for what is missing, and it is signed on the phone or on paper.
The battery section is not blank and the signature happens before the truck leaves. You can see how it works on our NFPA 72 Record of Completion software page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Record of Completion the same as an inspection report?
No. The Record of Completion documents the system as installed and accepted, or as modified. The inspection and test report documents a specific periodic inspection. A building should have both, and the inspection report often references the Record of Completion.
Do I need a new Record of Completion if I add a few devices?
The documentation should reflect the change. NFPA 72 allows a record of completion for the modified portion of the system. Ask your AHJ whether they want a partial record or a full updated one.
Which edition of the form should I use?
Use the edition of NFPA 72 adopted by your AHJ for the work being done. Check with the fire marshal’s office if you are not sure.
Need Help With Fire Alarm Documentation?
Connecticut building owners: Titan Fire Protection handles fire alarm installation documentation, inspections and service across Connecticut. Request a quote or call 860-322-9028.
Fire alarm contractors anywhere in the country: see how CodeGreen ITM fills in the Record of Completion for you, or start a 60-day free evaluation at app.codegreenitm.com/signup. No credit card needed.